By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-916999.mp3
LANSING, MI –
Nearly 70,000 people in Michigan who temporarily lost their unemployment benefits in July because of a congressional stalemate have retroactive payments headed their way.
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Congress squabbled over the benefits extension for a few weeks past the expiration in July. The lawmakers eventually reached a deal to extend the benefits. Now Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency says it has made about $38 million in retroactive payments.
Norm Isotalo is with the agency.
"Everybody is good to go," he says. "And most of them, if not all, should have received a payment by now."
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow has introduced another bill that would also extend unemployment benefits for 99ers - that's people who are at the end of their allotted 99 weeks of payments. Stabenow says more than 35,000 people in Michigan have exhausted their unemployment benefits completely.