Arizona Republican Legislators Introduced A Bill That Would Prohibit Government Entities And Universities From Engaging With Companies That Participate In Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (DEI) Programs And Allows Employees Of Public Entities To Bring Legal Action Against The Entity If They Are Required To Participate In DEI Programs. [Arizona Legislature, 2024 Regular Session, SB1005, introduced, 1/9/24]
The Bill Passed In The Senate. [Arizona Legislature, 2024 Regular Session, SB1005, passed in the Senate 1/31/24]
Colorado Democratic Bill Aims To Protect Construction Workers From Wage Theft. [Colorado Newsline, 1/5/24; Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, HB 1008, referred to Committee 2/8/24]
Michigan House Democrats Introduced Legislation To Provide Income Tax Credits To Employees Who Pay Union Dues To A Labor Organization. [HB4235, Michigan Legislature, introduced, 3/9/23]
New Hampshire Senate Republicans Blocked Proposed Increases To The States’ $7.25 Minimum Wage. [SB 308, 2024 Regular Session, inexpedient to legislate, 3/21/24]
Pennsylvania Democratic Lawmakers Introduced Legislation To Create More Public Sector OSHA Protections. [ABC 27, 2/5/24]
Pennsylvania Democratic Legislators Proposed Legislation To Create Paid Family And Medical Leave. [2/14/24]
Virginia General Assembly Democrats Passed A Bill To Increase Virginia’s Minimum Wage To $15.00 Per Hour. [Virginia General Assembly, HB 1, passed, 2/2/24]
Virginia Democratic Lawmakers Passed Legislation To Create A Universal Paid Family And Medical Leave Program That Now Heads To The Governor. [Virginia Mercury, 1/29/24] [Virginia General Assembly, SB 373, Enrolled Bill Communicated to Gov. 3/11/24]
Wisconsin Republicans Introduced A Bill That Would Use AI To Reduce Wisconsin’s State Agency Workforce. [Daily Cardinal, 2/1/24]
Wisconsin Republicans Voted To Eliminate Work Permits For Younger Teens. [Wisconsin Examiner, 2/18/24]
Labor Key Legislation – 2023
Arizona
A Statewide Ballot Measure To Rescind Right-To-Work Has Been Introduced By Democratic Legislators In Both Chambers Of The AZ Legislature. “It all comes down to how you feel about unions. If you want the backing of a union fighting for things like higher pay and better work conditions, you likely would favor repealing right-to-work. […] De Los Santos said having unions would be better for Arizona workers. ‘When you’re unable to band together with your colleagues and coworkers to negotiate a fair contract, your wages go down. You have worse benefits, less likely to get health insurance, less likely to get a pension,’ De Losa Santos said.” [13 News, 1/12/23; Arizona Legislature, 2023 Regular Session, SCR 1030, introduced 1/12/23; Arizona Legislature, 2023 Regular Session, HCR 2008, introduced 1/26/23]
Republican Lawmakers Introduced Legislation That Would Prohibit The Use Of Public Funds For Diversity, Equality, And Inclusion Programs, As Well As Ban Requiring Workers To Participate In Those Programs. “Also barred would be ‘advancing theories of unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, allyship, transgenderism, microaggressions, microinvalidation, group marginalization anti-racism, system oppression, ethnocentralism, structural racism or inequality, social justice, intersectionality, neopronouns, inclusive language, heteronormality, disparity impact, gender identity or theory, racial or sexual privilege or any concept substantially related to any of these theories.’” [KAWC, 3/14/23; Arizona Legislature, 2023 Regular Session, SB 1694, introduced 2/1/23]
The Bill, SB1694, Failed In The House. [Arizona Legislature, 2023 Regular Session, SB 1694, Failed in the House 5/15/23]
Arkansas
Arkansas Republicans Passed The Youth Hiring Act, A Law That Would Relax Child Labor Laws By Allowing Companies To Employ Children Under 16 Years Of Age Without A Permit. “A bill seeking to change child labor laws in Arkansas has reached Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who will now decide on whether to remove the need for a work permit as a condition of employment for children under the age of 16. She has previously indicated that she would sign the legislation. The proposed change to the existing child labor laws—House Bill (HB) 1410, also known as the Youth Hiring Act—would allow children as young as nine years old to be hired to work without a currently required employment certificate … […] Arkansas Republicans backing the bill—including fellow sponsors Rep. Rebecca Burkes of Lowell and Sen. Clint Penzo of Springdale—say that the proposed legislation would still protect children’s welfare while removing any inconvenience parents might face in seeking an employment certificate to allow their child to work.” [Newsweek, 3/6/23]
