The unpredictability of voting schedules combined with rules requiring in-person voting impact a legislator’s ability to balance caregiving needs and their legislative duties at the same time, disproportionately impacting mothers with minor children.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, state legislatures across the country adjusted to remote work just as schools and corporations did. In fact, during the 2023 legislative session a number of states allowed for virtual committee hearing testimonials to expand access to folks who were not able to travel to the capitol. While many companies opted to continue a remote or hybrid work format after lockdown ended, state legislatures did not. Most state legislatures have largely pushed back against permanent hybrid changes, forcing legislators to attend in-person committee hearings and votes regardless of their caregiving responsibilities. Remote options ensure equitable access and should be permanent for all state legislators.
Each state has separate rules that dictate how and when children can be present within state legislative buildings. These rules go beyond whether children are allowed on the chamber floor during late night voting, and actually limit how and when children are permitted in their parent’s office within state legislative buildings. These rules severely limit how legislators, especially moms with young kids, are able to participate—if at all.
All state legislators should have the option to participate in votes and committee hearings remotely.
Mama legislators know first hand the hurdles that women with young children face and how our policies are failing everyday families. When mamas are at the decision-making table, policy priorities change—and they change for the better.
Mamas Caucuses enable legislators to work together to introduce and pass legislation to achieve real solutions for the problems working families face.
At the federal level, both moms and dads have formed coalitions (Moms in the House Caucus and Congressional Dads Caucus) to bond over their unique experience as both caretakers and legislators and to advocate for policies that matter to working families. Vote Mama Foundation is working to replicate this model and build Mama Caucuses across the country.
Mamas Caucuses build the political power of moms to pass truly family-friendly policies.
Legislature Structure & Culture
Legislators with minor children need reliable and safe access to childcare, both in their home district and at the capitol. However, the long hours and inconsistent schedule of legislative sessions impact the type of care that legislators can access in order to carry out their official duties.
Just like millions of parents that struggle to find safe and affordable childcare, mama legislators are often not able to find care that fits their individual needs and schedule when serving in public office. More than half the population lives in a childcare desert. When you factor in finding childcare providers in two locations for a constantly changing part-time schedule, securing childcare can be impossible.
On-site childcare for state legislators should be available to better meet the needs of legislators and staff.
Legislative buildings are not fully accessible for parents, especially nursing moms.
It wasn’t until 2011 that federal legislators requested that changing tables be installed—the same year the very first women’s bathroom was installed off the House floor. However, in 2023, Representative Joaquin Castro (TX-20) was still forced to change his 8-month-old on the floor of the members’ men’s bathroom. At the state level, there has been no consistent movement to address this need and install changing tables or pumping rooms in all legislative buildings.
Every state legislative building should provide changing tables in all members' bathrooms, regardless of gender, and ensure accessibility of pumping rooms.
CHANGING TABLES, PUMPING ROOMS, & ONSITE CHILDCARE
All state legislators should have access to changing tables, pumping rooms, and onsite childcare at the capitol.
Family-Friendly State Capitol Infrastructure
Every state legislator should be paid a living wage to support themselves and their family.
One of the largest barriers to serving in state legislatures is the low pay offered to legislators. Coupled with the high costs of commuting, finding care for loved ones, and often needing lodging or meals to endure late night votes — low pay for legislators impacts who can and who does run for office. Everyday parents running for and serving in public office should not need to risk losing access to basic needs for themselves and their family. Most state legislators are either unpaid or paid below their state’s standard cost of living, and many don’t have funding to hire staff.
According to the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL), there are only four states with full-time legislatures that pay their legislators enough of a livable wage that they can survive without an additional income: New York, Michigan, California, and Pennsylvania. “This system too often excludes New Americans, people of color, working class individuals, and caretakers, leaving critical insights out of our legislative process."
The range in state legislator salaries is determined by the state’s decision to qualify working as a state legislator as either a full-time, part-time, or hybrid employment position. However, any legislator will tell you that representing their district in the state legislature is a full-time job that keeps them busy 365 days a year, regardless of whether they are formally in session or not.
Legislators deemed to be part-time or hybrid are provided fewer staff, if any, and less pay for the same job as those in a full-time legislature.
