Parental-leave bill clears Senate

All Republicans vote no on measure for school functions

April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

A bill that would require Colorado companies to give employees five hours off each month to attend their children's school functions squeaked by on a party-line vote Monday.

Senate Bill 66 passed 18-17, despite staunch opposition from Republicans. The bill heads to the House.

All Republicans voted against the bill, arguing that the state has no business mandating that companies grant time off for school activities.

"The vote today on this measure is clearly an issue of priorities for my fellow members in the Senate," said the sponsor, Sen. Peter Groff, D-Denver.

"We talk about the need for parents to be involved in their children's education. When given the opportunity to do something concrete to benefit kids, my Republican colleagues chose to side with business."

Groff's measure would require any company with at least 10 workers to grant employees at least five hours per month of unpaid leave to attend parent-teacher conferences and other academic-related events.

It would limit time off to 30 hours a year and require workers to give at least a three-day notice.

The employer also could require that such leave be taken in a maximum of 2 1/2-hour segments

Groff pushed a similar bill last year that passed the Senate, but Democrats helped kill it in the House.

Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, denounced the bill as intrusive in the affairs of small businesses, contending that any time off for school functions should be negotiated between an employer and its employees.

Sen. Jim Dyer, R-Centennial, said that such a government mandate would hurt small businesses' ability to function.

"If we keep pushing these type of mandates, we might as well hang a sign on Colfax that says 'Small businesses are not welcome,' " Dyer said.

Groff accused Republicans of crying wolf, insisting the same claims of hardship were made when the federal government passed the Family Medical Leave Act, which requires employers to allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family medical needs.

Groff argued that parents should not have to choose between making a living and their children's educational needs.

"We need to be about finding a way to boost achievement in this state," Groff said. "If businesses have to suck it up for 2 1/2 hours, then they have to suck it up."

Senate Bill 66

• Allows an employee of any company with at least 10 employees to take unpaid leave to attend academic activities.

• Limits the unpaid leave to five hours in any one-month period, not to exceed 30 hours in any academic year.

• Allows the employer to require that such leave be taken in a maximum of 2 1/2-hour segments.

washingtonam@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5086