Lawmaker makes renewed push to establish paid family and medical leave program in Nebraska

LINCOLN — A state senator from Bellevue will make another attempt to establish a paid family and medical leave program in Nebraska.

Offering the benefit for private and public sector employees would give working people another reason to move or relocate to the state, Sen. Sue Crawford said Thursday after introducing Legislative Bill 305 in the Nebraska Legislature.

“We would be one of the first Midwestern states to have this program,” she said. “I think it would help us ... to bring young graduates back to Nebraska.”

Only 12 percent of workers in the United States have paid parental leave, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 allows workers to take unpaid leave without risking their jobs. The act applies to employers of 50 or more workers.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/lawmaker-makes-renewed-push-to-establish-paid-family-and-medical/article_f005e4f1-0a90-5f81-b842-b6afc17a1e4b.html