Senator says she knows taking 12 weeks of maternity leave could hurt her politically

First-term state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) took to Twitter Friday to talk about her first few weeks of parenthood, stresses on families during the pandemic and her decision to take a full 12 weeks of maternity leave.

Happy Friday and happy 3 weeks with this little burrito. It's been exhausting, eye-opening, wonderful, and the biggest challenge we've ever taken on. It can be both isolating and incredible at once. We're getting the hang of this parents thing, day by day. pic.twitter.com/0aMLKep8iU

— Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 19, 2021

Women have suffered a disproportionate number of job losses during the COVID-19 recession. As the Advance previously reported, many parents, particularly mothers, in Michigan are facing competing stressors in taking care of their kids, doing their jobs and helping with virtual learning. McMorrow also wrote about the progress lost for women during the pandemic.

I know I have support that many others don't, and I'm grateful for it. It's still hard…and I'm going to talk about it. I hope it helps shine a light and allow us to have real policy conversations about how we build back from these losses. We have to.

— Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 19, 2021

The United States is one of only a handful of countries in the world that doesn’t require paid parental leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) mandates workplaces with 50 workers or more provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for some employees. McMorrow tweeted about the pressure women feel to quickly get back on the job after giving birth.

I had JUST given birth. I was still very much in early recovery. I was still bleeding, raw, exhausted, and barely able to move.

A nurse in the hospital said, "Imagine posting on Facebook that you were picking up a 3 day old puppy?…"

— Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 19, 2021

The state of Michigan offers 12 weeks of family leave to state employees. As a legislator, I don't technically qualify as the legislature oversees itself and sets its own rules… And there's no mechanism for proxy or remote voting. https://t.co/gPDu18R1X3

— Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 19, 2021

McMorrow, who won an open GOP seat in 2018, will be up for reelection in 2022 and she acknowledged her decision could hurt her politically.

This is a political risk. I know that. If I miss a vote in-person, expect it to be an attack ad against me in 2022. But are we okay with the message that working moms cannot be legislators? That we don't want anyone in office who understands being a parent or caretaker?

— Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 19, 2021

She said, "I'm sorry. I can't vote for you. I need to know my Senator will be in their office full-time actually doing the job."

My opponent owned another business and split his time with his role as a legislator. But the implication was that a mom couldn't do it.

— Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 19, 2021

BTW, we hosted a virtual coffee hour to peel the layers back and show how our office works… It takes a team and even if I'm out on family leave, the work for our constituents goes on, uninterrupted. https://t.co/Tc0ITd1iHy

— Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 19, 2021

During the 2018 gubernatorial campaign, now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer faced some attacks for missing votes when she served in the Legislature after her daughter was born and while her mother was dying of cancer.

In 2019, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist made a point to talk about his decision to take paternity leave when his third child was born a few months into his first term.

“While my Michigan family now extends to everyone in our state in my role as lieutenant governor, it was important for me to be there with my wife and children during this precious time,” Gilchrist told the Advance in July 2019.

In Michigan, the LG takes paternity leave

Gilchrist also advocated for companies to offer paternity leave.

“Paternity leave allows fathers of newborns to strengthen the connection with their family, and I encourage every workplace to encourage fathers and mothers to take time to embrace these special moments.”