Minnesota passed a paid leave program earlier today. This is the thirteenth time Democrats have passed one of these programs on the state level, and every single one of them is designed specifically to exclude from eligibility a large minority of new mothers, especially the poor. Minnesota had a chance to break from this mold, but the same advocates who delivered the other garbage programs delivered yet another one.

In other countries, parental leave programs are commonly designed such that all new parents receive a cash benefit equal to some percentage of their prior earnings or some minimum amount, whichever is greater in their case. But Minnesota’s plan has no minimum benefit and entirely excludes all new parents who did not earn $3,500 in the twelve months leading up to birth.

According to the latest American Community Survey data, 22 percent of Minnesota women between the ages of eighteen and forty-five do not satisfy this work-history requirement. Individuals who are not likely to satisfy the requirement include students, disabled people, and those facing an unluckily timed spell of unemployment.