Doing the same thing and expecting different results

Ron Muzzall, Senator

Paid family and medical leave, while a good idea, has run into complications – the state-run fund for the program is insolvent.

The Employment Security Department, responsible for collection of the taxes and payment of benefits, let legislators know shortly after the start of the 2022 legislative session that the fund will have a deficit by the end of March. Funded by a payroll tax, the program provides new parents or people caring for sick loved ones a financial lifeline, but demand has outpaced supply. Despite the rate increasing at the beginning of 2022, it has ru...