Minnesotans who are not only taking care of children but also caring for aging parents — that’s the focus of a new committee Minnesota Senate Republicans are setting up for the fast-approaching 2019 legislative session. State Senator Karin Housley, back from an unsuccessful bid for U-S Senate, says among topics she’d like addressed: “Parental leave, that’s something that we need to discuss… and then… maybe programs to encourage companies to offer job share, or maybe flexible telecommute jobs.” Housley says she’d also like to look at mental health services for children and tax deductions for child care.
Housley says as a mom, she’s taking care of aging parents as well as her children — a story she heard often on the campaign trail. “So many other women and men in the exact same position, that you are dealing with juggling your kids and the cost of college and daycare and taking care of your aging parents,” she says.
More in this interview: