1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent to express my strong support for Senate Bill 396, the bipartisan proposal to establish a state-managed paid family and medical leave insurance program. As the General Assembly considers how to address the crisis of economic insecurity facing our workforce, it is critical to distinguish between substantive, systemic policy and hollow, market-based gestures. The current landscape of leave in Ohio is a clear failure of governance: an estimated 77% of Ohio workers currently lack access to any employer-provided paid leave. This is not a disagreement over tactics;it is a systemic deficiency that prevents 4.5 million Ohioans from accessing the basic stability required to manage life’s inevitable medical and family emergencies. I urge you to reject the reliance on voluntary tax credits—such as those proposed in House Bill 231—as a substitute for a state-managed insurance program. Data from the Urban Institute confirms that voluntary, employer-provided leave models are inherently regressive; they exclusively benefit employers who are already offering benefits, leaving behind the very workers who are most vulnerable to financial ruin during a medical crisis. Tax credits do not expand access—they simply subsidize existing disparities. A policy that relies on voluntary compliance is not a safety net; it is a policy that intentionally excludes low-wage and precarious workers. By refusing to support a universal insurance model, legislators who favor the tax-credit approach are prioritizing administrative convenience over the economic stability of the vast majority of our workforce. This creates a clear disparate impact, effectively excluding those who cannot afford to go without a paycheck. SB 396 is a necessary step toward building a baseline of economic security that functions for every Ohioan, regardless of which company they work for. I urge you to support this systemic solution and reject the empty-calorie, voluntary tax-credit proposals that fail to address the scale of this problem. I will be monitoring your vote on SB 396 as a litmus test for your commitment to the economic stability and well-being of your constituents.