AZ judge upholds Ducey’s cut of extra jobless benefits

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - An Arizona judge has upheld Governor Doug Ducey’s decision to cut $300 in supplemental monthly unemployment benefits provided by the federal government.

Judge Catherine Cooper said Ducey was no longer required to spend the federal dollars on jobless claims.

The move by Ducey was to prod people to return to work, so he cut the benefits back in July two months before the funding ended. This resulting in over 100,000 jobless people receiving less money for eight weeks of benefits, amounting to about $2,400 per person.

Ducey said at the time that Arizona would set aside extra federal money to offer a one-time bonus of $2,000 to people who get a full-time job and $1,000 to those who return part time.

Officials with the Unemployed Workers United, which filed the lawsuit, said they would appeal the decision.