[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today hosted a roundtable discussion with Minnesota workers, parents, and business leaders to hear firsthand about the importance of paid family and medical leave for Minnesota workers. Roundtable attendees included: Reverend Vanessa Bradby, pastor at New Spirit United Church of Christ in Savage; Sheila Crabbe, M.A.; Kate Davenport, co-president of Eureka Recycling; Sarah Piepenberg, co-owner of Vinaigrette, Minneapolis; and Dr. Krishnan Subrahmanian, pediatrician at Hennepin Healthcare.

“Our state’s historic surplus gives us an opportunity to lower costs for Minnesotans, invest in the middle class, and lend a hand to those who haven’t recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Walz. “We are committed to hearing directly from Minnesotans about their priorities – including the need to make it easier for Minnesota workers to take time off to care for a child or sick family member. This is one bold step we can take to get workers and businesses back to better.”

“Taking time off to bond with a new baby, recover from illness, or care for a loved one who is sick is not optional. But for far too many Minnesota families, that time off comes at the risk of losing a paycheck or losing a job,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has only exposed and exacerbated existing disparities, providing paid family and medical leave is essential to building a more equitable Minnesota economy.”

“Right now, some of the most important investments we can make are in our workforce,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “Providing a structure for Minnesota workers to take time off to welcome a new family member or a care for one that is sick without risk of penalty or losing their job is imperative to providing the support our workers deserve. When we come together on big issues like this – that’s when our businesses, communities and Minnesota workers thrive.”

“Paid family and medical leave is a pivotal strategy to improve the lives of children and support families, communities and business. It provides peace of mind and economic security to new parents – like myself – and the opportunity to bond with a new baby, bonds that forever impact the brain development of our next generation. Paid leave allows for breastfeeding and early investments in a child’s life that are tied to better outcomes,” said Erin Bailey, Executive Director of the Minnesota Children’s Cabinet. “Further, it is a critical equity strategy, and ensuring this opportunity for lower income families and children provides an equal opportunity for birthing parents to participate and stay in the workforce, which is essential during a national worker shortage.”

“As a faith leader and a mother, I support paid family and medical leave as a way we can care for our neighbors, and ourselves,” said Reverend Vanessa Bradby. “It is just, and it is kind, and that is what we are called to be in the world.”

“When I experienced a personal health crisis, I was not able to receive adequate time to recover, as a result was not able to continue with my job at that time. My story isn’t unique,” said Sheila Crabbe, M.A. “If Minnesota is a place that values working people, every worker deserves the freedom to care for themselves and the people they love without having to sacrifice their economic security.”

“The inclusion of paid family and medical leave is a win for small businesses and an opportunity to build back better with equity,” said Sarah Piepenberg, co-owner of Vinaigrette. “Paid leave is one of the most widely supported policies and can unite the country and boost the economy.”

“In those joyful weeks after a baby is born, we have a short, critical window to help forge connections and bonds between families and babies, which are the most important contributor to baby brain development and the incredible things they will do,” said Dr. Krishnan Subrahmania. “In those scary situations when children are ill, children need time with their family to help heal, and we as pediatricians need families present to advocate for them, to communicate with them, and help them heal. Paid family and medical leave offers this time.”

DFL members of the state House and Senate shared support for Minnesota workers and families and renewed their call for investing in Minnesotans with paid family and medical leave.

“It is time for us to make sure no Minnesotan has to choose between staying home to care for a loved one or going to work to make ends meet,” said Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen, DFL-Edina. “We have an historic opportunity to dramatically improve the lives of working families across the state with paid family and medical leave, and we are committed to working with the House and Governor Walz to get it done.”

“Nothing makes the need for paid family and medical leave more clear than the last two years - two years of heartache and headache for people who had to choose between caring for a sick loved one or finding work in the midst of a public health emergency,” said Senator Susan Kent, DFL-Woodbury, the lead Senate author of paid family and medical leave proposals since 2015. “We now have the opportunity to finally make this a reality, and we cannot let working families down. Let’s get this done.”

“Ensuring access to paid family and medical leave is essential to building a more equitable Minnesota,” said Rep. Ruth Richardson, DFL-Mendota Heights, chief author of the Paid Family Leave bill in the Minnesota House, and chair of the House Education Policy Committee. “The pandemic isn’t over and we’re still seeing widening opportunity gaps across the state, negatively impacting Minnesota’s Black, Indigenous, People of Color families. We must meet this critical moment to invest in our BIPOC communities with PFML not only to provide economic security, but better outcomes to build a more prosperous state where all have an opportunity to thrive.”

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