Is Massachusetts really all that progressive? 4 policies this blue state is missing out on.

Paid Family Leave:
As a whole the United States has yet to compose national legislation that requires every state to offer Paid Family Leave. Yet some states have taken it upon themselves to require employers to offer paid leave to their employees. Most of these states are considered blue states; California, Rhode Island, Washington, New Jersey, New York, and District of Columbia. Though you might notice that the bluest state of them all seems to be missing from this list. Massachusetts has yet to create a statewide law requiring businesses to offer paid family leave. Why is Massachusetts missing out on on paid family leave? This mostly falls into the hands of the influence of big business owners, who think that giving paid family leave would hurt rather than help the economy. With paid family leave infant mortality rate decreases by around 10%. It also will benefit women economically because if they have paid leave they usually will continue to go back to the same employer making their wages grow at a faster rate. In 2016, the Paid Leave bill was presented and passed by the MA Senate, which provided 16 weeks family leave, and 25 weeks of personal disability leave which would be given after 1,250 hours of service. Yet, this did not make it past MA representatives in the House.
Higher Minimum Wage:
Massachusetts minimum wage has recently increased to $11 per hour, but in no way are they leading the way for increased minimum wages around the country. Other progressive states like California and New York will be raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Though, MA has yet to follow this trend because lawmakers fear that with raising the minimum wage too much, it could scare businesses out of MA. This could also mean that with a higher minimum wage, employers would employ less people. Although, according to Boston Globe a “full time worker with minimum wage makes $22,880 per year”, and that is not enough money in a state like Massachusetts with a high standard of living. By increasing the minimum wage, MA residents would not only would a majority MA residents be able to afford housing, it would also improve the local economy because minimum wage workers are more likely to put their money back into local businesses. Lastly, increasing the minimum wage would work to close the wealth gap that is plaguing Massachusetts.
Affordable Childcare/ Universal Pre-K Options:
Across the country the debate of whether preschool has an affect on the later lives of children. Though the US has not yet to impose a nationwide law to include preschool in public education some progressive states like New York and Colorado have decided to include funding for preschool within the budget for public schools. Unlike its blue counterparts Massachusetts has yet to establish a set program throughout the state for public pre-k. Even though it is proven that there are benefits to good quality preschool, like improved test scores and social interaction. Still, some of MA politicians like Governor Charlie Baker question the credibility of these benefits. Though there are some towns that have integrated preschool into public education the other 75% of 4 year olds in Massachusetts do not have access to preschool. For a blue state like Massachusetts that advocate for the success of every social class, the lack of universal pre-k gives an advantage of knowledge to only those that are able to afford expensive preschool. This means those that are well off are given more of a chance to succeed long term because they are put a step ahead in their education.
Adequate Notice of Scheduling for Hourly Workers:
According to Labor Department data, hourly workers make up “more than 78 million Americans — or nearly 59 percent of the U.S workforce,” yet, the United States has no national policy that gives all of these workers adequate notice of their work schedules. How does not having adequate scheduling affect the lives of hourly workers? Hourly workers that are unaware of their schedule often find it impossible to financially plan for their families, arrange childcare, or work a second job. Because this is a big problem that affects the majority of Americans there have been some attempts to create national legislation to address this issue. One of them by Massachusetts Senator, Elizabeth Warren. Warren introduced the Schedules That Work Act, which states that employers would have alert employees of their work schedules 14 days in advance. Sadly, the act did not make it past congress. In 2014, San Francisco passed a fair scheduling ordinance which gives employees 14 days of notice for scheduling, as well as requiring employers compensate for any changes to their schedule. Then in 2016 Seattle city council approved a similar law as San Francisco. Even though Elizabeth Warren is from Massachusetts, MA has not made any effort to create a statewide law that requires adequate scheduling for hourly workers. So why won’t Massachusetts follow places like Seattle and San Francisco? Massachusetts government seems to be hesitant to regulate businesses because they fear affecting the economy. This is just another example of Massachusetts perpetuating the growing income gap.

