PA Lawmakers Look To Supersede Cities On Paid Sick Leave Requirements
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- State lawmakers are moving forward on a bill that would make it impossible for Philadelphia and other cities in Pennsylvania to enact paid mandatory sick leave. The Harrisburg effort has infuriated the city council member who champions the idea.
Councilman at large Bill Greenlee pushed a mandatory sick leave bill in 2011 and again this year, only to see both efforts fail when he could not get enough votes to override Mayor Michael Nutter's veto. He has not ruled out trying a third time. But now Representative Seth Grove, Republican of York County, is sponsoring a bill that would stop any Pennsylvania city or town from enacting its own mandatory sick leave policy. Greenlee believes it should be up to individual cities:
"I've heard from other council members who were not in favor of my bill, who still said 'that should be our decision,'" said Greenlee, "I think something like that should be up to the individual municipality."
Grove, in a memo to other lawmakers, said local sick leave mandates "create an uneven playing field for the businesses located inside the municipality." He said businesses with more than one location would be forced to comply with a variety of different mandates.
Grove said any change on leave requirements "should be a decision of the state, not local government."
A spokesman for state House Republicans says the measure is expected to move out of committee this week and could be voted on the by the full House by year's end.