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Signed The Youth Hiring Act, Making Employing Children Easier. “The bill had passed both Republican-dominated chambers of the state legislature before Sanders signed it on Tuesday. The bill’s passage comes after Hannah Dreier’s shocking New York Times report revealing a “shadow work force” of migrant children “across industries in every state,” like 12-year-old roofers in Florida and Tennessee or 13-year-olds in Michigan making auto parts on an overnight shift that ends at 6:30 a.m, or in meat plants from Alabama to Minnesota.” [New Republic, 3/8/23]
Colorado
Democratic Leaders Introduced A Bill To Strengthen The State’s ‘Equal Pay For Equal Work’ Law. “A new bill up for consideration in the state legislature intends to expand upon the original “Equal Pay for Equal Work Act,” which was passed in May 2019, before the pandemic. On Tuesday, legislators gathered to hear testimony for and against Senate Bill 105. Supporters said it’ll help ensure pay equality, especially for women of color. Opponents said there are some unintended consequences of laws like this.” [9news, 2/21/23; Colorado Legislature, SB23-105, introduced 1/31/23]
The Bill Was Signed By The Governor. [Colorado Legislature, SB23-105, signed 6/5/23]
Democrats In The Colorado Legislature Introduced A Bill To Expand Sick Leave To Include Caring For Children Due To School Closures And For Bereavement. [Colorado Legislature, SB23-017, introduced, 1/10/23]
Connecticut
Representative Steve Weir (R, HD-55) Introduced Legislation To Reduce The Minimum Wage For Workers Under The Age Of Eighteen. [HB 6276, 2023 Regular Session, 1/19/23]
Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney (D, SD-11) Sponsored Legislation Regulating Amazon’s Use Of Quotas And Biometric Surveillance To Keep Warehouse Workers “On Task.” “ Connecticut legislation aimed at regulating Amazon’s use of quotas and biometric surveillance to keep warehouse workers “on task” drew dramatic testimony Thursday from labor and silence from Amazon. […] The bill sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, would make Connecticut at least the third state after California and New York to require transparency and set limits on quotas in warehouses.” [CT Mirror, 3/2/23]
Legislation Introduced By Senator Matt Lesser (D, SD-9) Would Increase Wages For Long-Term Health Care Workers. “Health care workers in Connecticut say they are still reeling after the pandemic — after putting their health at risk for jobs that didn’t pay them enough. […] Now state Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, is proposing legislation that would raise the minimum wage for certain long-term care workers like Chase to $25 an hour by 2025. It’s a raise that’s specific to workers at group homes run by the state Department of Developmental Services.” [Connecticut Public Radio, 2/7/23]
Iowa
Senator Jason Shultz (R, SD-6) Sponsored Legislation That Would Provide Exceptions To Allow Children Fourteen To Seventeen Years Of Age To Work In Prohibited Industries Such As Meat Packing And Coal Mining, Extend Allowable Work Hours, And Shield Employers From Liability For Injuries Or Death. [SF-167, 2023 General Session, 2/8/23]
Senator Izaah Knox (D, SD-17) Introduced Legislation To Pay Incarcerated Workers The State Minimum Wage For Work Performed While In The Custody Of A State Institution. [SF 464, 2023 General Session, 3/1/23]
Sixteen Senate Democrats Introduced Legislation To Establish An Equal Pay Task Force And Strengthen Wage Discrimination Laws. [SF 396, 2023 General Session, 2/23/23]
Senator Molly Donahue (D, SD-37) Introduced Legislation To Increase The State Minimum Wage To Fifteen Dollars An Hour. [SF 235, 2023 General Session, 2/8/23]
More Than A Dozen Senate Democrats Introduced The Iowa Family And Medical Leave Act To Provide Paid Leave To Certain Workers. [SF 95, 2023 General Session, 1/18/2023]
Kansas
Democratic Lawmaker Introduced A Bill To Phase-In A $16 Minimum Wage By 2027.[SB 70, 2023 General Session, 1/19/23]
Advocates Said Tax Breaks That Would Incentivize The Subminimum Wage For Workers With Disabilities, Bucking A National Trend. “Kansas legislators are considering a proposal that many disability rights advocates say would encourage employers to keep paying disabled workers less than the minimum wage, bucking a national trend. A Kansas House bill would expand a state income tax credit for goods and services purchased from vendors employing disabled workers, doubling the total allowed to $10 million annually. A committee approved it Monday, sending it to the full House for debate, possibly later this week.” [Associated Press, 3/6/23]
