Tuesday s Afternoon Update | 3/9/2021
Judge tosses out lawsuit against the state, Deloitte over flawed unemployment website
A Leon circuit court judge has dismissed a potential class-action lawsuit against the state and Deloitte Consulting stemming from the meltdown of Florida’s online unemployment compensation system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge John Cooper, for the second time in less than six months, said plaintiffs could not overcome legal hurdles to pursue the case against the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Deloitte, a contractor that helped put in place the CONNECT online system in 2013. More from the News Service of Florida.
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Florida inspector general report injected into lawsuit over unemployment system
Plaintiffs in a potential class-action lawsuit about Florida’s troubled unemployment-compensation system are trying to use a new report by the state’s chief inspector general to bolster their case.
Hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office released the draft report Thursday by Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel, attorneys for the plaintiffs filed a copy of the report in their lawsuit against the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Deloitte Consulting, a contractor that helped put in place the state’s CONNECT online unemployment system in 2013.
Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper last month held a hearing on motions by the department and Deloitte to dismiss the case, which stems from the system becoming overwhelmed last year when economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic caused massive job losses.
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Who said that? | 3/8/2021 Julio Ligorria
It took more than five hours of waiting in the sun with her 6-month-old baby and being rejected by five different staffers at Florida City’s federal vaccination site for Yanira Vázquez to finally get her COVID-19 shot.
Vázquez, who is a caregiver for a patient with Down Syndrome, said she was turned away because the note she had from her patient’s pediatrician confirming her eligibility for a vaccine was on her phone and it was not printed. According to a Miami Herald reporter who witnessed it, Vázquez was screamed at by at least one volunteer at the site.
Monday s Afternoon Update | 3/8/2021
Florida state tax revenues slow a bit in January but continue trend of beating forecast
Florida tax revenues slowed somewhat in January from the final months of 2020 but continued a trend of beating a forecast issued as the state phased out COVID-19 lockdown efforts in the summer. And while tax collections from the battered tourism industry continue to hamper monthly revenue totals, the numbers for January should further help lawmakers as they patch together a budget for next fiscal year while facing a potentially large shortfall caused by the pandemic. More from the News Service of Florida.