The antiquated and inadequate pay for state legislators protects the status quo in which the independently wealthy have an easier time running for and serving in office. For others, particularly moms of minor children, the costs associated with holding office at the state level prevents them from running for office in the first place. The burden of caregiving which disproportionately falls on moms creates a double barrier to entry—how can moms with young kids afford to serve in office while not making enough to pay for quality, accessible childcare?
One of the largest barriers to serving in state legislatures is the low pay offered to legislators. Coupled with the high costs of commuting, finding care for loved ones, and often needing lodging or meals to endure late night votes — low pay for legislators impacts who can and who does run for office. Everyday parents running for and serving in public office should not need to risk losing access to basic needs for themselves and their family. Most state legislators are either unpaid or paid below their state’s standard cost of living, and many don’t have funding to hire staff.
According to the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL), there are only four states with full-time legislatures that pay their legislators enough of a livable wage that they can survive without an additional income: New York, Michigan, California, and Pennsylvania. “This system too often excludes New Americans, people of color, working class individuals, and caretakers, leaving critical insights out of our legislative process."
The range in state legislator salaries is determined by the state’s decision to qualify working as a state legislator as either a full-time, part-time, or hybrid employment position. However, any legislator will tell you that representing their district in the state legislature is a full-time job that keeps them busy 365 days a year, regardless of whether they are formally in session or not.
Legislators deemed to be part-time or hybrid are provided fewer staff, if any, and less pay for the same job as those in a full-time legislature.
The antiquated and inadequate pay for state legislators protects the status quo in which the independently wealthy have an easier time running for and serving in office. For others, particularly moms of minor children, the costs associated with holding office at the state level prevents them from running for office in the first place. The burden of caregiving which disproportionately falls on moms creates a double barrier to entry—how can moms with young kids afford to serve in office while not making enough to pay for quality, accessible childcare?
Every state legislator should be paid a living wage to support themselves and their family.
State legislators can technically take time off while in session, but if they do, they are not allowed to attend or participate in any votes or hearings. This forced all-or-nothing absence harms the political viability of a legislator who cannot afford to hire a caregiver and carry out their official duties at the same time. Just like millions of workers across the country, state legislators are expected to rarely or never take time off. There are no virtual participation options or accommodations that make work accessible when legislators are ill, have increased caregiving responsibilities, or after giving birth. For new moms, choosing to breastfeed is a near-full-time job in and of itself, which is made all the more difficult while representing their districts at the state house.
We need to normalize moms taking time off while serving in state legislatures to care for their family members. We need to pass paid family and medical leave for state legislators.
Thanks to legislation introduced by former State Senator Brittany Pettersen, Colorado is the only state in the country that provides paid leave to sitting state legislators.
When Pettersen gave birth while serving in the Colorado state legislature, she had to document her absence as long-term sick leave. Because of her lived experience navigating this outdated process, she introduced the Compensation Requirements For Members Of The General Assembly. This legislation guaranteed 12 weeks of paid family leave for state legislators with an additional 4 weeks of leave in the case of pregnancy or birthing complications. It’s the first bill of its kind to pass any state legislature in the country. Vote Mama Foundation plans to replicate Pettersen’s bill across the country.
All state legislators should have access to paid family and medical leave.
A per diem or a reimbursement is often used at both the federal and state level to cover meals, lodging, and incidental costs while performing official governmental duties. Per diems allow legislators to pay for necessary expenses incurred while serving in public office as a way to offset the heavy costs associated with the job. Currently, no states include childcare expenses as per diems for state legislators.
When a legislator travels to the capitol to perform their legislative duties, they should receive a reimbursement for childcare costs, just as they would for a hotel or meals. This small structural change has the ability to transform how parents and caregivers participate in the political process.
Vote Mama Foundation is partnering with legislators such as State Representative Emma Mulvaney-Stanak to introduce bills to allow for childcare reimbursement for official duties.
All state legislators should be eligible to receive reimbursements to cover the costs of childcare and dependent care expenses that are directly related to carrying out their official duties.
Vote Mama Foundation is breaking down the barriers that prohibit mamas from sustainably serving in public office.
85% of American women are mothers by the time they are 45 years old—but in 2022, moms of minor kids only made up 5% of state legislators. Nearly 4 million American women give birth each year. Yet only 12 women serving in state legislatures gave birth in the past year, and just 3 of them were Black mothers. If we are not addressing the structural barriers that predominantly affect moms with minor children, we will never achieve full gender parity in state legislatures.