Assembly schedules hearing on bill to stop Milwaukee sick leave ordinance

The Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Labor and Workforce Development has scheduled a public hearing on a bill that would prohibit the City of Milwaukee from enacting a sick leave mandate ordinance.
The hearing will take place Wednesday, March 30, in room 300 Northeast of the Capitol in Madison.
The hearing will focus on Assembly Bill 41, which would preempt any city, village, town or county ordinances requiring employers to provide employees with leave from employment to deal with family, medical or health issues.
The bill is co-sponsored Reps. Jeff Stone (R-Greendale), Mark Honadel (R-South Milwaukee) and Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield).
The Senate version of the bill was approved by Republicans earlier this month while the 14 Senate Democrats were out of the state to avoid having to vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill.
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled this morning that Milwaukee’s sick leave ordinance is not pre-empted by state law, federal labor statutes, or the state and federal constitutions.
The court overturned a circuit court’s ruling that nullified the ordinance, approved by 69 percent of voters in November 2008, on grounds that it did not comply with the state’s direct legislation statute and other grounds.
The circuit court had ruled in favor of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, which had sued to stop the ordinance. The appeals court instead ruled today the ordinance’s proponents were entitled to summary judgment in the challenge.
The state Supreme Court deadlocked on the lawsuit last year with Justice Annette Ziegler recusing herself from the case. That sent it to the appeals court for a ruling on the circuit court decision.
In response to today’s decision, MMAC sent a note to members saying, "We are disappointed in today’s ruling and have grave concerns over the negative impacts this costly mandate will have on Milwaukee’s economy."
The note said MMAC would review the decision and "pursue the best avenues available to us to keep the City of Milwaukee open for business."
– BizTimes Milwaukee