Pregnant people in New York would have 40 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments under a new proposal by Gov. Kathy Hochul after the state’s legislative session kicked off this week.
The Democrat’s plan to expand the state’s paid family leave policy, which would need to be approved by the state Legislature, aims to expand access to high-quality prenatal care and prevent maternal and infant deaths in New York, an issue that especially affects low-income and minority communities.
The U.S. infant mortality rate, a measure of how many babies die before they reach their first birthday, is worse than other high-income countries, which experts have attributed to poverty, inadequate prenatal care and other possibilities. The U.S. rate rose 3% in 2022 — the largest increase in two decades, according to a 2023 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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On that second item, my point was about smokers getting smoke breaks, and how for fairness nonsmokers should get equal breaks. It wasn’t about any lack of clean air in the office. But if the nonsmokers had to go where the smokers are smoking it would be deleterious to their health. If you think about it, part of the pleasure of smoking is those long slow draughts, but so much better if it’s draughts of fresh air. Very zen.
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