New Jersey moved another step closer on Monday to becoming the third state in the country to give employees the right to take paid leave to care for a newborn or a sick relative. The State Senate voted 21 to 15 to approve a bill that would offer such employees up to six weeks? paid leave. The Assembly approved the plan last month, and Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he would soon sign it. But the measure, sponsored by Democrats, is opposed by many Republicans and business groups. ?Legislators and the governor seem to think our residents and employers have deep pockets and unlimited resources to fund their bloated bureaucracy, when that is far from the case,? said Jim Leonard, a senior vice president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. ?This madness has to end.?
See "New Jersey Lawmakers Approve Paid Leave for Workers", Associated Press, The New York Times, April 7, 2008