A heavily debated legislation passed in the Allegheny County Council on Tuesday (March 10) night.
A bill requiring businesses to provide paid sick leave to employees passed by a 10-4 margin, WPXI reports.
The vote was hotly contested among members of the Allegheny County Council, with Councilman Nick Futules arguing legislation requiring businesses to pay employees sick leave must instead be passed by the county health board.
“We have a legal opinion that states that County Council does not have the authority to regulate business regulations,” Futules told WPXI. “I’ve been in business for 45 years. I know exactly what I’m talking about. We’re talking about councilmembers that have never owned a business and they don’t know.”
However, Councilwoman Bethany Hallam argues the council does have the authority to approve the ordinance, which she said is similar to legislation the city passed ultimately upheld in court.
“If you’re not in favor of paid sick leave for all of the workers in Allegheny County in the midst of a global pandemic, you’re never going to be in favor of it. And what you are saying is you’re putting your own selfish interest over the health and well being of the residents of our county,” Hallam told WPXI.
Futules also believes, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it's not the write time to pass such a legislation.
The legislation initially applied to all Allegheny County businesses regardless of size, but an amendment now limits it to impact businesses with exceeding 25 employees.
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