ANNAPOLIS (January 12, 2018): In response to the General Assembly overriding the Governor’s veto of House Bill 1, the following may be attributed to Mike O’Halloran, Maryland State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business in Maryland:
We are thoroughly disappointed the legislature chose to ignore the warnings from the small business community by overturning Governor Hogan’s veto of paid leave. Despite being educated on the disastrous results that this one-size-fits-all mandate will have on Maryland jobs and economic output, the legislature opted for another harmful policy that has more red tape, more record keeping, and devastating sanctions.
Political expediency does not create jobs or infuse our state economy, that responsibility lies with small business owners. Lawmakers ignoring the concerns of these hard-working Marylanders is irresponsible, at best. Today’s action was a step backward, and it sent a clear sign to job creators that they must be on guard for more harmful mandates in the future.