ST. PAUL — Minnesota’s Paid Family Medical Leave program, set to fully launch Jan. 1, will open applications on Wednesday, Dec. 3, to those who welcomed a child in 2025.

Gov. Tim Walz visited one of the small businesses that has opted into the state’s program — Marty’s Deli in northeast Minneapolis — on Tuesday to celebrate the program’s opening for new parents come Wednesday.

“It’s basically an insurance program for you that allows you again to take care of what you need to take care of without being forced to choose between your family, your bonding with your child, your own health and your economic well-being, because in Minnesota, you can do both, and we prove that time and time again,” he said.

The program, which offers up to 12 weeks for both medical and family leave — with a tot

See Full Page