Could Gov. Evers' paid family leave proposal gain GOP support?

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A centerpiece of Gov. Tony Evers' budget address focused on the workforce, including a new program to provide 12 weeks of paid medical and family leave, but could the proposal gain support in the GOP-controlled Legislature?

For years, paid leave has been largely supported by Democrats, but that trend could be shifting with an anti-abortion lobbying group and former Republican candidates both expressing interest in the idea last year.

Shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned, which made nearly all abortions illegal in Wisconsin, the anti-abortion group Wisconsin Right to Life said they were "seriously" considering paid family leave and were having discussions with "a large coalition of pro-life elected officials."

"It’s definitely something we’re seriously looking at right now, seriously," Gracie Skogman, a lobbyist with Wisconsin Right to Life, said to the Green Bay Press Gazette in August. "We are in the drafting stages with a lot of legislation."

Under Evers' proposal, public and most private sector workers could take up to three months off to care for a newborn, and deal with a serious personal or family illness. The plan would be paid for with one-time funding of $243 million.

On Thursday, Skogman said they are still reviewing the governor's proposal and declined to comment. Skogman also declined to respond to questions regarding whether they drafted legislation for paid leave and what lawmakers they spoke to. She said they will weigh in on the issue at a later date.

The group is continuing to discuss how paid family and medical leave could benefit women who have concerns about carrying out their pregnancy because their employer doesn't offer paid time off, Skogman said.

With an 1849 state law in place banning all abortions unless a mother's life is in danger, Evers said it's discouraging people from moving to Wisconsin and worsening the worker shortage.

Evers said his plan to expand paid leave and efforts to repeal the 174-year abortion ban would help attract and retain workers.

"There's a lot of people in the state of Wisconsin my age, and the numbers that we have are dwindling," Evers said during a tour of a scissor-making company in Middleton. "So, we need more people and one of those ways is to provide them with things like paid family leave."

Former Republican candidates who ran against Evers including Tim Michels, former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and then-State Rep. Tim Ramthun all showed some support for paid family leave in 2022.

Right now, there's at least one prominent Republican who expressed opposition to the idea -- Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu.

"We already have a standard that is above and beyond what the federal standard is for FMLA, so that's very doubtful at this point," LeMahieu said Wednesday in response to Evers' proposal.

A spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos did not immediately respond to request for comment.