Originally published at National Catholic Register
On Election Day, Cornhusker voters also approved medical marijuana and rejected a measure that would have expanded abortion, instead approving one that restricts abortion after roughly 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Voters in Nebraska approved a measure Tuesday to require all Nebraska businesses to offer their employees one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, a new policy that will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2025.
“Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans,” Initiative 436, qualified for the ballot in mid-August after a robust signature campaign, which was funded in large part by a national progressive group. The measure passed overwhelmingly, with roughly 75% voting in favor.
The measure mandates that employers offer up to five days (40 hours) of paid sick leave per year for businesses with fewer than 20 employees, or seven days (56 hours) for businesses with 20 or more employees.
The measure’s passage comes after several paid sick leave proposals repeatedly failed in the Nebraska Legislature. As of 2023, 15 states and the District of Columbia offer some amount of paid sick leave, according to the health policy group KFF.
The Nebraska Catholic Conference, which advocates for policy on behalf of the
