A paid leave policy designed to support workers who suddenly find themselves managing a crisis like this – not just the anticipated time off needed for childbirth, but also the sudden care need presented by a diagnosis of cancer, stroke, or even a happy but sudden adoption notification – would be a policy designed for robust voter support. Not everyone will plan to give birth, but who among us can say that we will never face an unexpected health crisis in our own family?

A prominent Christian think tank has come out fiercely in favor of better family leave policies, defending federally mandated family leave policies on theological grounds.

The “fake” paid family leave option, restricts participation to only maternity leave and diverts social security funds to pay for the program. […] For most Black women, social security makes up at least half of their income stream during retirement, according to the 2014 Black Women in the United States report by the Black Women’s Roundtable.

[Rhode Island state senator Gayle Goldin] says Rhode Island’s program has won over small business owners who were initially opposed, and has become a selling point for companies recruiting staff to work there. “It’s important not only because they [employees] think they’ll need the leave, but also about the values of the state…. It sets the tone for workplace culture,” she says.