Maine
Senate Democrats Introduced The “Fair Workweek” Bill That Would Require Companies To Provide Employees With Regular Schedules, And Require Additional Compensation For Short Notice Schedule Changes. A Similar Bill In The House Would Allow Workers To Request Flexible Work Schedules. “The bill, LD 1190, would create a requirement for companies with at least 250 employees worldwide to provide workers with a regular schedule at the time they are hired. Employers can make changes to this regular schedule, but for short notice changes they must give the worker extra compensation to make up for the disruption. It would not interfere with a worker’s ability to request a change. A similar bill, LD 827 sponsored by Rep. Amy Roeder (D-Bangor), the Labor Committee’s House chair, would tackle the scheduling issue from a different angle. She proposed to establish a process that allows workers to request a flexible work schedule in six-month increments.” [Maine Beacon, 4/10/23]
Six Republican House Representatives Introduced Legislation To Exempt Part-Time Service Industry Employees And Substitute Teachers From Earned Paid Leave Laws. [State of Maine Legislature, 131st Maine Legislature, First Regular Session, LD 301, 2023 First Regular Session, 1/27/23]
The Bill Failed In The House. [State of Maine Legislature, 131st Maine Legislature, First Regular Session, LD 301, Voted Ought Not to Pass, 5/9/23]
Maine House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross Introduced Legislation To Make Agricultural Workers and Other Related Workers Employees Under the Wage and Hour Laws. [State of Maine Legislature, 131st Maine Legislature, First Regular Session, LD 398, 2/2/23]
Michigan
The Democrat-Controlled Michigan House Passed Legislation To Repeal Right-To-Work Laws. “Michigan’s Democratic-led House approved legislation Wednesday that would repeal the state’s ‘right-to-work’ law that was passed more than a decade ago when Republicans controlled the Statehouse. Repealing the law, which prohibits public and private unions from requiring that nonunion employees pay union dues even if the union bargains on their behalf, has been a top priority for Democrats since they took full control of the state government this year. ‘This bill is not about making history. It is about restoring the rights of workers from whose work we’ve all benefited,’ Rep. Jim Haadsma, a Battle Creek Democrat, said on the House floor prior to the vote.”[Associated Press, 3/9/23]
Gov. Whitmer Signed The Legislation Repealing Right-To-Work. “On March 24, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation repealing Michigan’s right-to-work law for private-sector employees. The legislation had previously passed the Michigan House of Representatives on March 8, and the Michigan Senate on March 21. Both bills passed along party lines.” [SHRM, 3/27/23]
Democratic Lawmakers Passed A Package Of Bills Repealing Laws Limiting Teacher Unions Collective Bargaining Powers. “Firstly, House Bill 4354 would remove the ban against certain subjects being included in a collective bargaining agreement between a public-school and the union. More specifically, House Bill 4356 and House Bill 4357 would allow the decision to contract with a third party for non-instructional services to be used during collective bargaining and delete prohibitions stating a school district from entering a collective bargaining agreement that automatically deducts union dues from an employee’s pay. House Bill 4044 would repeal current state statute requiring a public employer to provide employees with pay and benefits in the midst of a collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, House Bill 4233 would delete a prohibition against a school from using school resources to assist a labor organization in collecting dues or service fees from the wages of school employees.” [M Live, 7/10/23]
Minnesota
Senator Rich Draheim (R, SD-22) Introduced Legislation To Allow Sixteen- And Seventeen-Year-Olds To Work In Construction. [SF 375, 2023-2024 Regular Session, 1/17/23]
A Coalition Of 35 State House Democrats Introduced Legislation To Provide Paid Family And Medical Leave To Minnesota Workers. [HF 2, 2023-2024 Regular Session, 1/4/2023]
A DFL-Backed Bill Called “Keep Nurses at the Bedside” Would Mandate Hospitals Form Staffing Committees With Half Of Members Being Nurses And Other Caregivers. “The legislation, called ‘Keep Nurses at the Bedside,’ mandates that hospitals form staffing committees with at least half the members being nurses and other caregivers. Minimum staffing levels for each hospital would be set by the committees, and the hospitals would be graded by the health commissioner on how well those staffing plans were being met.[…] DFL Sen. Liz Boldon, a 20-year nursing veteran whose district includes Mayo Clinic, supports the legislation.” [Post Bulletin, 3/7/23]
