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Assembly moves in favor of paid family leave

Karen DeWitt

The State Assembly approved a one-house bill to establish partial paid family leave in New York, as Governor Cuomo signaled he will amend his proposal to provide more money to those who take the leave.

Advocates of paid family leave, who  have been lobbying on the issue for years, say movement on the matter from the Assembly Democrats and Governor Cuomo has given them new hope. Donna Dolan leads a coalition.

“It’s appropriate we’re here on Groundhog Day,” Dolan said, to laughter form the assembled activists and lawmakers.

“Since we’ve been coming back year after year for paid family leave.”

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie says the Democrats’ bill uses the existing Temporary Disability Fund to give workers up to two thirds of their pay to care for a sick family member or bond with a new born. 

“The United States remains the only industrialized nation in the world to not offer paid family leave or sick leave,” said Heastie. “That is unconscionable.”

And, in keeping with the Ground Hog Day theme popularized in the movie starring Bill Murray, the Assembly approved the one-house measure for the fifth  year in a row.

Governor Cuomo announced for the first time in his State of the State message, that he too will support a form of Paid Family Leave, saying his late father’s final illness made him realize its importance.

“At the end of day, family matters,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo’s original plan would be funded by the workers  themselves,  and would provide one third of an employee’s pay, rising to half of their pay in a few years.  After critics said that’s not enough, Cuomo  indicated he’ll amend his plan to make it more generous,  as first reported in Politco New York. A Cuomo Administration official confirms that the new proposal calls for a worker taking family leave to be paid two thirds of their regular salary for up to twelve weeks.

Advocates say two thirds pay is the minimum that’s acceptable in order for most families to take advantage of the plan.  

Speaker Heastie, asked about the potential amendments to the governor’s bill, says he still thinks the Assembly measure is better, because it provides enough money so that low wage workers can also take advantage of the benefit.

Opponents, speaking on the Assembly floor, did not deny that there’s a need for some form of paid family leave. But Assemblyman Tom McKevitt, a Republican from Long Island, says he’s concerned, that under the Assembly Democrats’ bill, the payout from the state’s temporary disability fund would rise too steeply and be too costly.

“My concern with this bill is how quickly it increases,” McKevitt said.

In the Senate, Republican Leader John Flanagan says he’s open to talking about paid family leave, and likes that the governor’s plan is funded by the workers.

“It’s a good start,” Flanagan said. “A lot of our members care very deeply about that.”

Business groups worry about added costs, in a year where the Governor and Assembly Democrats are also pressing for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. WBFO listeners are accustomed to hearing DeWitt’s insightful coverage throughout the day, including expanded reports on Morning Edition.