house resolution no.175

Rep. Martin offered the following resolution:

A resolution calling on Unemployment Insurance Agency Acting Director Liza Estlund Olson to resign.

Whereas, The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has continuously failed to meet its obligations to the people of Michigan since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The UIA has paid out hundreds of millions in fraudulent claims, delayed payments for months to tens of thousands of Michigan residents, and allowed politically connected state employees to skip the line past hard-working families trying to make ends meet; and

Whereas, Governor Whitmer appointed Liza Estlund Olson as Acting Director of the UIA on November 5, 2020, entrusting her with the important responsibility of rectifying the agency's problems and providing high-quality service to the hard-working people of Michigan; and

Whereas, Acting Director Olson has failed to resolve the problems at the UIA and is mismanaging the agency. In recent months, the UIA has given benefits to ineligible recipients; sent confusing notices to hundreds of thousands of people warning that they owed back payments; denied benefits to deserving people; and intentionally hid information from the House Oversight Committee. Furthermore, even though 18 months have passed since the start of the Pandemic, the UIA still has 20,000 unpaid Michigan workers and only recently opened UIA offices for in-person appointments; and

Whereas, The UIA's failures are so widespread and systemic that a change in leadership is the only way to move forward. The people of Michigan have been forced out of their jobs, only to find a dysfunctional and inept agency that cannot adequately handle its responsibilities; and

Whereas, The UIA needs a director who is interested and capable of fixing the broken agency and delivering the benefits and service owed to Michigan's dedicated and committed workforce; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we call on Unemployment Insurance Agency Acting Director Liza Estlund Olson to resign; and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to Acting Director Olson.