- In the absence of action at the federal level, with no new coronavirus relief accord after months of stalemate which also means no new stimulus check for millions of people, at least two states are taking matters into their own hands.
- Orange County, in Florida, will start taking applications from residents for $1,000 stimulus checks this Wednesday — checks that are meant to help people who’ve been financially impacted by COVID-19 and who can show documentation of that being the case.
- Similarly, the state of Colorado announced in recent days that it will be sending out smaller stimulus checks to residents over the next several weeks.
Thanks to months of stalemate and gridlock that essentially ran out the legislative clock, federal lawmakers have let down anyone who was hoping to get a new stimulus check — or for a new coronavirus relief bill to be enacted into law anytime soon.
After the US Senate’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell adjourned the Senate until November 9. It remains to be seen if federal lawmakers will pick this back up after the election and at least try to pass something between the post-election period before the end of 2020 — but a couple of states, in the absence of federal action, are taking matters into their own hands and providing stimulus checks for their own residents. The states include Colorado and, now, Florida.
It’s not all residents of Florida, though. Orange County in the Sunshine State is giving its residents the chance to apply for one-time stimulus payments of $1,000, starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
That’s being done by the county reopening its CARES Act application portal online, and you can head here for more details. From that site:
“Orange County Government has invested an additional $30 million into the Individual and Family Assistance Program, increasing the total investment to $60 million. The program provides a one-time payment of $1,000 per household for residents affected by COVID-19 to help bridge financial gaps. Residents who have already received funding from Orange County’s CARES Act Individual and Family Assistance Program are not eligible to apply.”
Requirements for obtaining the money include applicants needing to be an Orange County resident; they have to have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; have a photo ID as well as a Social Security card; and submit documentation that shows a loss of income, such as pay stubs or an employer notice of reduced hours.
As noted, the state of Colorado is doing something similar in the absence of federal action. Colorado is sending out checks to state residents over the next several weeks, though they’re much smaller than what had been expected from the federal level ($375, compared to the $1,200 federal stimulus checks).
