Maryland follows Indiana in stopping its governor from ending federal pandemic unemployment benefits early. Judge Lawrence Fletcher-Hill’s ruling arrived at 10am this morning. The decision implements a temporary restraining order against Governor Hogan from stopping the weekly $300 federal pandemic unemployment benefits. Those benefits were going to end at noon today.
READ THE JUDGE’S FULL RULING HERE.
The restraining order is for 10 days — which means 2 more weeks of federal UI before the next court date which will re-visit the case and decide whether the program can continue until its original end date of September 6th.
Hogan, in a sly move, had filed a motion to move the case to federal court as a run-out-the-clock tactic, but the Unemployed Workers Union secured a hearing on Friday. Judge Fletcher-Hill then delayed his decision until 10am this morning — 3 hours before the benefits were due to expire — saying he needed more time to weigh the arguments of both sides.
In short, for now, at least, hundreds of thousands of struggling Marylanders will not see their lifelines ripped away.
UPDATE!!!
Hogan immediately appealed the restraining order with the Court of Appeals — and he just lost that, too:
