Less than three weeks after a similar bill died in the lame duck session of the Legislature, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee has scheduled a vote on a new paid leave bill on Monday, January 28. NJBIA is urging its members to contact their State Senators and the Governor immediately and tell them to oppose paid family leave. Visit our Membership Alert to easily contact your elected representatives and tell them to OPPOSE paid family leave.

The committee will consider S-786 (Sweeney), which would provide employees at every business with two or more employees with six weeks of paid family leave. Unlike unpaid leave laws, there is no exemption for small businesses with one to 49 employees. This paid leave bill would apply to all of the hundreds of thousands of small businesses throughout the State.

What's more, legislators are proposing to make New Jersey only the second state in the nation to impose this type of workplace mandate on its employers at a time when a statewide recession is a real danger. Now is not the time to make it harder for businesses to compete with those in other states and create jobs.

New Jersey does not need a one-size-fits-all government program. Businesses of every size and type must deal with work-family issues, and they all address them in a way that meets their employees' needs without unduly disrupting the workplace. Currently, businesses use a variety of work-life balance strategies to accommodate the needs of their employees, including sick-time, vacation, flexible scheduling and many other programs. Paid leave would supersede these options with a rigid time-off system that treats all businesses the same, whether they're a small family-owned store, mid-sized manufacturer, or large hospital. For more information, contact at ext. 209.

Senate Health Committee Passes Costly Insurance Coverage Mandate

Legislation that would require small businesses' health plans to provide unlimited coverage for the treatment of behavioral problems and substance abuse was released January 24 by the Senate Health Committee. The bill, S-607 (Vitale, Buono), would greatly increase health insurance premiums on businesses that have already seen their health insurance costs double since 2000. These soaring costs have priced many small businesses out of the market.

This mandate impacts small businesses the hardest because most of them purchase their employee health plans in the State-regulated insurance market. Most large-company plans are regulated by federal law and would be exempt from this mandate. NJBIA believes that the Legislature should focus on making health insurance more accessible by making it more affordable instead of forcing businesses to buy expanded and more costly coverages. For more information, contact Christine Stearns at ext. 260.

Nation’s CEOs Say New Jersey Is 5th Worst State for Business

As a group, the nation's corporate chief executive officers consider New Jersey one of the worst states in which to do business, according to an annual survey by Chief Executive magazine. New Jersey dropped to 47th in the nation, according to the fourth annual "Best & Worst States" survey, down from 46th in 2007. New Jersey's poor reputation among CEOs is of particular concern because they decide where the nation's big companies expand and relocate.

"Overall, the message CEOs are sending is that over-taxed and over-regulated states are not conducive to the health of their businesses," said Ed Kopko, CEO and publisher, Chief Executive Group. The survey, conducted in January, asked 605 top executives to evaluate their states on a broad range of issues, including regulation, tax policies, education, quality of living and infrastructure. For more information, contact at ext. 247.

Corzine Announces Town Meetings on Financial Restructuring and Toll Increase Plan

Governor Jon Corzine will hold six town-hall style meetings over the next two weeks to discuss his toll-hike and financial structuring plans. Members of the public are invited to attend, but must register ahead of time. Here's the remaining schedule:

Nominate Your Candidate for a New Good Neighbor Award

The deadline for nominations for NJBIA's New Good Neighbor Awards has been extended to February 11. The New Good Neighbor Awards competition recognizes companies that have worked to bring about an improved business climate in New Jersey by building or renovating a commercial facility. Winners are chosen based on economic benefit and job creation, architectural merit, and community involvement. For details, contact at 609-393-7707, ext. 239.

Meet the Governor's Chief of Staff, Chief Counsel and Policy Counsel, Feb. 29

Meet Governor Jon Corzine's new Chief of Staff Bradley Abelow, new Chief Counsel Edward McBride and new Policy Counsel Adam Zellner at this Decision Makers breakfast briefing, February 29 at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township. Get the latest on key issues such as financial restructuring, the budget and healthcare reform and find out what plans the Governor has for the coming year. This is a great networking event! Register online now, or contact at ext. 239 for more information.