Paid Family Leave Bill

A bill introduced Tuesday in Madison could give Wisconsin families more time to spend with a new baby or care for an ailing relative without the worry of lost wages.

People would be able to keep getting more than half their normal pay while they left work for family or medical issues.  

So things like taking care of a newborn child taking care of an older child who gets injured or taking care of an older adult going through health problems.

Legislators say the goal is to make sure people don't have to go broke or lose their job while caring for their family.

This bill would pull money out of paychecks and put into a trust fund.

Similar Democratic-authored bills have failed in the past.

But a few weeks ago, President Donald Trump mentioned family and medical leave as something he wants to see addressed.  

"In fact, the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, has said that this is a priority for her. So I'm hoping that the president and his daughter are very influential on his opinions...that they will be able to persuade people this is the right thing to do," said State Sen. Janis Ringhand.

Some state-level Republicans view this bill as the expensive way to provide leave benefits.

A staffer for Republican State Senator Steve Nass' stopped short of saying this bill is dead on arrival, but told me it faces a "very difficult road."

  

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