(Chuck Muth) – Thanks to passage of the CARES Act in Congress last week, independent contractors – including Nevada’s legal courtesans – are now eligible for unemployment!
“I am pleased to see that we are one step closer to being able to address the needs of independent contractors and others who historically have not been covered under our traditional unemployment system,” Dr. Tiffany Tyler-Garner, Director of the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), said in a press release issued Tuesday evening.
And here’s some even better news…
“The (CARES) Act also provides for payments of an additional $600 per week in unemployment compensation benefits above and beyond what an individual is otherwise entitled to under state law, for up to four months,” explains the Fox Rothschild law firm. “Further, the CARES Act extends an individual’s ability to receive unemployment benefits by an additional 13 weeks, through December 31, 2020.”
However…
The ink on the agreement between the federal government and Nevada still isn’t dry, so many of the details and the process for applying for this new program are still being developed.
I spoke with Rosa Mendez at DETR Wednesday morning. She advised AGAINST independent contractors trying to apply at this time, since they system and eligibility criteria haven’t been set up yet. She said to check DETR’s Coronavirus webpage for updates and announcements.
However…
While independent contractors aren’t able to file yet, once they ARE they’ll be able to apply for unemployment retroactively. Meaning back to the date when the governor specifically ordered all brothels to close as “non-essential” two weeks ago.
Of course, we’re talking about a program with multiple political entities and levels of government involved. Nothing is sealed in cement…yet. And there could still be hiccups in the implementation. But at least this is a major step in the right direction.
Some more cheerful news…
Since some 100+ ladies who were previously working at the four brothels in Lyon County now are out of work and/or heading home, the folks at the Bunny Ranch, Love Ranch, Kit Kat Ranch and Sagebrush Ranch have donated a month’s worth of groceries to the Dayton food pantry, including…
- 1 case + 4 New York steaks
- 1 case ground beef
- ½ case hot dogs
- 2 ½ cases ham
- 2 cases turkey breasts
- 2 cases hard salami
- 1 case hard-boiled eggs
- 2 cases bacon
- 5 bags mini-bagels
- 50 lbs. potatoes
- 1 case pesto
- 1 case chicken base
- 1 case beef base
- 3 tubs veggie base
- 5-lb block Velveeta cheese
- 30 lbs. Parmesan cheese
- 6 lbs. feta cheese
- 4 lbs. cabbage
- 3 lbs. American blend
- 2 lbs. spring mix
- 1 case dry salami
- 2 cases cheddar cheese
- 1 case jack cheese
- 1 case mozzarella cheese balls
- 1 case butter
- 1 flat avocados
- ½ case baby carrots
- ½ case lemons
- 4 cases Chile Verde soup
- 1 case home fried potatoes
- 12 heavy creams
- 3 ½ extra-large bags broccoli
- 1 case bacon bits
- 2 gallons potato salad
Thank you, ladies!
Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a limited-government grassroots advocacy organization, and government affairs counsel to the Nevada Brothel Association. His views are his own.