Jacobs Responds to Democrat’s Proposed Sick Leave Legislation

New York State Senator Chris Jacobs (60^th SD), issued the following statement regarding the New York State Senate Democrat majority conference’s coronavirus paid sick leave proposal.

Senator Chris Jacobs:

“When our Nation faces a crisis like what we are experiencing with the Corona Virus, we should check politics at the door and all work together.

We are all aware of the distress our small businesses are facing amidst this turmoil, that is why I looked forward to going to Albany tomorrow to vote for financial assistance for our small businesses and their employees throughout New York State.  However, I am deeply disappointed by what the Democrat majority is proposing.

Leave it to the downstate Democrats who control the legislature to politicize the Corona Virus by inserting into this aid package a massive new government program and new burden on New York businesses that will significantly raise costs starting in 2021.  These new requirements would mandate small businesses grant paid leave for employees for an extremely broad swath of activities not at all related to being sick, such as ‘immigration’ and to ‘prepare for or participate in any criminal or civil proceeding.’

The COVID-19 crisis will bring many small businesses to their knees. The last thing they need is to worry about future regulations and costs imposed on them by New York State Government. That is why this legislation is strongly opposed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) which represents over 11,000 small businesses in the state.

The Democratic leadership in Albany should narrow the scope of this bill and get back to what our immediate priority should be - providing immediate coronavirus aid by utilizing existing family leave and disability programs to help small businesses and their employees during this crisis.  This crisis is far too serious to try to exploit it to move political agendas.”