Unemployed Floridians continue to fight for $300 federal unemployment benefit

A group of unemployed Floridians is fighting to bring back the $300 a week in federal unemployment benefits that Gov. Ron DeSantis got rid of.

A Leon County court ruled against reinstating the benefits in August.

Now, the group plans to appeal that decision.

They say the pandemic isn’t over. People are still unemployed and the extra $300 from the federal government would be helpful.

Advocates filed the initial lawsuit in June as the state dropped the benefit but the federal government didn’t set the benefit’s expiration date until Sept. 6.

Advocates like Vanessa Brito said this appeal is their last chance to get it back.

“We have those things stacked against folks that are really trying to get back to work and can’t find anything. So there’s got to be some happy medium,” Brito said.

Brito hopes unions across the state will join the cause. The appeal will be filed any day now.