Paid Family Leave Bill proposed in Ohio

Does anyone think this bill, proposed by two female Democratic reps, has any chance at all of passing in the Good Old Republican White Boy network down in Columbus?

(I,for one, think something like this is long overdue)

https://www.mahoningmatters.com/local-news/bill-would-require-paid-family-leave-in-ohio-2134881?utm_source=Mahoning+Matters&utm_campaign=4a52999a97-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_03_06_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9512aece04-4a52999a97-375906849

“The threat of a coronavirus outbreak underscores yet another reason why having a paid family leave program is critical,” state Rep. Kristin Boggs, D-Columbus, said in a news release.

COLUMBUS — State lawmakers are considering a bill that would create a state-run paid family-leave-program for employers in Ohio.

But it is not clear whether the Democrat-sponsored bill is likely to proceed in the Republican-led state legislature. A state committee has had a pair of hearings on the bill, which was introduced last year.

The Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program would provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave insurance benefits to employees. House Bill 91, sponsored by state Reps. Janine Boyd, D-Cleveland Heights, and Kristin Boggs, D-Columbus, would require employers to deduct premiums from employee wages and remit those premiums to the state.

While more companies are beginning to offer their own versions of paid leave, it’s not nearly enough to support families in Ohio,” Heather Whaling, founder and president of Columbus-based Geben Communications, said in prepared testimony to the House Insurance Committee.

“A funded, statewide policy will accelerate progress,” Whaling added. “Access to paid leave shouldn’t be the luck of the draw. It should be a right for every worker in this state.”

The state would pay for the program by charging premiums to employees. Independent contractors could choose to participate in the program.

While the program should, in theory, be financially self-sufficient, if it does not collect enough to cover costs, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) “may request an appropriation to cover those costs,” a Legislative Service Commission (LSC) review concluded.

More at link above