GOP lawmakers in two states take aim at voter-approved sick leave laws

Missouri lawmakers are on the verge of gutting a voter-approved law requiring most employers to provide workers with paid sick leave.

On Wednesday, a state Senate committee approved a bill overturning the sick leave requirement. Already approved by the House, the bill has only Senate approval left before being sent to Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, who has voiced support for the proposal.

In November, Missouri’s Proposition A passed with 58% of the vote. The law increased the minimum wage from $12.30 to $15 per hour and required employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

Business groups filed a court challenge in December, asking the Missouri Supreme Court to overturn the ballot measure’s outcome. That lawsuit argues the election results should be overturned because of several alleged constitutional violations, including of the state constitution’s single-subject requirement and a lack of a clear title.

Legislative sponsor state Rep. Sherri Gallick said the ballot initiative dealt a blow to Missouri businesses, particularly small businesses and would increase the cost of goods and services. Gallick, a former executive in the food industry, has also said employees would “abuse” the sick leave provision, the Missouri Independent reported.

On Wednesday, backers of last fall’s ballot measure said it was modeled on paid sick leave policies in more than a dozen other states.

“Opponents made their argument, we made our argument, and the voters spoke,” said Richard von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs with Justice, the organization that helped lead the November campaign.

A similar debate is making its way through Nebraska’s unicameral legislature this session.

Nebraska voters approved a ballot measure in November that mandates businesses with at least 20 employees provide employees up to seven days of paid sick leave, with smaller businesses require to provide five days a year.

Lawmakers have proposed several bills in Lincoln seeking to roll back some of those requirements. One bill would exempt owner-operators and independent contractors from the sick time rules. An amendment debated this week would exclude seasonal agricultural workers, workers under the age of 16 and employers with fewer than 10 employees.

Republican lawmakers argued that voters did not appreciate the negative consequences of the sick leave mandate, particularly for smaller employers.

“While I trust the will of the voters, I do believe that they did not understand the cost of this, and specifically the cost of this to a small employer,” state Sen. Tony Sorrentino, a Republican, said, according to a report from Nebraska Public Media. 

But Nebraska Democrats say the moves undermine the will of the voters and could endanger public health by forcing sick people to go into work.

“Why does the Legislature keep trying to change what the people voted for?” Democratic state Sen. George Dungan asked Wednesday.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at [email protected].