Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday proposed six weeks of paid leave for new parents employed by the state, saying the bonding between newborns and their mothers and fathers "is just crucial."
More than 35,000 state employees would be eligible for the leave after the birth or adoption of a child — including men — though the governor's office said that only 500 people are expected to use it annually. The plan would cost taxpayers about $6 million a year.
Dayton described paid leave as key to building a more productive and successful workforce, a crucial issue as his administration has wrestled with how to attract and retain top employees in state government.
He acknowledged that the proposal, which excludes employees in the private sector, was not complete.
"The perfect is the enemy of the very good," he said. "This is a very big step forward."
Rep. Sarah Anderson, R-Plymouth, criticized Dayton's plan for prioritizing public employees over the taxpayers who help pay for the government. As chairwoman of the House State Government Finance Committee, she's working on legislation that would do more for private-sector employees who want paid time off after having a child.
"I'm trying to find something that everybody can get behind," said Anderson, who added that she is not ready to release details of her own plan.
Dayton's package stops short of what DFLers will push in next month's legislative session. Their plan mirrors laws in California, New Jersey and Rhode Island that require paid family leave for all workers and that extends the benefit to people caring for sick family members. A version of paid family leave failed to win legislative approval in Minnesota last year.