Minnesota DFL legislators in both the House and Senate are urging their Republican counterparts to support legislation that would make up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave available for all Minnesotans.
Last year, the DFL-controlled House passed legislation that would have granted workers the ability to receive a percentage of their wages while taking time off for a variety of reasons. Under federal law, worker can take 12 weeks off without losing their jobs, however that time is unpaid.
House Speaker Melissa Hortman on Tuesday morning told reporters that the paid family and medical leave bill is among the top priorities for the legislative session.
"We passed paid family and medical leave in 2019, 2020, and we intend to do it again this year. In fact, it's a top priority," Hortman said. "COVID-19 has made it so clear why this is important for families. Not just for families, but for our public health. We need people to be able to take time off for their loved ones when they're sick or when members of their family are sick."
May McCoy is a faith leader with ISAIAH and had to quit her job in 2009 as her parents' health declined. McCoy said constantly traveling out of state and dealing with family dynamics proved to be more difficult than orginally thought.
"My goal was to keep my parents at home for as long as I could," McCoy said. "I ended up worried, depressed, mentally distraught, and enduring a whole lot of stress caring for my mom and dad while trying to run two households."
McCoy is advocating for families that see Black, Indigenous, and other women of color or leaving the workforce to tend to issues at home, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Most of them don't have paid and family medical leave. It's not right and it's unjust. We should not have to choose between family and a paycheck," said McCoy.
The paid family and medical leave act would create a state administered, self sustaining insurance program providing benefits for all Minnesota workers. Both employers and employees would pay into the fund to cover benefits and costs of the program.
Companies would not be limited to the number of times the go to the fund for their employees.
"It is not experience rated and we don't feel it is appropriate to penalize an employer who has workers who are needing this kind of support," said Deb Fitzpatrick, who's led a study on the state's proposed program. "This isn't really something an employer could control unlike laying people off or having a safe workplace."
At least $11 million in Governor Tim Walz's budget proposal would go towards getting the fund started. Fitzpatrick says the money would be reimbursed once the fund starts to generate revenue.
Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL, District 52B) and Sen. Susan Kent (DFL, 53) are chief authors of the paid family and medical leave legislation in the Minnesota House and Senate.
Republicans in the past have expressed concerns over the cost of the program and the impacts it could have on small businesses.
