State workers are set to see some add ons to their benefits package.

This upgrade will apply to more than 30,000 employees across the state.

Last week, Governor Andy Beshear announced a six week paid leave plan to for executive branch employees to care for a new child or deal with a serious illness.

It would be available in three intervals over their career.

The enhanced leave plan starts for a new hire on day one.

Another six weeks is available at ten years of employment and another at 20 years on the job.

The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, a progressive leaning think tank, recently released a study on parental leave policies, policies, positive impact and hiring and keeping top talent.

I talked with State Senator Amanda Maze Bledsoe today at our capital Operation Center in Frankfort about the plan that resembles a policy change she proposed last legislative session that stalled while Senator Amanda Maze Bledsoe It's good to have you here.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for having me.

So let's talk first about paid leave.

We know that the governor has said that state employees in the executive branch will soon be eligible for paid leave on day one.

Right.

This is something that you advocated for a version of it during the last legislative session first.

Why do you think this is so important for executive branch employees?

You know, it's pro-family and pro workforce, and I've seen firsthand the benefit of when employees feel supported at the workplace.

They have better support at home.

And so it's a great opportunity for, I think, us to offer some benefit.

You know, state employees are our salaries aren't always competitive with the private sector.

And so this is a way that offer a benefit to working moms and dads to provide a little extra stability and helpful retention.

Recruitment helps with morale, and it's an important step to support families.

Do we know how much this would cost?

I mean, if you had to do a fiscal impact on it, what's the cost?

So I did the fiscal impact last year because I was also very concerned about that and really the opportunity cost.

And we don't typically backfill positions for short sort accesses unless you really have have an important job where you might backfill some of those.

But really it's an opportunity cost and the cost really isn't significant at all to the to the budget.

How does what you would propose differ or similar to what the governor's action is?

So, you know, as President Trump and his first administration that gave 12 weeks to federal employees, which was rather substantial years ago, and that's more standard in the private sector as well.

So I propose four weeks as a way to kind of start the conversation.

The governor's proposing six, which honestly would be is closer to what child care really needs when you if you're a new mom and your baby, most of his child cares don't open up opportunities or six weeks.

So it does give a little bit more of a bridge for that and it offers more things than mine did.

His proposal increases for for medical issues or for for leave for foster and birth, as well as, I believe, for kinship care as well.

So he's he's got some other things.

A major medical I know is something people have asked for.

And you agree with all of that?

I do.

I think it's an important step.

I mean, the plan is certainly different than mine.

The ten years is a rather unique.

When they explained to me, I kind of said, well, where where did you get this?

And they've made it up on their own.

So we'll see how it plays out.

Yeah.

So just for our viewers to connect them to what you're saying, it says that first time an employee can access a benefit is from day one to year ten, and then they can access it again between years ten and 20 and between 20 between year 20 and the end of their career.

So if we're talking about some people will say, well, that seems odd that she would be considering adoption or foster care, perhaps toward the end of your career.

I agree with you.

I was very interested in why I kind of asked the questions, why it's so unique.

But I do think the major medical piece is why they did that.

So if you've been there for a long time, let's say you have a cancer situation or another major medical illness, you may need that additional time, different when you're early in your career.

If you are having babies or having foster adoption.

So I think that does make sense.

But it is unique, which is why I kind of suggested let's go through the administrative red process.

Let's let the public vet this, as well as a General Assembly.

And then if we need to codify it or change it into actual law, we'll do that after we've had a little bit more time to think about the plan.

Right.

So so our viewers understand an executive order of the governor doesn't necessarily need to have General Assembly approval, right?

It does not in this case.

And that was kind of some of the conversations I had with the House members who felt like they were supportive of my of my proposed bill legislation, but felt like it was something the governor has had the opportunity to do if he so chooses.

And so this is really his decision.

And and so it will go through administrative regs and the General Assembly will hear it, but it won't have our state of approval, if you will.

So a future governor could change the regulation, of course, and that's why I'll be interested to see if we need to codify it on our side for in perpetuity.

Yeah.

And do you think as a preemptive measure, you should pass a law?

Not right.

Now.

Not right now, no.

I think if our bill's had if my bill and their proposal had matched, yeah, perhaps I would have run the same the same piece of legislation.

But given the differences, which I think are more substantial, that it needs to go through that process and get a little bit more vetting before I do that.

Yeah.

Okay.

So let's switch gears and talk about more of what could be happening in 2025 session, which is, gosh, we can count the days now, can we?

Which is hard to believe.

You are vice chair of the Appropriations and Revenue Committee.

What kind of legislation do you expect to consider during this nine budget year?

Sure.

I think one of the things we learned from the election this last year is how important inflation, the purchasing power of the dollar is.

So then down the cost of groceries.

So the economy has been on the hearts and minds of, I think, the voters for the last couple of years.

And so we're going to continue to go through tax reform.

I think you'll see in the very first week a reduction from the House move to three and a half percent, which even the governor said he thought was a manageable good idea to kind of stabilize the economy and put more money back in the hands of taxpayers.

So that'll be the first thing we do.

And then I think as you move through the session, you may see some workforce development and retention efforts, which I think is important.

You know, growing the workforce is how we're going to grow the economy.

So finding a way to make sure we're recruiting the best, retaining the best will be an interesting part of that as well.

We'll have more with Senator Amanda Maze Bledsoe tomorrow night when she talks more about what legislators could consider and the lawmaking session that begins January 7th.