Wednesday, January 20, 2010
2010 Legislative Discussion with Chairman Davis
I recently met with House Economic Matters Committee Chairman Del. Dereck Davis (D-Dist. 25) to discuss a number of legislative issues that the Chamber will follow during the 2010 Legislative Session. Among the issues discussed were:
-Shift Breaks: Chairman Davis will sponsor a bill that would require employers with 50 or more employees to provide a shift break after a certain number of hours of work. The Maryland Chamber believes mandating a one-size-fits-all approach to shift breaks could result in unintended consequences, particularly as it relates to emergency situations and flexible work arrangements. Chairman Davis said his goal isn’t to hurt businesses. He wants address the specific issue of lunch breaks.
-Unemployment Insurance: Davis also discussed the Unemployment Insurance legislation that is expected to be a priority bill for the Administration this session. The Maryland Chamber is opposed to the proposal as currently drafted. We believe that the benefits of obtaining one-time federal stimulus dollars are far outweighed by the long term costs associated with permanent expansion of UI eligibility and benefit payouts.
-Workplace Regulation: Chairman Davis expressed that he does not plan to support legislation that will increase employee paid leave. Businesses are struggling to outlast the recession, and now would be a very bad time to enforce additional regulatory burdens on employers.
-Electricity Re-regulation: The Economic Matters Committee held a series of meetings during the interim on the topic. As a result Davis remains vocally opposed to moving forward with re-regulation. Legislation will likely be introduced this session.
