News Archives
February 28, 2008
ASSEMBLY LABOR COMMITTEE APPROVES PAID FAMILY LEAVE BILL
On Thursday, February 28, 2008, the Assembly Labor Committee voted to release legislation (A-873), sponsored by Assemblyman Nelson Albano (D-Cape May) and Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-Essex), establishing a Paid Family Leave Insurance program.
The vote came after several amendments that would have been harmful to the program were voted down almost exclusively along party lines, with Republicans voting in favor of the amendments, and Democrats voting against. Included was a “poison pill” amendment that would deny the benefit to any employee of a business with less than 50 employees.
The final vote was 6-2-1, with all Democrats: Assembly Members Egan (D-17), Evans (D-35), Scalera (D-36), Oliver (D-34), Cohen (D-20) and DeAngelo (D-14) voting in favor. Voting against the bill was Assemblyman Doherty (R-23) and Assemblyman Webber (R-26). Assemblyman Dancer (R-30) abstained.
At the sometimes contentious hearing, dozens of union leaders, worker advocates and other members of the New Jersey Partnership for Working Families testified in support of the bill.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO thanks the members of the Committee who voted in favor of this pro-family bill, as well as the bill’s sponsors, Chairman Egan, and Speaker Roberts posting the bill for consideration.
For more information, please visit: www.njp4wf.org
The bill has been posted for a vote by the State Senate on Monday, March 3, 2008. To send your State Senator a free automatic pre-written fax in support of this bill, please CLICK HERE.