Innamorato’s paid parental leave push is personal, political and maybe a national precedent

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato didn’t want to announce her pregnancy right away. She turned 40 this year, which makes her pregnancy higher risk.

She didn’t experience morning sickness but she was tired during the first trimester. Between big events at the NFL Draft, she snuck away for naps.

“What surprised me most about pregnancy was not necessarily the physical changes, but the mental load that you have as a pregnant woman walking around in the world where you know you’re pregnant but really no one else does,” she said.

Three weeks after the draft, Innamorato announced a proposal that would establish 18 weeks of paid parental leave for everyone who is employed within Allegheny County. If passed, it would be one of the most generous in the country.