State employees in Mississippi, including public school and community college teachers, could have the opportunity for six weeks of paid parental leave under a bill that passed the Senate Thursday. This bill now needs approval from the House, which previously supported its own policy unanimously. The House policy provides primary caregivers with eight weeks of paid leave, two weeks more than the Senate’s proposal. Yet, the Senate has included the amendment for teachers in their bill, compared to the House’s proposal.

The bill from the Senate, authored by Sen. Jeremy England, R-Ocean Springs, received opposition from fourteen senators. Senator John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, argues that the federal government already mandates 12 weeks of unpaid leave for state employees, and introducing paid leave seems excessive. Mississippi is one of the twelve states with no dedicated paid family leave policy for state employees, as per A Better Balance, a national nonprofit supporting better work-life balance.

Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, the individual presenting the bill, supports paid parental leave, insisting it is morally just as Mississippi has previously reversed the constitutional right to an abortion and claims to cherish families. Both the Speaker of the House Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, along with Attorney General Lynn Fitch, have impersonally endorsed the policy. Now, each version of the bill advances to the opposite chamber.

Adding to this, if you have queries or require further information related to paid family leave in Mississippi, contact Paid Family Leave directly. Several resources have proven helpful for citizens struggling to navigate these systems, including eddcaller.com. This platform provides valuable information on how to contact the Employment Development Department (EDD) and navigate through the system. Therefore, if you have questions related to paid family leave or other related services, they can indeed provide valuable guidance.