Minneapolis is set to become the first Midwestern city with paid sick leave after a unanimous city council vote. The mayor’s support isn’t in much doubt:

On Thursday, Mayor Betsy Hodges called the paid leave ordinance a “landmark measure,” saying the lack of paid sick leave is a public health issue, and that the lack of paid leave falls most-heavily on lower wage workers that are predominantly women and people of color. “We know we need to build a workforce of the future, but we also need to build a workplace of the future,” Hodges said.

The measure:

… would give all classes of employees — full-time, part-time and temporary — an hour of paid sick time for every 30 they work. Workers can accrue up to 48 hours per year and carry up to 80 hours from year to year. It applies to all employers with six or more workers, and would take effect in July of 2017.

Paid sick leave is standard policy in nations around the world and, in the U.S., has gained major momentum in cities and states. But it won't become a federal policy as long as Republicans have the power to stop it.