Policies We're Watching Related to Economic Security
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Description: Would create an employee-funded state insurance fund to provide wage replacement for employees who take a qualifying leave from work to care for a new child, care for themselves if they become seriously ill, or provide care to a family member who is seriously ill. The bill would also provide job protection for employees who take a qualifying leave and work at a business with 25 or more employees (current law only provides job protection for employees who work at businesses with 50 or more employees) and expand the definition of "family member" for whom an employee can take leave in order to provide care.
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Co-authors: Rep. Sondy Pope & Sen. Janis Ringhand
Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology, and Consumer Protection and Assembly Committee on Family Law. Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session. WAWH Position: Support Background: Fact Sheet |
SB 87: Increase the "Tipped" Minimum Wage
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Description: Increase the separate minimum wage required to be paid to "tipped employees" (currently $2.33 per hour) by $0.95 per year until it reaches $7.08 per hour, one year after which the bill eliminates the separate minimum wage for tipped employees altogether, making tipped employees subject to the general minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
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Co-sponsors: Sen. Lena Taylor & Rep. Jason Fields
Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform WAWH Position: Support Background: For more information about how raising the minimum wage affects the economic security of women, see WAWH's Proactive Policy Prescription on economic security issues. Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session. |
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Description: Under current law, when an employee files a workplace discrimination claim, s/he must do so with the state Department of Workforce Development (DWD), which only has the authority to award the employee with limited damage awards should DWD find that the employee was the victim of workplace discrimination. This bill would (1) allow employees to file workplace anti-discrimination lawsuits in state circuit courts and (2) increase the damage awards that courts must award the employee if the court finds that the employee was subjected to unlawful discrimination under Wisconsin's fair employment law.
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Authors: Sen. Hansen and Rep. Sinicki
Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform and Assembly Committee on Workforce Development. Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session. WAWH Position: Support Background: For more information about why strengthening state workplace anti-discrimination laws help reduce the gender pay gap, see WAWH's Proactive Policy Prescription on economic security issues. |
SB 142 / AB 213: Allow Employees to Freely Discuss Salaries and Prohibit Employers from Inquiring About Salary History from Job Applicants
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Description: This bill would prohibit employers from banning voluntary discussions of salary among their employees and also prohibit employers from requiring applicants to disclose their salary history.
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Authors: Sen. Hansen and Rep. Sinicki
Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform and Assembly Committee on Labor. Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session. WAWH Position: Support Background: For more information about why addressing workplace pay transparency and inquiring about salary histories during job interviews are important to help reduce the gender pay gap, see WAWH's Proactive Policy Prescription on economic security issues. |
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Description: This legislation would partially “federalize” the Wisconsin Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides for unpaid leave for workers eligible workers to take time off of work to care for a new child, a sick family member, or themselves if they become ill without fear of losing their jobs. Some workers are eligible for both the state and federal FMLA's, which have different eligibility criteria and provide somewhat different benefits (in general, the state FMLA has more generous eligibility criteria and more flexible benefits). These bills would make some employees who have "dual eligibility" for both the state and federal FMLA's ineligible for the state FMLA, thus reducing these employees' access to family and medical leave and the quality of leave for which they are eligible.
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Authors: Sen. Alberta Darling and Rep. Joan Ballweg
Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform and Assembly Committee on Labor. Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session. WAWH Position: Oppose Background: Link here to read a letter opposing the legislation from 43 Wisconsin organizations. |
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Description: This bill would would significantly restrict the ability of local governments to enact or enforce several different types of labor protections that would promote economic security and workplace equity for workers in their communities. If passed, local governments would not be allowed to enact or enforce ordinances that promote a living wage for employees who are paid by taxpayer dollars, fight workplace discrimination, stop wage theft, ensure fair scheduling practices, fight pay inequity, enhance occupational licensing requirements, or promote collective bargaining rights.
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2017Authors: Rep. Rob Hutton and Sen. Chris Kapenga
Status: Passed into law as 2017 Wisconsin Act 237. Bill was amended to remove provisions regarding local anti-discrimination policies. WAWH Position: Oppose Background: Keep Families First Coalition fact sheet |
AB 814: Gradually Increase the State Minimum Wage to $15 Per Hour
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Description: Currently, the minimum wage in Wisconsin is $7.25 per hour. This bill would: (1) gradually increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour over a period of five years; (2) adjust the minimum wage for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index; (3) repeal the separate minimum wage for "tipped workers" (see SB 87 above); and, (4) eliminate the current prohibition against local governments enacting their own minimum wages that are higher than the state minimum wage.
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Authors: Rep. Sargent and Sen. Wirch
Status: Referred to Assembly Committee on Labor. Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session. WAWH Position: Support Background: For more information about why increasing the minimum wage is important for women's economic security, see here for WAWH's Proactive Policy Prescription on economic security issues. |
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Description: Provides a modest funding increase of $8 million for the Wisconsin Shares child care subsidy program. This funding will be used to increase the state reimbursement rates for child care providers starting in 2019.
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Authors: Rep. Born and Sen. Darling
Status: Passed into law as 2017 Wisconsin Act 236 WAWH Position: Support Background: For more information about why increasing state child care subsidies to make child care more affordable is important for women's economic security, see here for WAWH's Proactive Policy Prescription on economic security issues. For more information regarding the practical ramifications of this legislation, see this 2017-2018 legislative session recap from Kids Forward. |
AB 970: Increase of the State Earned Income Tax Credit
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Description: Currently, some Wisconsinites who are eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can qualify for a state EITC, that is a certain percentage of the federal EITC for which the individual is eligible. Under current law, eligible Wisconsinites can claim a state credit equal to 4% of the federal EITC for which they qualify if they have one dependent child, 11% if they have two dependent children, or 34% if they have three or more dependent children. The credit is refundable, which means that, if the amount of credit due the individual exceeds his or her tax liability, the difference is refunded to the claimant by check. This bill would allow an individual who is eligible to claim the federal EITC to claim as a credit against Wisconsin taxes due 34 % of the amount that the taxpayer may claim under the federal credit, regardless of the number of children the individual has.
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Authors: Rep. Riemer and Sen. Hansen Status: Referred to Assembly Committee on Ways and Means. Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session. WAWH Position: Support Background: For more information about why increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit is important for the economic security of many Wisconsin women and families, see here for WAWH's Proactive Policy Prescription on economic security issues. |
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