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Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Labor committee opts to keep paid family and medical leave program in tact, for now
Advocates and lawmakers in May 2023 rallied outside the Maine State House in support of Paid Family and Medical Leave, which was signed into law later that spring. (via Maine Center for Economic Policy) Heeding the advice from the Maine Legislature's Democratic leadership, the Labor Committee is not endorsing proposals that would make substantial changes to the state's new paid family and medical leave program. While voting on a series of bills related to the new benefit program Wednesday afternoon, the majority of the committee threw its support behind just two of them. Though a proposal intended to safeguard the future of the program's trust fund drew bipartisan support, Democrats voted down any new exemptions to the program, as well as an effort to make the benefit voluntary. 'If we pull at the threads now, we are going to unravel some really hard-earned consensus,' said House co-chair Rep. Amy Roeder (D-Bangor), noting the years-long process that went into developing the program that was made law by the 131st Legislature. On several bills, some Republicans on the committee put forth a sizable amendment backed by a minority of lawmakers with a list of 10 recommendations to update the program at-large. It includes clarifications to the undue hardship provision, capping the cost of private plan applications and modifying return-to-work requirements, among other provisions. While some members, including some Republicans, were hopeful that LD 1712 brought by Rep. Tiffany Roberts (D-South Berwick) could be a compromise to address issues raised with the program, Democrats ultimately voted it down. The paid family and medical leave program will allow eligible public and private sector workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for reasons such as illness, to care for a loved one or the birth of a new child. At the start of the year, Maine employers began withholding a portion of wages to pay into the program's fund. Employees are expected to be able to access the benefit starting May 2026. The committee voted 8-1 in favor of an amended version of LD 1221, which was introduced by Rep. Gary Drinkwater (R-Milford). While the legislation originally proposed a constitutional amendment prohibiting the Legislature from using the program funds for any other purpose, the amendment supported by most members instead directed the Department of Labor to determine ways to further protect the money and report back to the committee early next year. Luke Monahan, director of the paid family and medical leave program for the Department of Labor, told the committee that there is $75 million in the fund as of Wednesday. Additionally, he said more than 900 applications for employers to use private plans have been approved so far. The committee also backed the legislation brought by Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland), on behalf of the department. LD 894 wants to make a series of amendments to the current law to create certain enforcement mechanisms and penalties, as well as clarify intermittent leave. Though Daughtry urged her fellow lawmakers to give the program time to be fully implemented before making substantial reforms, she said the changes in her bill are coming from the people who have been working to implement this program that identified specific refinements to the policy. During the public hearing, Daughtry opposed every other bill except her own, but told the committee that if she were to support one, it would be LD 1221. Some of the bills before the committee were duplicative, including two seeking to repeal the program entirely. While all members voted to reject LD 539 for streamlining purposes, three Republicans on the committee voted in favor of one of the repeal bills, LD 406. Multiple bills were unanimously rejected by the committee, including LD 575, which wanted to remove the undue hardship clause and LD 1249, which sought to delay the payment of benefits. However, the committee voted along partisan lines on proposals to make the program voluntary (LD 1273), exempt agricultural workers from the program (LD 952), certain public school district employees (LD 1400), along with two measures seeking to issue refunds to employers who had approved private plans (LD 1169) and (LD 1307). SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine lawmakers will weigh more than a dozen proposals to modify paid family and medical leave
Supporters of paid family and medical leave policy rallied on the steps of the Maine State House in June 2023. One month later the policy became law. (Courtesy of Maine Women's Lobby) The state's paid family and medical leave program will be center stage later this week as both Republicans and Democrats look to modify the new employee benefit. The Legislature's Labor Committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday afternoon for 13 bills to change the program that has yet to take effect for workers but has prompted some pushback among the business community, which has started making payments into the benefit system. The majority of the proposals seek to repeal or scale back the program, but others are looking to clarify the existing law or make it more accessible for employees. A bill from Rep. Tiffany Roberts (D-South Berwick) is the only one with bipartisan support. LD 1712 hopes to strike a better balance between employee and employer interests by modifying how much an employer is required to contribute, when an employee needs to apply for the benefit and how much is paid out. Though it isn't expected to be available until May 2026, the paid family and medical leave program will allow eligible public and private sector workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for reasons such as illness, to care for a loved one or the birth of a new child. Proponents have described it as a panacea and a way to make certain jobs more accessible, while opponents argued that certain requirements are too burdensome on employers. The Maine Department of Labor finalized the program's rules in December after an outpouring of input from employees and the business community. At the start of the year, Maine employers began withholding a portion of wages to pay into the new paid family and medical leave fund. Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston), co-sponsors of the original legislation establishing the program, are introducing LD 894 on behalf of the department that would make a series of amendments to the current law to create certain enforcement mechanisms and penalties, as well as clarify intermittent leave. Daughtry said she plans to testify in 'strong and unequivocal' opposition to the bills that want to delay, weaken, exempt or dismantle the program. Rather than waiting to see how Maine's paid family and medical leave system operates and then making adjustments based on experience, Daughtry said the bills represent a 'reversal of course before the program has had a chance to begin.' 'Maine workers deserve a strong benefits program and I'll be fighting to protect it,' she said. There are two nearly identical proposals to repeal the program entirely. In addition, House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) has two bills to make the benefit voluntary for employers and employees (LD 1273) and delay its start until 2027 (LD 1249). All four pieces of legislation have emergency preambles, which means they would take effect immediately if passed by two-thirds of the Legislature. Another emergency proposal from Sen. Russell Black (R-Franklin)would exempt agricultural workers (LD 952). And though not an emergency measure, LD 1400 seeks to exempt certain public school districts and their employees from the benefit program. Rep. Mike Soboleski (R-Philips) has a bill (LD 1169) that would allow employers to get a refund for any premiums paid into the state's plan if they are approved to use a private substitute plan. Sen. Dick Bradstreet (R-Kennebec) is similarly looking to better accommodate employers wishing to use a substitute private plan with LD 1307. Rep. Gary Drinkwater (R-Milford) is proposing an amendment to the state constitution with LD 1221 to prohibit the Legislature from using paid family and medical leave program funds for any other purpose. Labor Committee co-chairs Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot) and Rep. Amy Roeder (D-Bangor) are introducing LD 575 to remove a provision in the current law that requires leave to be scheduled. While that is meant to prevent undue hardship on an employer, the bill title says its removal would create more equitable access to the program. Rep. Jennifer Poirier (R-Skowhegan) is proposing a series of changes with LD 1333 that would seek to clarify the definition of 'self-employed individual' and prevent employers from having to bargain with unions over the employee's share of the program, among other tweaks. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
