ATLANTA – State Representatives Sandra Scott (D-Rex), Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta), Rhonda Burnough (D-Riverdale) and Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) applaud the preliminary settlement for the lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) over the handling of jobless benefits claims. These legislators will also hold a press conference to discuss the pending settlement on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, at 11 a.m. at the South Wing Steps of the State Capitol.
“While I am grateful that the Georgia Department of Labor has agreed to a preliminary settlement regarding their handling of jobless claims, so many Georgians have yet to receive a dime and have lost their homes and cars because the DOL failed to do their jobs,” said Rep. Scott. “The doors of the State Capitol have been open for a long time now, but the doors of the labor department are still closed. It’s time to open the doors so people can get the help they need with their outstanding claims.”
“After working for the past two years to support Georgians dealing with the GDOL’s broken system, this preliminary settlement proves what we knew all along,” said Rep. Schofield. “The GDOL failed the citizens of Georgia in the timely payment and processing of unpaid and unprocessed insurance benefits claims and appeals, resulting in thousands of Georgians struggling to make ends meet. The disheartening part is that the leadership of the GDOL will not receive the level of accountability and punishment it deserves even with this settlement.”
“Congratulations to the Southern Poverty Law Center for their success against the Georgia Department of Labor,” said Rep. Burnough. “The success of this lawsuit is a testament that our work was not in vain. We hope that those who are still waiting will be paid will be compensated promptly and that the GDOL will resolve the issues related to all those claims on appeal.”
“We celebrate the recent GDOL preliminary settlement to improve the unemployment system,” said Rep. Davis. “The true winners of this lawsuit are the many unemployed Georgians who lost their jobs due to no fault of their own. This lawsuit will help improve the overall GDOL system and correct long-standing problems.”
U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee recently approved a preliminary settlement in a lawsuit against the GDOL regarding the payment and processing of unemployment insurance benefits claims. The GDOL has agreed to improve its communications systems using an artificial intelligence system and its online portal system. The class action lawsuit was brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Atlanta-based law firm Bondurant, Mixson, & Elmore LLP in 2021.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reps. Scott, Schofield, Burnough and Davis have continued to implore the GDOL to improve its processing of jobless claims. Over the last two years, these legislators submitted letters to Georgia’s governor, attorney general, congressional delegation and the U.S. labor commissioner. They also sought the help of Legal Aid of Atlanta, Southern Poverty Law Center, Urban League, NAACP and others to help resolve the backlog of unemployment insurance benefit claims.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes portions of Clayton and Henry counties. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Science and Technology and Special Rules committees.
Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 60, which includes portions of Clayton and Fulton counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves on the Health & Human Services, Interstate Cooperation, Information and Audits and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Rhonda Burnough represents the citizens of District 77, which includes portions of Clayton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Special Committee on Election Integrity and the Economic Development & Tourism, Governmental Affairs, Higher Education and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Natural Resources & Environment, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation and Science and Technology committees.
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