Nevada
Nevada Senate Democrat Introduced Legislation To Pay Prison Workers An Hourly Wage Equivalent To The State Minimum Wage. “Nevada inmates may be working for as little as 35 cents an hour and having significant portions of their checks withheld by the Nevada Department of Corrections. State Sen. Dina Neal, D-North Las Vegas, wants to change that. She has introduced Senate Bill 187, which would require the Nevada Department of Corrections to pay inmates an hourly wage equivalent to the state minimum wage (currently $9.50 or $10.50 an hour). According to a breakdown of salary ranges provided by NDOC, inmate pay can be as low as 35 cents per hour, depending on the position.” [Nevada Current, 3/10/23]
New Hampshire
A Dalf Dozen House Democrats Introduced A Bill To Prohibit Employers From Requiring Employees To Attend Or Participate In Anti-Union Training. [HB-118, 2023 Regular Session, 1/4/23]
The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-118, 2023 Regular Session, 1/4/23]
A House Democratic Lawmaker Introduced A Bill To Establish COVID-19 Related Workplace Protections For Employees. [HB-48, 2023 Regular Session, 1/4/23]
The Bill Was Blocked. [HB-48, 2023 Regular Session, 1/4/23]
The Bill Did Not Pass Before The End Of The Session. [HB-25, 2023 Regular Session, Introduced 1/18/23]
A Democratic Lawmaker Introduced a Bill To Increase The Minimum Wage And Provide For Recurring Cost Of Living Increases. [HB-28, 2023 Regular Session, 1/18/23]
The Bill Did Not Pass Before The End Of The Session. [HB-28, 2023 Regular Session, Introduced 1/18/23]
Legislation Was Introduced To Provide $5,000 Bonus Incentives For Recruiting Firefighters. [HB 345, 2023 Regular Session, 2/7/23]
The Bill Passed In The House And Senate. [HB 345, 2023 Regular Session, Introduced 2/7/23]
North Carolina
House Republicans Introduced Legislation To Propose A “Right-To-Work” Constitutional Amendment To Voters. “North Carolina Rep. Jon Hardister, who is seeking the Republican nomination for labor commissioner in 2024, wants you to endorse of the idea of making North Carolina a ‘right-to-work state.’ North Carolina already has a law specifying that status, but Hardister, the House Republican whip from Whitsett who has represented Guilford County since 2012, has filed House Bill 614 to create a constitutional amendment that would make the status more difficult to change.” [Fox 8, 4/14/23]
Pennsylvania
Senate Democrats Introduced The Family And Medical Leave Act. [SB-64, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/18/23]
Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione (D, SD-2) Proposed Senate Bill 36 Which Would Prohibit Sex-Based Discrimination In Pay Rates. [SB-36, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/18/23]
Sen. Vincent Hughs (D, SD-7) And Other Senate Democrats Introduced Legislation To Establish Job Training Programs With Pathways To Employment. [SB-42, 23-24 Regular Session, 1/19/23]
Senate Democrats Introduced Legislation To Modernize Equal Pay Laws. “In recognition of Equal Pay Day on March 14, two Pennsylvania Senators are seeking to close the gender wage gap by re-introducing legislation to modernize Pennsylvania’s Equal Pay Laws. Senators Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and Maria Collett (D-12) say they will be working to close the gender wage gap. […] In order to help resolve the inequity, SB 421 will update the antiquated Equal Pay Laws to do the following: Broaden the scope of current law to include more employees and fringe benefits. Protect employees from retaliation when asking about wage information, ensuring that the wages are solid and not deceitful. Provide workers the ability to collect unpaid wages when an employer is found to violate the law.” [ABC27 News, 3/13/23]
Democratic Lawmakers Introduced Legislation To Extend OSHA Protections To State And Municipal Employees. “Democrats in the Pennsylvania House and Senate have continued their push to extend OSHA protections to state and municipal employees. Sens. Katie Muth (D-Chester/Montgomery/Berks) and Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) co-hosted a joint public hearing on March 20 at the state capitol with Reps. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) and Patrick Harkins (D-Erie). Currently, public-sector workers in Pennsylvania are covered under Accident and Illness Prevention Programs, with individual agencies permitted to select what components to implement. On March 10, Harkins reintroduced the Jake Schwab Worker Safety Bill (H.B. 299), which would extend OSHA protections to public workers in the state. Schwab, a mechanic with the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, was killed on the job in 2014.” [Health & Safety Magazine, 4/14/2023]
