LANSING — House Democrats unveiled a plan today to strengthen unemployment protections and restore benefits, allowing Michiganders to focus on finding new jobs without worrying about how they’re going to pay bills or put food on the table. The package of bills focuses on improving the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) system so it can handle a forecasted recession, ensuring accountability for employers not paying their UIA tax, and finding closure for those falsely accused of fraud. In response, State Rep. Cara Clemente (D-Lincoln Park), whose bill would increase penalties for fraudulent and delinquent employers, issued the following statement:

“Everyone makes mistakes, including business owners, and current law allows businesses who have failed to pay unemployment insurance tax to remedy the situation. But we cannot condone those who purposely defraud our government and short the system. We need stricter penalties on bad actors to protect Michigan’s working families.”