Reduced paid-family-leave bill surfaces in House

OLYMPIA — Controversial legislation to give Washington workers up to five weeks of paid family medical leave has been scaled back and now only covers parents who take time off to bond with children.

But the legislation's fate remains in doubt as lawmakers haggle over how to pay for the new program.

Senate leaders want to impose a small payroll tax — slightly less than 1 cent per hour — on all workers.

But under a new version of the bill that surfaced in the House on Thursday, the Legislature would put off any funding decisions until next year and instead create a task force to study options.

The House is expected to vote on the measure today.

Facing heavy opposition from business lobbyists — and only lukewarm support from some Democratic leaders — a coalition of labor unions, women's groups and other organizations pushing the legislation has had to significantly water down the proposal.

The version that passed the Senate last month would allow paid leave for personal illnesses or to care for an ailing relative, in addition to bonding with a new child.

Supporters happy

But supporters said Thursday they would be happy with the new, scaled-down bill that essentially offers just paid maternity and paternity leave.

"This is a very big and very important step forward for mothers and for families and for our state," said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner of Kirkland, director of MomsRising.org, a new national women's advocacy group that has been lobbying hard for paid family leave.

The legislation would create a new state-run insurance program to offer all workers up to five weeks of paid leave a year, at $250 a week.

To get the bill through the Senate last month, supporters had to drop the provision allowing people to use the paid leave for personal illnesses.

They also made changes to allay business concerns, such as exempting businesses with fewer than 25 employees from having to hold jobs open for workers while they are on leave.

But some moderate House Democrats are nervous about passing a payroll tax and creating a big, new government program.

Idea for statewide vote

House Speaker Frank Chopp and Gov. Christine Gregoire suggested putting the issue up for a statewide vote. But family-leave supporters opposed a referendum, fearing it would force them into an expensive campaign against business groups.

Instead, they decided to whittle down the bill even further.

Under the version now in the House, paid leave could only be used to care for a newborn or newly adopted child or a newly placed foster child.

It also drops a provision that would have allowed the benefit to grow each year with inflation.

"It's still a huge step," said Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, who sponsored the original bill in the Senate. "The majority of people who need to take leave are new moms with new babies."

The new version has no payroll tax. Instead, it sets up a 12-member task force that would come back to the Legislature next year with a funding proposal and a detailed plan on how to run the new program.

Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, who sponsored the family-leave legislation in the House, said lawmakers have time to decide on the funding because the benefits would not go into effect until fall 2009.

"But we're committing ourselves that we're going to be paying for it," said Dickerson, D-Seattle.

Senate leaders, however, oppose the task-force approach.

"That's not acceptable to us," said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane.

If the bill passes the House today, the two sides would appoint a conference committee to hash out a compromise next week. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn April 22.

Gregoire has not said publicly whether she favors passing the payroll tax this year or sending the funding question to a task force.

Ralph Thomas: 360-943-9882 or rthomas@seattletimes.com