New Jersey Senate passes family leave insurance bill
After more than a decade of fierce opposition
split largely along party lines, the New Jersey Senate passed a bill yesterday to
provide state workers with partial wage replacement for up to six weeks of
family and medical leave. Governor Jon Corzine has promised to sign the bill,
which was passed by the state Assembly on March 14, making
The Family
Leave Insurance Act will be funded by a mandatory payroll contribution from
workers (average estimated cost to employees will be $33/year), and will
provide up to two-thirds of weekly pay to a maximum payment of $524 a week. Family
Leave Insurance funds will be administered through
Congratulations
to MMO's hard-working friends at NOW
NJ, particularly Laurie Pettine, former chair of the NOW Mothers
& Caregivers Economic Rights Committee, and NOW NJ President Maretta
Short, who gave personal testimony in support of the bill. Kudos also to members
of NJ chapters of Mothers & More who mobilized to support the legislation,
and to leaders of MomsRising for organizing an email letter-writing campaign
and sending their Power-of-ONEsie display to New Jersey supporters.
