Florida’s Cutoff of Pandemic Jobless Benefits Holds Up in Court

A Florida judge declined to order enhanced federal unemployment benefits to resume for thousands of out-of-work people.

The court ruling—pending a likely appeal—lets stand the decision of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to end early the state’s participation in the $300 weekly supplement to unemployment benefits. He halted the federally funded aid in late June, about 10 weeks prior to the Sept. 6 expiration date set by Congress.

Judge J. Layne Smith, of the state’s Second Judicial Circuit in Tallahassee, denied a request for a preliminary injunction that would have ordered the federal benefits to resume. It’s unclear how much, ...