Arizonans are going to have to start looking for work again later this month if they want to keep their unemployment benefits.

This isn’t about a handout. Unemployment insurance is one of the most effective policies for stabilizing our economy during recessions by providing money to people and families who need it most, while maintaining consumer demand.

With state lawmakers angling to increase the unemployment cap for the first time since 2004, Gov. Doug Ducey will likely face a political quandary.

I fully believe it is the duty of state legislators to help hard-working Arizonans across the state as they struggle through this crisis. That’s why I introduced bipartisan legislation, HB2805, to provide much-needed, additional unemployment assistance to Arizonans who have been put in this terrible situation.

Arizona legislative Republicans who have resisted increasing the state’s second-lowest-in-the-nation unemployment benefits since 2004 are now spearheading bipartisan efforts to hike the rate.

Gov. Doug Ducey is planning to put federal cash given to the state for COVID-19 relief into the soon-to-be-insolvent unemployment trust fund to save companies from having to replenish the account on their own.

John McCain knew what it meant to put the interests of constituents before the interests of party. We desperately need that kind of leader now. I remain hopeful.

The state's jobless rate shrank by close to 45% last month. But a good portion of the drop in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from 10.7% in July to 5.9% in August has nothing to do with a bunch of Arizonans suddenly finding work. It's because some gave up.

Beginning Monday, more than 430,000 Arizonans who have lost their job will have to live on no more than $240 a week.

Hundreds of thousands of unemployed Arizonans are within weeks of losing more than half of their benefits.