The Maryland House of Delegates voted today to overturn Governor Larry Hogan’s ill-conceived, outrageous veto of HB1, bringing the state one step closer to enacting earned sick leave law that will benefit families, workers, and the state’s economy.
 
The Healthy Working Families Act, which both houses of the state legislature passed last year, will bring financial stability and peace of mind to hundreds of thousands of Maryland families. Right now, more than 700,000 working people across the state do not have earned sick leave they can use to care for themselves or their children when they get sick. This means working Marylanders often must make impossible choices between going to work sick – or sending a sick child to school – and forfeiting a much-needed paycheck. As is often the case, people of color, and particularly moms of color, are hit hardest by the state’s failure to ensure that all workers can earn paid sick days.
 
Simply put, Marylanders need earned sick leave, and they need it now. It’s past time for this bill to become law.
 
For the last few years, MomsRising members and their children have visited state legislators in superhero capes, urging representatives to use their legislative superpowers to vote for earned sick days. We have also been a proud member of the Working Matters Coalition, which has fought tirelessly to enact this law for five years. It’s thanks to the coalition’s leadership that we are now on the cusp of seeing earned sick days become law. We thank every delegate who voted in favor of HB1, and urge State Senators to follow the House’s lead and finally make paid sick days a reality for Maryland workers.

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