Jim Guest

The waivers could lead to the forgiveness of more than $100 million in federal money that the state has tried to recoup from 47,000 Missourians.

The legislature failed to pass a bill that aimed to forgive nearly $150 million in mostly federal benefits given to thousands of Missourians mistakenly during the height of the pandemic.

The state is demanding that more than 46,000 people pay back money the state said it mistakenly overpaid them last year. Some lawmakers worry that fighting appeals will be costly to Missouri and are trying to block collection of the money.

Letters from the Department of Labor indicate it's trying to recoup money it accidently overpaid to out-of-work people.

In March, Hannah Priest filed for unemployment for the first time in her life. The St. Louis restaurant where she worked as a server, Union Loafers,…