Paid family, medical leave passes General Assembly: Coverage for 3.4M Virginians

The paid family and medical leave bill that passed the Virginia General Assembly this week will cost us $26 million a year, and we know this because Virginia Republicans say, $26 million a year, that’s too high!

The state budget that legislators are working on right now will, when all the i’s are dotted, and the t’s are crossed, come in at a few pennies under $100 billion per year – that’s billion, with a b-.

For perspective there, median household income in Augusta County is $82,049 a year, per the Census Bureau.

The relative impact to our median household in Augusta County to help pay that $26 million tab – $21.33.

You can’t take the kids to McDonald’s for $21.33 anymore.

And then, think about what we’re all getting here.

The bill, now headed to the desk of Gov. Abigail Spanberger, will guarantee that 3.4 million Virginia workers have access to paid family and medical leave, ensuring up to 12 weeks of leave for events such as a new baby, serious illness or injury, with 80 percent wage replacement and protection of their healthcare coverage.

I’ll skip a couple of Big Mac combos so that 3.4 million people don’t have to risk losing their homes because something bad happens.

“Workers are the backbone of Virginia’s economy, and they should not have to make the impossible choice between caring for themselves or their loved ones and earning their paycheck,” said Rhena Hicks, the co-executive director of Freedom Virginia, a nonprofit founded in 2020 that advocates for economic security.

Four weeks of unpaid leave costs the average worker $3,700 a year, which, for those of us living on the margins – i.e., everybody outside that top 1 percent – can be, and often is, devastating.

Which makes it just crazy to me that our local Republicans out our way – who also voted against the increase in the minimum wage – voted against this measure, too.

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ICYMI

• Spanberger will sign bill increasing minimum wage to $15 per hour

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Shame on Ellen McLaughlin, Tony Wilt, Chris Head.

Chris Runion, at least, abstained from voting no.

That’s a baby step.

“After almost a decade of advocates working towards establishing a paid family and medical leave program in Virginia, we are now just two steps away from making it happen,” Hicks said. “We are excited to see this legislation make its way to Gov. Spanberger’s desk to be signed into law. We look forward to Virginia becoming the 14th state offering this crucial program.”