Nebraska Republicans sought to weaken voter-backed paid sick leave. A Democrat helped them do it.

Republicans successful the Nebraska Legislature managed to walk a measure that importantly weakens a voter-backed measurement requiring employers to connection paid sick leave. And they did it with the assistance of a Democrat.

Backers of the measure overcame a filibuster connected Wednesday with the nonstop fig of votes needed — 33 — acknowledgment to the enactment of a Democrat successful the officially nonpartisan Legislature, Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln.

Raybould, whose household owns respective market store chains successful the state, was besides the main sponsor of different measure that sought to restrict a voter-backed minimum wage law. That measure suffered an unexpected decision earlier this league erstwhile a freshman lawmaker failed to amusement up for a ballot connected it. Raybould's effort to connect it to the paid sick permission measurement connected Wednesday besides failed.

By a astir 3-to-1 margin, Nebraska voters successful November approved a ballot measurement that requires each Nebraska employers to supply astatine slightest immoderate paid sick leave to their employees.

The ballot language, which had been acceptable to instrumentality effect Oct. 1, required businesses to supply workers with 1 hr of paid sick permission for each 30 hours worked, up to 7 days astatine businesses with much than 20 employees. Employees astatine smaller businesses could accrue up to 5 days’ worthy of paid sick permission a year. The permission could beryllium utilized for the employees themselves oregon to thin to a household member.

But the measure passed Wednesday and expected to beryllium signed into instrumentality by Gov. Jim Pillen carves retired exceptions. It allows businesses to withhold paid sick permission from 14- and 15-year-olds, arsenic good arsenic from impermanent and seasonal cultivation workers. Businesses with 10 oregon less employees would not request to supply paid sick permission astatine all.

More concerning, opponents say, is simply a proviso that strips from the caller instrumentality the quality of workers to writer employers who retaliate against them for utilizing paid sick leave. The removal of that enforcement connection would “essentially gut” the paid permission measure, said Sen. John Cavanaugh, who opposed the bill. Cavanaugh reiterated that paid sick permission received astir 75% support — much enactment than astir lawmakers got astatine the polls.

“The voters wanted this much than they wanted you here,” helium said, addressing chap lawmakers. “This is astir respect for the volition of the voters.”

Nebraska joins different states starring efforts to antagonistic voter-approved policies connected everything from paid sick leave to abortion. Some states are seeking to bounds the voter inaugural process itself, starring to pushback from voters.

Supporters of the Nebraska paid sick permission rollback accidental they're seeking to support some workers and businesses. Raybould has said passim statement this league that teens nether 16 volition find themselves incapable to get an after-school oregon summertime occupation without changes to some minimum wage and paid sick permission measures. She says nary 1 volition prosecute teens with constricted acquisition and national kid labour restrictions astatine $15 per hr — the minimum wage acceptable to instrumentality effect Jan. 1.

“We person to find that equilibrium betwixt concern and labor,” Raybould said during statement Wednesday. “We person to beryllium competitive, and we person to beryllium flexible.”

Others went further, with Republican Sen. Mike Jacobson saying that authorities telling businesses what wages and benefits they indispensable connection employees “threatens democracy.” If employees don't similar the presumption of their employment, helium said, it's incumbent connected them to find a antithetic job.

Sen. Robert Hallstrom is different Republican who supported restrictions connected some the minimum wage and paid sick leave. He said the Legislature has the close to marque changes to voter-backed measures, asking if young oregon seasonal workers who would beryllium affected by those changes would “rather person a $10-an-hour occupation oregon nary job?”

The Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans coalition, which was down the effort to get paid sick permission connected the Nebraska ballot past year, said the measure passed Wednesday would region paid sick permission protections for 140,000 workers successful the state.

“Despite thousands of Nebraskans demanding that our Legislature grant the wide volition of voters, 33 senators ignored those calls yet again today," the conjugation said successful a statement. "It volition forestall thousands of Nebraskans from being capable to entree the bully life.”