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DeSantis says he doesn't favor raising unemployment benefits

Photo: Josh Appel
Photo: Josh Appel

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis said he doesn’t favor raising Florida’s unemployment benefits, which are some of the nation’s lowest, but is focused instead on getting people back to work.

At an event Friday in Lakeland, the Republican governor also urged people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus and said employers need workers to get back to a semblance of normalcy.

The governor’s comments come as the state Senate is moving a bill sponsored by Republican state Sen. Jason Brodeur to increase maximum benefits from $275 a week to $375 a week and boost the benefit duration from 12 weeks to 14 weeks.

Danielle Prieur covers education in Central Florida.