Senate briefing on insurance, small business loans shifts focus to unemployment issues

A Senate Finance Committee hearing on insurance, banks, and small business loans shifted its focus to questioning the Maryland Secretary of Labor on unemployment issues.

INSURANCE AND SMALL BUSINESSLOANS WAS DERAILED BYQUESTIONS ON FIXING MARYLAND'SUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE SYSTEM.WHILE PEOPLE WORK TO REBOUNDFROM THIS PANDEMIC..

WMA━2NEWS MALLORY SOFASTAII TELLSUS THE LATEST INFORMATIONSHARED IN THE BRIEFING.úúUNEMPLOYMENT WASNINTENDED FOCUS OF THEARING..

BUT WITH THESECRETARY OF THE LABOR ON THECALL ..

SENATORS MADE SURE TOBRING IT UP.

HUNDREDSTESTIFIED FOR HOURS LAST WEEKON THE PAI━ STAKING PROCESSOF RETRIEVING UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS NATS SENATORSLISTENED THEN RESPONDED BYSENDING A LETTER ON FRIDAY TOTHE GOVERNOR AND SECRETARY OFLABOR SEEKING ANSWERS.

THSECRETARYIN A SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEEBRIEFING TODAY ON BANKS, SMALLBUSINESS LOANS, AND INSURANCEMATTERSON THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCESYSTEM AND WHEN IT WILL BEWORKING FOR EVERYONE.

SenatorKatherine Klausmeier,President Pro Tem Emeritus andChair, Joint Committee onUnemployment InsuranceOversight 24:18 it is so veryfrustrating to hear all goodthings that the banks aredoing but I just know thereare so many people that caneven put their money in thebank bc they havenunemployment checks for 2months, over 2 months:17SECRETARY ROBINSON SAIDTHRESPONSE TO THE SENATELETTER..

AND WITH RESPECT TODIRECT DEPOSIT VERSUS MAILINGDEBIT CARDS..

THIS ISSOMETHING THEYTO DO Secretary TiffanyRobinson, Maryland Departmentof Labor: 25:51 Weat multiple options for doingthat.

It is coming but itmight be a difficult thing forus to do in the middle of thepandemic.

We absolutely willhave it in the future for ourcustomers THE FOCUS NOW ISGETTING CARDS OUT AS QUICKLAS POSSIBLE ROBINSON: 27:42last week we actually got bankof america to ship many oftheir cards from theirDelaware facility instead ofTennessee to get them to ourcustomers within ━3 days:08ROBINSON ADDING THAT BANK OFAMERICA RAN INTO SUPPLY ISSUWITH PLASTIC BECAUSE THEDEMAND WAS SO HIGH... AND WHENPRESSED BY A SENATOR ONWHETHER SHE PLANS TO CHANGETHE CONTRACT WITH THE BANK TOISSUE PAYMENTS ELECTRONICALLY,SHE SAID THEYALL OPTIONS.

ROBINSON: 33:05We are looking at thecontracts, we are looking atother opportunities for ourclaimants in terms of vendorsbut most importantly we areworking with bank of americaas the provider that hasstepped up for us to make sureto support our claimantsprevious years and through thepandemic to make sure they aregiving our claimants everysingle option available AS OFLAST WEEK 13━THOUSAUNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS WERE STILLPENDING.

WE ASKED FOR ANUPDATE SEVERAL TIMES FROM THEDEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUT NEVERHEARD BACK.

SECRETARY ROBINSONSAID SHE PLANS TO ISSUE ARESPONSE TO THE SENATECOMMITTEES CONCERNS TOMORROW.MALLORY'S BEEN FOLLOWIN