Maryland steps toward family and medical leave program as lawmakers override Gov. Hogan vetoes – Baltimore Sun

Maryland is slated to launch a paid family and medical leave insurance program for nearly every worker statewide after the Democrat-controlled General Assembly overrode Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of the measure on Saturday afternoon.

The decision by lawmakers to launch the paid leave program over the Republican governor’s objections came amid a series of weekend votes to overturn Hogan’s Friday vetoes of a number of policies, including legislation to expand access to abortions in Maryland and another bill to create new job protections for county health officers.

Hogan had objected to the potential costs of the paid family and medical leave program, especially for smaller businesses, in a letter to lawmakers accompanying his veto on Friday. Hogan also raised concerns that the legislation left details like the precise contribution rates charged to workers and businesses to fund the program up to soon-to-launch actuarial studies aimed at projecting the program’s precise costs.

The paid leave program was the first Hogan veto overridden by lawmakers on Saturday, but would not be the last. Democratic leaders vowed to swiftly overturn all of the vetoes Hogan had issued the night before.

The family and medical leave program will offer workers up to 12 weeks paid time off to welcome babies or handle personal or family medical issues once benefits begin in 2025. The program, with annual costs estimated in the hundreds of millions, will be funded by a payroll tax split between workers and businesses with more than 15 employees.

Weekly benefits for workers claiming leave from the fund will be based on prior earnings but will be capped at $1,000 per week, although that figure will be adjusted in the future based on inflation.

Del. C.T. Wilson, a Charles County Democrat and one of the proposal’s sponsors, hit back at criticism from Hogan and other Republicans over objections that the lingering pandemic and rising inflation made now a bad time to launch the program.

“It’s never a good time, the economy is never good enough” for critics of the paid leave program, Wilson said, pointing to years of opposition. “If not now, when? … Ten other states have already done this, this isn’t an impossibility.”

Maryland Policy & Politics

Weekdays

Keep up to date with Maryland politics, elections and important decisions made by federal, state and local government officials.

Minutes after overturning Hogan’s veto of the paid leave program, lawmakers polished off overrides of six more of Hogan’s vetoes.

Lawmakers brushed aside Hogan’s objections to pass into law new requirements that police contact parents and provide an attorney before interrogating juveniles; a mandate for the Hogan administration to move forward with long-discussed plans to expand MARC passenger rail service; and an expansion of prevailing wage rules for government contractors.

Lawmakers also overturned Hogan’s vetoes of a bill to require licensed firearms dealers to take certain steps to secure their guns against potential thieves and another bill shield appointed county public health officers from firing except for cause,

Final votes to overturn Hogan’s other vetoes were expected Saturday afternoon. Lawmakers have until midnight on Monday to complete any veto overrides and wrap up legislative business before the General Assembly adjourns.

The other vetoed bills awaiting final override votes as of 3:30 p.m. Saturday included one to expand access to abortion services by allowing non-physicians to perform the procedure and most health insurance plans to cover it cost-free, as well as separate measures to grant collective bargaining rights to public defenders and to allow Maryland Transit Administration Police sergeants and supervisors to join the existing rank-and-file union.

Baltimore Sun reporter Scott Dance contributed to this article.

This article will be updated.