The thin line between civil society and political society may get even thinner if federal and state governments start requiring employers to give paid parental leave to employees.

The Wall Street Journal's Sue Shellenbarger comments on state and federal proposals in the mix.

One federal proposal is to expand the scope of the Federal Medical and Leave Act so that many more small companies would be included. That's yet another application of the salami tactic.

Another proposal at the federal level "would require employers with 15 or more workers to provide seven paid days for their own or a family member's illness." It that goes nowhere, expect to hear about it in the states, or at least in a few cities. San Francisco and Milwaukee have a similar law.

Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio persuaded backers of a ballot measure there to pull the paid sick-leave proposal off the ballot. It's not that he thinks it's a bad idea. He just wants a federal rule, so the damage can be done nationwide, and not hurt Ohio's already shaky competitiveness.

Yet another step towards Euro-style economic planning would require not only that employers, by law, provide extended family leave, but that employees get paid for it. California has such a plan and New Jersey will have one running soon.

Welcome to Germany, which has paid leave--and where the unemployment rate earlier this year was over 8% .