Voters in Missouri and Nebraska on Tuesday approved ballot measures guaranteeing paid leave for sick workers. Alaska voters appear poised to approve a similar measure that has a large lead.
These two Republican-led states join 15 others and DC (places largely controlled by Democrats) in requiring some employers to provide workers with paid sick leave.
Advocates applauded Tuesday’s results. “Thanks to voters, we can ensure that Nebraska workers don’t have to choose between paying their bills or taking care of their health,” Jodi Lepaopao, campaign director for Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans, wrote in a statement.
The coronavirus pandemic heightened the issue by highlighting the gaps in such benefits. At the height of the health crisis, the federal government provided temporary relief to sick workers, but those federal protections ended in 2021.
Starting next year, many workers in these two states will be able to accrue paid time off while working, earning about one week of paid leave per year. In Missouri and Nebraska, workers at larger organizations could earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. In Alaska, eligible workers would accrue a maximum of 56 hours of paid time each year.
In Missouri and Alaska, the measures also called for raising the minimum wage.
Opponents in Missouri said they were disappointed with Tuesday’s results and were exploring legal action.
“We maintain our belief that Missouri business owners are better equipped to run their businesses without additional government mandates and regulations,” according to a joint statement from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the National Federation of Independent Business and other groups. business.
Opponents had argued that employers should be the ones to decide which benefits are best.
These paid sick leave ballot measures flew under the radar compared to higher-profile ballot initiatives, such as those on abortion, which were on the ballot in 10 states, including Missouri and Nebraska. Voters approved abortion protections in seven states.
Campaigns supporting sick leave initiatives in Alaska, Missouri and Nebraska raised less than $9 million combined in cash contributions, according to a KFF Health News analysis of state campaign filings through Oct. 28. That’s significantly less than Missouri’s ballot measures on abortion and sports betting, which state records show had amassed more than $55 million combined in cash contributions.
Most of the money funneled into paid sick leave campaigns came from sponsors outside those states, the documents show. The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a DC-based advocacy group, was a major contributor to all three campaigns.
“We will build on these victories and continue to support organizations fighting for paid leave policies across the country,” the group said in a statement.
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