Paid family leave (PFML) proposal rejected in WI

In May 2025, the Republican-controlled finance committee in Wisconsin removed a mandate from Governor Evers’s 2025-27 budget proposal that would introduce an 8-week paid family and medical leave program for non-governmental employees. This was the second attempt by Tony Evers to pass spending for PFML in the state of Wisconsin, along with other similar proposals authored by various Democratic representatives - all of which have been rejected to date.

Why it Matters

Without a state PFML law, Wisconsin appears to lack a broad coverage model that supports working parents—especially women in lower-wage jobs—potentially increasing work-family conflicts and driving women from the workforce.

Background

The Evers 2025 plan mirrored models in other states like Minnesota. Research suggests that these leave policies result in lower job turnover, which means reduced costs for hiring and training and increased employee loyalty.

In 2024, Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin proposed a bill that would partially replace 14 weeks of wages lost during parental leave through an insurance program, expand the definition of "family member," remove an exemption for employers with fewer than 50 workers, expand the list of qualifying events (E.g., adoption, caregiving of a sick child), add leave for victims of sexual violence, and include military family needs before a deployment. The bill did not pass.