An immediate and widespread case of buyer’s remorse took hold after last November’s passage of Ballot Measure 1. As Corey Dunn, a labor law attorney with Littler Mendelson in Anchorage, pointed out in exclusive webinar for NFIB Alaska members, “Some voters and some small business owners … were somewhat surprised after it passed to find out that it also included other provisions that perhaps people weren’t more familiar with at the time they voted in favor of it … The most complex part of the statute [paid sick leave] … that business owners are going to want to spend the biggest part of their time making sure that they’re compliant …” 

Senate Minority Leader Mike Shower sounded the alarm early, warning that, “Many small businesses today are quite literally on the edge of survival from month to month. Require them to provide paid time off on top of higher pay? It’s quite possible this is a death knell for many a small business owner.”  

Now that Ballot Measure 1 is in effect, NFIB is working to reduce its negative effects as much as possible. One such way is by lobbying for passage of House Bill 161, which Rep. Justin Ruffridge says in his sponsor’s statement, “corrects the threshold for paid sick leave accrual, shifting the requirement from small businesses to only those with 50 or more 

employees.” 

A companion measure, Senate Bill 189, is being sponsored by Sen. Jesse Bjorkman.  

This web story will be updated as newer information is made available. NFIB recommends small business owners check in from time to time to see how they can lend their voice to the cause, and smart politicians never underestimate The Power of the Small Business Voice. 

NFIB Webpage Stories 

— May 6, 2025—NFIB Virtual Event on Measure 1 Available for Viewing 

— April 10, 2025—Virtual Event: How Do Small Businesses Comply with Ballot Measure 1? 

NFIB Alaska in the News 

— Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, October 22, 2024—Ballot Measure 1 puts Alaska’s small businesses and workers at risk. 

— Alaska Beacon, October 18, 2024—Alaskans to vote on measure raising the minimum wage and mandating paid sick leave. 

— Must Read Alaska, October 7, 2024—Another sneak attack on Alaska through Ballot Measure 1.