The House has passed a bill to allow state employees to use earned sick leave for the birth or adoption of a child.
It had earlier passed both chambers – but differences in the versions led to a conference committee.
The bill would allow both parents to take up to six weeks of sick leave in that instance.
Rep. Vernon Laning (R-Bismarck) urged his House colleagues to kill the bill.
"Employees just can't be using sick leave as vacation," said Laning on the House floor. "I'm fully in favor of the mother getting that much time off, but in the case of the father, I think it's way too much."
But Rep. Kylie Overson (D-Grand Forks) said the bill is fair – because the state workers have earned that leave.
"Every day, in this chamber, we take a vote to excuse our absent members," said Overson. "We don't ask why they're gone, and we shouldn't. We allow them to be excused, and we pay them every day that they';re missing, no matter the reason. And I don't see why we should so heavily question why our state employees need that leave, especially when it come to the birth or adoption of a child."
The measure passed 77 to 15. It will now go to the Senate.
