What's More Texan Than Protecting Families and Promoting Opportunity?

Abby McCloskey, Dallas Morning News, March 18, 2023

“Texas has an opportunity to become the first Red state in the nation to protect the time between new parents and infants.   

State representative Morales Shaw recently put forward legislation that would allow parents to take up to twelve weeks of paid parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child.  

Yes, she's a Democrat and the Texas legislature is controlled by Republicans.  Yes, it would be paid for by a payroll tax on employers, a non-starter for the read my lips, no new taxes crew.  And yes, the Texas Family Act shares the name of federal legislation pioneered by Democrat Senator Gillibrant, The Family Act, a budget leviathan and fully partisan.  As such, Lone Star Republicans might be tempted to give the proposal a knee-jerk, no siree Bob. 

But I’d encourage a thoughtful pause, a big breath, to think about how this could be the foundation of a bipartisan effort in Texas to better support families and babies.”