The paid sick leave bills making their way through the legislature “are dead on arrival” if they reach his desk, Gov. Larry Hogan declared Wednesday. He promised reporters “I will veto them immediately” because they have the potential to kill thousands of jobs and “are disastrous for our economy.”
He called the legislation that has passed the House and a Senate version likely to pass this week partisan attempts “to put points on the board and use them against me in the campaign” for his reelection next year.
Hogan favors his own plan that mandates paid leave for employers having more than 50 employees, and offers tax incentives for smaller employers who offer at least 40 hours of leave per year.
“Our proposal actually has the potential to cover far more people,” Hogan said. “Nobody in this room has ever talked about that,” referring to more than a dozen reporters at the press conference.
Does Hogan bill cover more people?
The House and Senate versions of the bills, HB1 and SB230, differ in how many hours and days are covered, but both bills mandate paid sick leave for businesses with more than 15 employees. Businesses with fewer than 15 employees must offer unpaid leave for covered employees. Any business that offers at least some kind of paid leave — vacation, personal, sick or disability — for five or six days are already in compliance with the new mandate.
Click here to wreathe rest of the article written by Len Lazarick over at the Maryland Reporter
