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UC reform can begin by fixing the obvious
PA Chamber applauds plan to ban use of UC debit cards at casinos As the PA Chamber continues to work with elected officials on solutions to the UC Trust Fund’s insolvency, one state lawmaker announced one commonsense place to start – prohibit the use of state-issued unemployment benefit debit cards at Pennsylvania casinos. Under Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board regulations, similar debit cards used for welfare benefits are unable to be used at casino ATMs. A soon-to-be introduced bill by state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, would expand the prohibition to include UC benefit cards. PA Chamber members support the idea, along with numerous other responsible reforms that will ensure fairness, balance and competitiveness in a UC system that is lacking in all aspects. As a member of the state’s UC Advisory Committee, the PA Chamber has offered a reform package that spreads the burden of the $3 billion and climbing UC Trust Fund debt among employers and employees; reins in future costs; and preserves benefits for those truly in need. PA Chamber President Floyd Warner said the intention of UC benefits is to help ease the financial burdens associated with temporary unemployment. “It flies in the face of commonsense to allow the use of UC debit cards at casinos,” he stressed. “This practice is also counterproductive to the goal of restoring solvency to the trust fund, which is already billions of dollars in debt and operating on borrowed money.” In a press release issued by her office, Boscola said, “Unemployment benefits are meant to provide individuals with the necessities of life and to pay their bills while seeking new employment. Unemployment benefits should not be easily accessible at casinos.” ### Founded in 1916, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state's largest broad-based business association, with its membership comprising businesses of all sizes and across all industry sectors. The PA Chamber is The Statewide Voice of Business. |
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