[New Mexico] House committee passes paid sick leave bill

A new bill that, if enacted, would require paid sick leave across New Mexico is on its way to the Senate after passing the House, KOB 4 reports.

On February 28, House Bill 20 (the ‘Healthy Workplaces Act’) passed in the House by a vote of 36-33. The bill would require all employers in New Mexico to offer paid sick leave to their employees. 

"I come from an immigrant family and the issue of just seeing my own parents having to choose between going to work or staying home because they're sick is something that I've had to experience first hand," State Representative Angelica Rubio (D-District 35) said.

Representative Rubio is one of the bill's sponsors. If it becomes law, workers would earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, starting from July 1. Sick leave would be capped at 64 hours per year. 

"And so it's still going to take a very long time for people to be able to accumulate those hours and I think that beyond this legislation we do need to go even further," Ms Rubio said.

The bill has earned backlash from New Mexico's business leaders. They argue that the legislation would hurt small business owners already struggling to stay open in the wake of COVID-19. Speaking to KOB 4, Representative Rubio addressed those concerns:

"Small businesses have had decades to be able to institute these types of benefits for their workers. It shouldn't have taken a legislature to get involved. So that is the responsibility that we now have to do," she said.

The debate will go on when the bill goes through its first Senate committee hearing.

A new bill that, if enacted, would require paid sick leave across New Mexico is on its way to the Senate after passing the House, KOB 4 reports.

On February 28, House Bill 20 (the ‘Healthy Workplaces Act’) passed in the House by a vote of 36-33. The bill would require all employers in New Mexico to offer paid sick leave to their employees. 

"I come from an immigrant family and the issue of just seeing my own parents having to choose between going to work or staying home because they're sick is something that I've had to experience first hand," State Representative Angelica Rubio (D-District 35) said.

Representative Rubio is one of the bill's sponsors. If it becomes law, workers would earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, starting from July 1. Sick leave would be capped at 64 hours per year. 

"And so it's still going to take a very long time for people to be able to accumulate those hours and I think that beyond this legislation we do need to go even further," Ms Rubio said.

The bill has earned backlash from New Mexico's business leaders. They argue that the legislation would hurt small business owners already struggling to stay open in the wake of COVID-19. Speaking to KOB 4, Representative Rubio addressed those concerns:

"Small businesses have had decades to be able to institute these types of benefits for their workers. It shouldn't have taken a legislature to get involved. So that is the responsibility that we now have to do," she said.

The debate will go on when the bill goes through its first Senate committee hearing.