Democratic Lawmakers Introduced Legislation That Would Establish A Voluntary Retirement Savings Program For Pennsylvania Workers. [HB-844 23-24 Regular Session, 4/10/23]
Democratic Lawmakers Proposed An Amendment To The Constitution To Guarantee The Right To Organize. [HB-950, 23-24 Regular Session, 4/17/23]
All House Democratic Lawmakers Voted In Favor Of The Proposed Amendment Which Was Passed In The House. “A proposed amendment seeking to enshrine the right to organized labor and collective bargaining in Pennsylvania’s constitution narrowly advanced out of the state House. House Bill 950 passed Wednesday by a vote of 102-99. All Democrats voted in favor while all but one Republican, Rep. Thomas Mehaffie III of Dauphin County, voted in opposition.” [The Herald, 5/3/23]
Democratic Lawmakers Introduced Legislation To Provide Workplace Protections From Discrimination Based On A Medical Marijuana Prescription. [HB-984, 2023 Regular Session, 5/31/23]
House Democrats Introduced Legislation To Provide Paid Family And Medical Leave. “A bill has been introduced in the Pennsylvania state legislature to create a paid leave program in the state. The bill is currently scheduled for a committee vote on June 6.” [Jacobin, 6/3/23]
Democratic Lawmakers Passed Legislation In The House To Establish A State-Based Retirement Savings Program With Automatic Enrollment. “A proposal to establish a state-based retirement savings program with automatic enrollment has cleared the lower chamber of the Pennsylvania State Legislature and is now under consideration by the finance committee of the state Senate. The vote on House Bill 577, which is co-sponsored by several dozen Democratic members, was 106-95, and its supporters are urging speedy consideration and passage of the bill by the Republican-led Senate.” [Thinkadvisor.com, 6/5/23]
The Democratic-Controlled House Passed A $15 Minimum Wage Bill. “Pennsylvania’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives approved a measure by a close vote Tuesday that would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026, fulfilling a long-held party campaign plank that has run up against Republican legislative majorities for years. The bill passed 103-100 with all but one Democrat voting for it and two Republicans joining them. But it has an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate as lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro increasingly focus on budget legislation ahead of the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.” [Associated Press, 6/21/23]
Virginia
Democrats Passed Legislation To Reclassify Workers With Disabilities Paid At Subminimum Wage As Workers Under The Minimum Wage Act. [HB 1924, 2023 Regular Session, 1/10/23]
The House And Senate Passed The Bill. [HB 1924, 2023 Regular Session, 1/10/23]
Three Bills Sponsored By House And Senate Democrats That Would Have Provided Virginia Workers With Paid Sick Leave Died In The Republican-controlled House. “The Virginia General Assembly did not pass legislation this session to ensure paid sick days for employees, despite strong public support. […] Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, introduced Senate Bill 886, with chief co-patron Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath. Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, introduced the similar House Bill 2087. The bills also would have removed current regulations that require grocery store employees and health care providers to work at least 20 hours each week or 90 hours per month to be eligible for paid sick days. […] The Senate bill passed on a 22-18 party-line vote. Once the bill went to the House, it was killed in the Commerce and Energy subcommittee. The House bill failed to advance from the same committee. Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Prince William, served as co-patron of Mundon King’s bill. Guzman also sponsored HB 1988, to allow all employees of private employers and state and local governments to accrue paid sick leave. […] The bill died in the same House committee as the others.” [Virginia Business, 3/3/23]
Wisconsin
Two Republican Lawmakers Proposed Legislation That Would Make It Legal For Kids As Young As 14 To Serve Alcohol In Wisconsin. [Business Insider, 5/1/23]
