ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota's Senate is set to vote on a 12-week medical and parental paid leave policy for all workers.

That measure is included in a broader tax bill the Senate up for a final vote Wednesday. It would require most employees and businesses to pay into a state fund that new parents and sick workers could use to replace lost wages.

Paid leave policies have been a rallying cry for Democrats across the nation as the election approaches. But Minnesota House Republicans have shown little interest, deriding it as another tax hike.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk calls it a top priority for this year. It will be a bargaining chip as he and legislative leaders work to find a compromise for how to spend the state's $900 million budget surplus.

More From KROC-AM