Family Leave and Paid Sick Days hang in the balance – contact your legislators!

Have you called or emailed your legislators yet about Family & Medical Leave and Paid Sick Days? If not, now is the time!

Here’s what’s happened so far this week:

• Family and Medical Leave Insurance, HB 1457 had a hearing in House Finance, but was not scheduled for a vote in the last committee meeting before the policy cutoff deadline. Our message to legislators: Continue considering family leave insurance as a bill necessary to the budget.

• Paid Sick Days, HB 1313 had a hearing in House Appropriations, but has not been scheduled for a vote. Our message to legislators: Move HB 1313 out of committee!

Please call the Legislative Hotline: 1.800.562.6000 and leave a message for your legislators today. Tell them to keep moving forward Paid Sick Leave and Family and Medical Leave Insurance by passing them out of committee by tomorrow, March 1st.

You can also send an email. Find your legislators here: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder. Be sure to tell them your story!

Tell legislators: Paid sick days and family and medical leave insurance are important to the health and well-being of our state’s people, families, and economy. These policies are also fiscally responsible:

• Not passing HB 1313 and HB 1457 digs the long term state budget hole deeper.
• Assuring that all workers earn paid leave to deal with critical health and family needs reduces public costs for health care, elder care, and public assistance.
• Boosting the healthy development of our children will pay off in higher educational achievement.
• Supporting family economic security restores health to our state economy.