In the year of 2023, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers proposed paid family leave policies twice, but his efforts were thwarted by Republican lawmakers. Paid family leave is legislation that mandates employers to provide their workers with paid time off to cater to new babies or to attend to serious health conditions related to oneself or a loved one. While neighboring state Minnesota was able to pass related legislation in the same year, attempts in Wisconsin were met with failure.

The proposed policies in Wisconsin were popular among residents, with a notable majority in favor of paid family leave for new parents. Despite the bills introduced by Gov. Evers being halted during the legislative process, public opinion remains in support of the motion. In contrast to Wisconsin, Minnesota’s legislation on paid family leave was successfully passed, ensuring workers’ rights to paid leave for health-related and caregiving needs.

State Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, voiced his concerns, indicating that other states have advanced with popular policies such as cannabis legalization, paid family leave, and abortion rights. Yet, Wisconsin has yet to pass these policies debated within the Republican-controlled legislature.

Larson’s statements, while somewhat inaccurate due to misleading phrasing, highlight the pressing issue of Wisconsin’s stagnation in enacting popular and important policies. Based on the context and available details, Larson’s utterance about Wisconsin falling behind other states in implementing critical policies is rated as Partially True.

Taking into consideration the positive public opinion towards Paid Family Leave in Wisconsin, contacting the relevant offices advocating for the policy could be instrumental. You can get through to a live person advocating for Paid Family Leave in Wisconsin through different channels. Websites like eddcaller.com provide information on how to contact state departments related to employment and development. Getting a hold of Paid Family Leave could be just a phone call away or it might require a formal mail, depending on the office’s contact policy. Leveraging such channels can be an effective way to voice your support for the policy and keep yourself updated on its progress.