MMAC: Governor signs bill into law blocking sick leave mandates

Today, the MMAC was pleased to host Gov. Scott Walker as he signed into law a bill blocking local sick leave mandates.

Senate Bill 23, which received bi-partisan support in the state Assembly and was passed with a unanimous vote in the state Senate, creates a uniform statewide standard of benefits for family and medical leave. Significantly, the bill pre-empts the City of Milwaukee’s mandate that would have required private employers in the city to provide up to 9 days of paid sick leave to their employees.

MMAC had waged a legal fight against this one-size-fits-all mandate in Milwaukee for more than two years. By creating a more expensive labor environment in Milwaukee than in other communities statewide, this mandate would have had a serious detrimental impact on the ability and willingness of employers to create jobs in Milwaukee.

“We appreciate Gov. Walker’s action today, and thank state Sen. Leah Vukmir and Rep. Chris Kapenga for their leadership in authoring this important pro-jobs legislation,” said MMAC President Tim Sheehy. “By signing this bill into law, the Governor has helped ensure that the City of Milwaukee remains ‘open for business.’”