Dive Brief:
- Maryland Democratic lawmakers managed to override two governor vetoes, one of a paid leave bill and the other of a "ban the box" proposal, the Washington Post reports.
- Democrats are hailing both overrides as victories for their agenda. Under the paid leave law, companies with 15 or more employees will have to provide workers five days of paid sick or safe leave, according to the Post. "Safe leave" refers to time off to seek help for domestic violence or sexual assault, the paper reports.
- Hogan tried to persuade Democrats to consider his proposal for paid leave legislation and abandon the General Assembly's bill, but the Senate overrode his veto by a 30-to-17 vote. The Senate also overrode the governor's "ban the box" veto 32-to-15.
Dive Insight:
Maryland is one of several states and cities that are increasingly adopting paid leave, "ban the box" and other employee-friendly proposals. Some say the uptick is due to reduced action at the federal level, and experts say the trend doesn't show any signs of stopping.
Stakeholders are addressing this compliance challenge in a number of ways, from lawsuits to legislation, with mixed results. The Society for Human Resource Management, for example, is pushing for a bill that would allow employers to opt out of the patchwork of state leave laws in exchange for offering a single leave plan and flexible work arrangement. The House passed the bill last year but the Senate has yet to take it up.
