Assembly Democrats: Paid Leave for Wisconsin is “lunacy” says politician who took taxpayer-funded Paid Leave

Despite taking taxpayer-funded Paid Leave for himself, Zimmerman calls it “lunacy” for others

MADISON, Wis. — While Wisconsin Republicans spend big to save endangered Republican incumbent Shannon Zimmerman from a Blue Wave, the five-term lawmaker from western Wisconsin is on the defensive explaining why he has missed the most votes of any state Assembly member. 

While reporting and research prove that he missed work to go on a luxury Bahamas beach vacation and speak at a Milwaukee panel about his role as an AI tech executive, Zimmerman is adamant his absences are due to health issues among extended family members. If Zimmerman is taking taxpayer-funded Paid Leave to care for extended family members, it begs the question: where does he stand on offering the same benefit to everyone else? 

During a Joint Finance Committee meeting on May 23, 2023, Zimmerman called a family leave proposal “lunacy personified” and claimed it would result in workers having to “support those who don’t really want to work or can’t work.” During that same meeting, Republicans and Zimmerman shut down debate on a Democratic proposal to simply study the impact of access to Paid Leave in Wisconsin.

According to a February 2026 report from the National Partnership for Women and Families, three out of four Wisconsin workers do not have paid family leave through their jobs, about 2.4 million workers. But Zimmerman consistently votes against this pro-worker, pro-family policy. In fact, public records show Zimmerman has voted against Paid Leave eight times over the past nine years. That includes four votes on the Joint Finance Committee to strip Paid Leave from the state budget and four votes on the Assembly floor against amendments and motions. 

“It’s wonderful for Shannon Zimmerman that he has access to paid leave and the ability to care for extended family members without worrying about losing his paycheck, but that’s not the reality for millions of Wisconsin workers,” said ADCC Press Secretary Matt Roznowski. “Where Zimmerman draws the line is extending the same privileges and benefits he enjoys to everyone else. It’s not ‘lunacy’ for new moms and dads to take Paid Leave to bond with their newborn baby; it’s not ‘lunacy’ for you to take Paid Leave to care for an aging parent; it’s not ‘lunacy’ to take Paid Leave when you have an unexpected illness or serious injury. Lunacy is keeping hypocrites like Shannon Zimmerman in office, who believe paid leave is for me, not for thee.”

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