Senator Karen Keiser sponsored SB 5952 to expand and implement Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance
I was disappointed to read The Seattle Times editorial advocating for the repeal of our state’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance law [“State should repeal family-leave law,” Opinion, Feb. 12].
It’s unwise to force new parents to choose between returning to work early, sacrificing family health and well-being and facing financial challenges that threaten their ability to provide for their new families.
I am sponsoring Senate Bill 5292, which creates a viable funding structure that will not cost the state budget any money. It would likely actually save the state money in the long run by helping new families stay off more expensive state support like food stamps.
This is a common-sense reform that will make a big difference for families. New mothers should be able to spend their first few weeks of parenthood bonding with their babies, not worrying about paying the rent. Paid family leave will make that possible.
–Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, 33rd Legislative District
Cyrus the Virus urges lawmakers to join his cause against virus-killing legislation like paid sick days. From left to right: Sen. Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane), Sen. Rodney Tom (D-Medina), Cyrus the Virus, Sen. Mark Schoesler (R-Pullman). This photo isn’t real – but Senators Tom and Schoesler really are sponsoring legislation to repeal Seattle’s landmark paid sick days law.
Senate Bill 5726, a.k.a. “the Burger King exemption”, prohibits any local paid sick/safe leave law from applying to people who work for employers headquartered outside of that particular city, town or county. That would, of course, make it ridiculously easy for big businesses to get out of providing paid sick or safe leave.
Senate Bill 5728, a.k.a. “we know better than you”, preempts any locality from passing any law pertaining to paid sick/safe leave that exceeds state standards. Since there is no state standard, Seattle’s law would effectively be kaput – as would any future effort by local citizens to pass a similar local measure.
Seattle’s sick days law was passed by an 8-1 vote of the Seattle City Council. Reflecting broad public support for the measure, Councilmembers received thousands of emails, postcards and phone calls in favor; a poll of Seattle voters found 69% supported the legislation. Now, a handful of state senators – none of whom represent Seattle constituents – are attempting to undermine Seattle’s democratic process and silence the will of the people.
Their action also flies in the face of long-established state law: since 1967, Washington has specifically authorized cities to perform any function not specifically denied them in the state constitution or by state law. That includes paid sick and safe leave – but not if these legislators have their way.
Think it can’t happen here? Think again. A few years back, Milwaukee voters approved a paid sick days law with 69% of the vote. Following a protracted lawsuit by Milwaukee’s Chamber of Commerce, Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled legislature and Gov. Scott Walker preempted the law with legislation much like Sen. Tom’s, written by the corporate front group ALEC:
PR Watch obtained documents from ALEC’s 2011 Annual Meeting showing that one of the group’s committees — the Labor and Business Regulation Subcommittee of the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force — focused its entire meeting on the issue of paid sick leave. Task force members, who are legislators, were given copies of a bill that enables state legislatures to override municipal paid sick days laws. The same bill was used in Wisconsinto override Milwaukee’s paid sick days requirement.
*Senators Braun (R-Centralia), Bailey (R-Whidbey Island), Schoesler (R-Pullman), Padden (R-Spokane Valley), and Benton (R-Outer Vancouver) are also sponsoring the two bills.
I’m a small-business owner. I want my business to succeed — and I want my community to grow and prosper. That’s why I strongly support the Family and Medical Leave Insurance proposal being considered by the Legislature. And that’s why I disagree with the Jan. 29 Columbian editorial that opposed paid family leave in Washington.
One of my employees could benefit from this bill right now. His wife just had emergency surgery, and she has a long recovery ahead of her. He’s trying to juggle caring for her and their three teenagers with working enough hours to keep them afloat. Family and Medical Leave Insurance would provide up to 12 weeks of wage insurance in situations like his, so he could focus on his family and worry less about bills. It would also cover time off if one of my employees had a new baby, or a serious health condition.
Other states have this kind of insurance, so we know the costs are affordable: about $1 a week each for the average worker and the employer to cover family leave, and another $1 for medical leave. Yes, times have been tough for businesses like mine for the past few years — but that premium would be a good investment for the protection it affords.
Examine all the costs
In fact, it’s actually costing our community and state a lot more not to have this kind of insurance available. How many kids make mistakes when their parents are distracted by a health crisis that becomes a financial crisis? I think there would be much less stress on teenagers if all parents had a little more support to care for their children from the start. Family and medical leave insurance will let new moms and dads take time away from work without going broke or risking their jobs. And doing that will help create bonds of love and trust strong enough to hold through the rocky teenage years.
Anyone, parent or not, can be in a car accident, or get cancer, or have a spouse or aging parent suffer a health emergency. But many small companies like mine can’t cover long periods of leave. I don’t think good benefits should depend on having a generous employer. Our economy, and our workforce, can’t depend on that. Family and medical leave insurance — paid for by both employees and employers — will protect both.
My employees are important to the success of my business — and so are loyal customers. When people’s budgets are tight, they postpone car repairs and don’t patronize other neighborhood businesses as much. By helping to ensure a new baby or medical condition doesn’t throw a working family into poverty, family and medical leave insurance will boost our economy and save the government money on social services.
Family and medical leave will be good for my business, but that’s not the main reason I support it. I’m for it because it will strengthen families in my community, and there’s nothing more important than that.
Washington Work and Family Coalition 