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Concord, NH - At today’s debate, Senator Feltes touted his paid family and medical leave plan, which would help thousands of Granite State families. In response, Chris Sununu once again used the tired, debunked claim right out of the Trump playbook that the bill was an “income tax”.
In New Hampshire, 82% of residents support creating a system of family and medical leave insurance, and currently two-thirds of working people in New Hampshire lack access to paid leave. Chris Sununu has vetoed paid family leave twice.
Emma Sands, Feltes for Governor communications director released the following statement;
“Senator Feltes’ plan would finally deliver paid family and medical leave for New Hampshire families so Granite Staters won’t have to choose between paying rent or taking care of a sick or dying loved one. Chris Sununu would make up any excuse to oppose paid family and medical leave, including hiding behind tired, debunked claims in order to veto this critical legislation that a majority of Granite Staters want. Chris Sununu and his special interest allies have built his entire reelection campaign on a lie.”
BACKGROUND:
Around 680,000 Granite Staters lack access to parental leave and over 450,000 Granite Staters lack access to paid sick leave. According to the UNH Survey Center, “About one-third of New Hampshire workers lack access to paid leave to tend to their own illness, and about 50 percent lack access to parental leave, such as, pregnancy-related leave or leave to care for a new child in the home through birth, adoption, or foster care. About two-thirds lack access to paid leave to care for an ill family member. Overall, less than a third have access to paid leave for all three of these family and medical needs. The lack of paid leave for family care puts workers in a hard place, forced to choose between their jobs and family care responsibilities.” [University of New Hampshire Survey Center, 9/21/16]
Even the conservative Inside Sources stated the GOP income tax claim was false. “So are Republicans right that Democrats passed an ‘income tax?’ We give this a grade of: D.” [Inside Sources, 3/13/20]
Senator Feltes opposes a sales or income tax. According to WMUR, “Feltes said, ‘I don’t support a broad-based income or sales tax. We can continue to build budgets that look out for working people and families,’ without them.” [WMUR, 6/12/20]
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