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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Minnesota's State Employees Seek Paid Parental Leave

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Tuesday, June 23, 2015   

ST. PAUL, Minn. – As contract negotiations continue for thousands of state workers, one priority for the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) is to have their next deal include paid parental leave.

The number of cities and private businesses in Minnesota that now offer paid parental leave continues to grow, but there's currently no such policy for state workers. MAPE and its 13,000 members, such as Kirsten Partenheimer with Minnesota Housing, are advocating for six weeks of paid parental leave for mothers and fathers – and for both biological and adopted children.

"In our situation, we adopted two children from China, and it's just a very stressful time figuring out how to make it work financially," says Partenheimer. "If we had the six weeks of paid leave, that would've allowed more time home with our children and also relieved some of the financial burden."

According to a recent report from the Minnesota Department of Health, employees who have access to paid sick and family leave are healthier in general, and their children do better in school.

Daniel Krier, research scientist with the Minnesota Department of Health, says a paid parental leave policy would help the state attract and retain top workers. Krier and his wife are expecting their first child next month.

"If the state had this policy, we would see it would attract a younger group of people to replace a lot of the retirements that are going to happen over the next five years," he says. "We'll also see people work for the state longer because they're saying 'The state cares about me and I want to give back and continue to work hard for the state.'"

Negotiations on a new two-year contract between the state and MAPE have been ongoing since late last year, and are expected to come to a conclusion in the weeks ahead.


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