Sara Innamorato, Allegheny County's executive, announces she's pregnant

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced on Tuesday that she is pregnant.

Innamorato is expecting to have her first child, a boy, later this year, she said during a quarterly address to the council. Her announcement came as she pushes a paid parental leave proposal for employees in the county.

"I also have to say I will be so disappointed in myself as the first county executive who will give birth in office to not be able to provide parental leave for other families who are struggling every day and just want that time to recover and to bond and to build their family," Innamorato said. 

In May, the paid parental leave proposal was introduced. It would require 18 weeks of paid parental leave at the full pay rate, and employees would be eligible 30 days after starting their jobs.

The proposal would require all employers operating in Allegheny County to provide paid parental leave for the birth, adoption or legal permanent placement of a child during the child's first year of life. If approved, Allegheny County would become the first county in Pennsylvania to require paid parental leave countywide.

Montgomery County established a paid parental leave program in 2019, but it applies only to county employees. The program initially provided six weeks of paid leave before expanding to 12 weeks in 2024, or up to 16 weeks for qualifying medical complications.

On Tuesday, Innamorato said researchers anticipate that employers in the county could expect about 1.7% of the workforce to qualify for the policy each year. 

"Her motives are clear that she believes all families should have access to paid parental leave," Abigail Gardner, a spokeswoman for Innamorato, told KDKA-TV on Tuesday. 

Currently, Allegheny County offers its employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Innamorato said on Tuesday that she would use the 12 weeks once she gives birth.

The county has been accepting feedback from residents on the proposal. Innamorato said the Allegheny County Health Department has received 1,500 comments. Some local business owners have pushed back on the proposal, claiming it is too costly. 

The public comment period ends on Thursday. The earliest a vote could happen is in the fall.