Alice Ann Robertson

To those considering this bill, As a Certified Nurse Midwife, Family NP, and mother, I strongly oppose this bill. The first year of a child's life and the first year being a parent can involve a lot of unknowns, for which it is only proper to seek professional advice. These issues can arise quickly, both for mother and baby, and can be quite serious if not addressed in a timely manner. Especially as we do not provide guaranteed paid leave for this period, passing a law that can leave parents concerned about losing their jobs because they are taking care of themselves or their infant is unconscionable. The strength in our workforce and in our society comes from a healthy populace, which this bill is trying to tear down for the most vulnerable time periods in ones life. Do not pass this bill. We already have limits in place for available time off that are reasonable. To limit them further means you do not care about the health of our current and future workforce. We must hold the health of infants and new mothers as vital to our country's success.