Legislature scales back sick leave, doesn't change minimum wage

The Nebraska Legislature gave final approval Wednesday night to scaling back paid sick leave. But an attempt at creating a lower minimum wage for young workers ran out of time.

Last November, Nebraskans voted nearly 3-1 to require employers to provide paid sick leave to employees. On Wednesday, the Legislature held its final debate before voting to exclude businesses with 10 or fewer employees from that requirement.

Supporters of the change argued it was needed to avoid increasing costs for small businesses to the point where they could be forced out of business. Opponents accused supporters of defying the will of the voters. Sen. Danielle Conrad described the reaction of people who had worked to get voters to approve the paid sick leave requirement.

“They are rightly aghast at what is happening in this Legislature, this session, where the hubris and the arrogance and the disdain on display for both the will of the voters and the working poor is palpable,” she said.

And Sen. Megan Hunt argued against an attempt to add a lower minimum wage for teenage workers to LB415, the bill restricting paid sick leave.

“I rise today in opposition to LB415 and in opposition to the process of trying to amend different things, like the minimum wage bill onto it on this final round, as a last ditch effort to catch a ride off a moving train. You know what I'm saying?” she said.

Sen. Jane Raybould, sponsor of the proposal for a lower minimum wage, said she was trying to balance the interests of businesses and employees.

“We have been repeatedly accused of undermining the will of our voters, and to me, this is nothing more than a prolonged narrative of what they're trying to have you believe," she said. "I can tell you with 100% certainty that every single senator here understands the impact of your vote, understands your voice and what you intended."

And Sen. Mike Jacobson said requirements like paid sick leave go too far.

“When we start interfering with employers and dictating what they have to offer for benefits and what they have to offer for minimum wage, we're going well beyond what I think is a democracy,” he said.

Opponents succeeded in using enough time to delay consideration of the lower minimum wage, which remains alive for next year. But supporters of the scaled-back sick leave bill succeeded in passing it, on a vote of 33-16.

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