The ACLU of North Dakota supports House Bill 1441, legislation that would create a paid family leave program in the state. This legislation is critical to achieving economic equality and security for hardworking North Dakotans who too often have to choose between the job they need and the family they love.
While many people who take family or medical leave to care for a newborn or family members with serious illnesses or injuries, the accessibility of paid leave is unequal. The vast majority of low-wage workers do not have paid leave through their jobs while high-income individuals often do. This disparity can exacerbate systemic issues, from racism to sexism to the marginalization of formerly incarcerated people. Passing House Bill 1441 would be a momentous civil rights victory for North Dakota.
“The United States enjoys the shameful distinction of being the only country in the developed world that doesn’t guarantee paid family leave to workers,” said Libby Skarin, ACLU of North Dakota campaigns director. “Paid family leave is essential to the health and well-being of North Dakota’s workforce — especially those who live paycheck to paycheck and lack job security. Simply put, North Dakotans and their families need House Bill 1441 to ensure that they can work and care for those they love.”
House Bill 1441 is scheduled to be heard in the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee today. The ACLU of North Dakota provided written testimony (see below).
About the ACLU of North Dakota
The American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of North Dakota is part of a three-state chapter that also includes South Dakota and Wyoming. The team in North Dakota is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit communities. The ACLU of North Dakota carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of North Dakota.
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