POLITICAL ROUNDUP: House passes bill to offer maternity leave to state employees

Apr. 30—Local lawmakers are reflecting on a bill passed in the House that will provide six full weeks of maternity leave for full-time state employees following the birth or adoption of a child.

Senate Bill 193, sponsored by Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, allows state employees that have worked for at least two years to receive six weeks of paid leave. Under the measure, employees also would be able to use six weeks of accrued leave for up to 12 weeks in total.

"I ran the bill because it's the right thing to do," Garvin said. "The fact is, we know that women who have paid maternity leave are more likely to come back into the workforce."

"We know that every industry in Oklahoma is desperately needing workers, we know that we have the highest maternal mortality rate in the country, we know that Oklahoma is one of the most unhealthy states in the country."

The bill has been passed in both the House and the Senate. The bill will return to the Senate where it will be reconciled before it is sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt's office.

"We have to start making investments in preventative measures to help reduce the horrible outcomes we have in Oklahoma," Garvin said.

Rep. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is one of the 21 voters in the House who did not vote for the measure on principle.

"My reasoning for my note vote is I do not believe the state should take the hard earned money from all Oklahomans, most of which do not have anywhere as close to the generous benefits state workers already receive, to pay for an even more generous benefit package for a very small, select few because they work for the government," Standridge said.

Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman, voted with Garvin for the measure.

"I voted for this out of respect and appreciation for new parents who happen to be state employees," Menz said. "Whether it's someone who just had a C-section, or someone who just adopted a ninth-grader, that family deserves time to bond and rest after such a big life change and they deserve to not have to stress out about their paycheck. Parenting is stressful enough."

Even with Republican support, Menz isn't sure whether Stitt will sign the bill.

"The Governor has only indicated that he's going to veto things. He's vetoing great policy with a flippant flick of his pen because he can. I'm prayerful that this bill and many others get signed into law soon," she said.

Menz said most Democrats and Republicans in the House or Representatives support this bill and would encourage Stitt to put this in place. The measure passed the House 70-21.

"I'm proud to say that most of the people with whom I serve in the House have a deep respect for life and the quality of life, and have supported this bill," Menz said.

Garvin said this bill will save money because it will help reduce turnover in state agencies, leading to greater efficiency.

Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, the bill's co-sponsor in the House agreed.

"Ultimately, this bill would save the state of Oklahoma millions every year," Archer said. "The goal is to help state agencies recruit and retain talented Oklahomans who provide services to our communities. This is a workforce issue. As the largest employer in the state, Oklahoma should be the leader in supporting mothers and families."