Florida lawmakers don't care unemployed got dis-Connect

Florida lawmakers have few plans to address unemployment website crisis
Miami Herald
BY MICHAEL VAN SICKLER
HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU
March 13, 2014

TALLAHASSEE -- In early January, as Florida’s new $63 million unemployment website continued to struggle to pay claims on time, state lawmakers considered taking action.

Now in the second week of the 60-day legislative session, lawmakers are backing away from using their oversight powers to intervene with the Department of Economic Opportunity and the CONNECT project.

Instead it appears lawmakers are endorsing the agency’s handling of the crisis. On Wednesday, a Senate appropriations committee voted 11-0 to support confirmation of Jesse Panuccio as executive director of the DEO.

“I’m not just going to support you, I’m going to do everything I can in the process to make sure you get to the end,” committee chair Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said to Panuccio, who must clear two more Senate committees and a floor vote to keep his $141,000 job. He started the job 15 months ago after a stint as Gov. Rick Scott’s general counsel.

No lawmakers have asked to study spending on the project or why it failed. They haven’t filed any bills that would address a requirement that they passed in 2011 forcing claimants to apply for weekly benefits online — which federal officials flagged last year as unconstitutional.
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