A recent bipartisan effort in Congress aimed at enabling new parents to cast their votes by proxy has failed, prompting some lawmakers to seek state-level solutions to retain and support younger women in legislative roles. Republican Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who spearheaded the congressional initiative, disclosed a compromise with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson that excludes proxy voting.
Without a successful precedent at the federal level, there remains hope among lawmakers that individual state legislatures can adapt. Advocates argue that proxy voting would provide new parents, especially mothers, essential time for recovery and infant care—issues that are increasingly prominent in American political discourse amid current challenges surrounding childcare and affordability.
Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator and only the second sitting senator to give birth, emphasized the need for supportive measures for families, stating, “This should be about supporting families and supporting lawmakers who prioritize the issues of families. It should not be a partisan issue.”
Proxy voting allows lawmakers to cast votes on behalf of another member who is not present, while some states have utilized remote voting systems, particularly during legislative sessions that may extend late into the night or require extended absences from home. Unlike Congress, where McMorrow had no proxy or maternity leave policy during her daughter’s birth in 2021, many states are leaning towards more accommodating measures. McMorrow herself took 12 weeks off despite the absence of formal policies.
Additionally, Nebraska State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh highlighted that the structure of state legislatures reflects a lack of consideration for women's needs, indicating that her decision to bring her baby onto the Senate floor in 2019 and the subsequent push for designated nursing areas were significant milestones that have since become normalized.
Statistics reveal that only about a third of state lawmakers are women, which has led advocates for greater female representation in politics to argue that the challenges of balancing motherhood with public office often deter qualified women from running. Liuba Grechen Shirley, CEO of Vote Mama, a group dedicated to supporting mothers in politics, stated, “We want people in office who understand what most American families are dealing with.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states allowed remote participation in legislative processes, but as restrictions have lifted, some have reverted to previous methods. For example, the Minnesota and Colorado House chambers permit remote attendance under specific conditions, such as childbirth, while Minnesota's Senate allows remote voting for any reason with leadership approval. Virginia also adopted similar practices, enabling its lawmakers to vote remotely during maternity leave.
Virginia Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling praised the flexibility provided during her maternity leave as “invaluable” and expressed disappointment in Congress's recent decision against proxy voting. Speaker Johnson has emphasized the importance of in-person participation in lawmaking processes but agreed to implement a pairing system to accommodate absent lawmakers, a method that has been used in Congress historically.
Former Missouri State Representative Peter Merideth shared personal insights, noting that although remote voting would not fully address the needs of families, it could provide essential support in emergencies, remarking, “I wouldn’t want my representative to start doing that on a regular basis. I do think you miss a lot by not being there.”
Hawaii House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto reflected on her own experiences and voiced the need for a reliable remote voting system that ensures integrity and prevents abuse, suggesting that the geographical challenges in states like Hawaii require tailored solutions. Furthermore, the sentiment among proponents extends to male lawmakers, advocating for their presence during significant family events like childbirth.
Overall, the ongoing discourse surrounding proxy voting and remote participation reflects a broader cultural shift aimed at making legislative roles more accessible for parents, particularly mothers, in order to foster better representation of family-related issues within government. As many continue to advocate for these necessary changes, the hope remains that state legislatures will respond positively to the needs of modern families.
