ANNAPOLIS (May 25, 2917) In response to Governor Hogan’s veto this afternoon of House Bill 1 that would have mandated paid leave in the state of Maryland, the following statement may be attributed to Mike O’Halloran, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Maryland State Director:
Earlier this year Governor Hogan pledged to veto paid leave in Maryland if certain concessions were not made in the final bill. Although the business community, including NFIB, fought tirelessly to mitigate against the potential damage that House Bill 1 would have on jobs and economic output in the state of Maryland, lawmakers pressed on with the legislation and ultimately passed the bill knowing that it would inflict dangerous consequences on private sector growth.
By vetoing House Bill 1 today, the Governor has not just kept his promise from March; he has declared to our small business community that his advocacy efforts on their behalf and his dedication to drastically reducing regulations that hinder job growth and economic progress is and will continue to be his primary focus in making Maryland more business friendly. The small business community could not be prouder to have Larry Hogan as our Governor, and we thank him for vetoing this mandate.
Our focus will now be on the legislature; we encourage them to follow the lead of Governor Hogan and sustain his veto of this costly mandate. The stability of the small business community depends on it.
