Leaders In Action

Florida Senator Advances Legislative Support for Working Families

Florida Senator Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Flemming Fellow `94) passed a bill this session allowing family members who work in the same school district to swap their accumulated sick leave. This bill was part of an umbrella of family-friendly legislation the Senator championed.

After giving birth to twins, Wasserman developed an appreciation for the time working parents need to spend during the first three months of their child’s life. As a result, Wasserman Schultz sponsored a broader family leave bill that would allow unemployment insurance (UI) surplus funds to provide family leave benefits for the birth or adoption of a baby.

Given the UI surplus, Florida could afford funding the measure without jeopardizing any tax increases. "We’ve given UI tax cuts to employers over the past few years and now it’s time to do something for the employees. After all, working parents should not have to risk losing their jobs to spend time with their newborn infants," declared Wasserman Schultz.

The Senator emphasized the need to develop supports for working families and the practicality of doing so without harming small businesses, in light of the state’s healthy UI. This legislation passed two major Senate committees, although it did not clear the House. She plans to refile the bill next year and hold hearings and roundtable discussions with legislators and the business community in order to educate potential opponents and gain support for the legislation.

Education, safety, children’s issues, insurance law and gender equity have been the major focus of her personal legislative agenda. Serving in her first session as a Senator, Wasserman Schultz is a member of several key committees including Banking and Insurance and Health, and Aging and Long-Term Care. She is the youngest woman elected to the Florida legislature, serving in the House of Representatives from 1992-2000.

Wasserman Schultz is Director of Career Placement for the Health Professions Division at Nova Southeastern University and teaches political science courses at Broward Community College.