CA to make LA businesses pay for $20 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims

The state of California’s Employment Development Department estimates $20 billion has been lost to fraudulent unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the lost money was COVID relief funding for unemployment borrowed from the federal government. 

The state of California owes $17.8 billion – nearly as much as every other state combined – for the borrowed unemployment funds and if it’s not paid back by Nov. 10, California businesses will be hit with a $21 per employee annual tax.

And despite the state of California having a $100 billion surplus, Democrats don’t want to pay off the entire debt.

Do Christy Smith and Julia Brownley think California business owners should be hook for this debt?