Nebraska secretary of state certifies paid sick leave initiative for November ballot

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska Secretary of State Office certified a paid sick leave initiative for the general election ballot in November.

In a press release Tuesday, Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced that the initiative garnered more than 97.557 valid signatures.

The required amount to get on the ballot is 86,499 signatures.

If passed, businesses with fewer than 20 employees, workers could earn up to five days of paid sick leave per year.

For companies with 20 or more employees, workers would get up to seven days.

The requirement wouldn’t apply to union jobs or government positions.

The secretary of state’s office is planning on holding public hearings on this initiative and others that qualify for the November ballot.

Those hearings — held in each of Nebraska’s three congressional districts — will be scheduled at a later date.

Several initiative and referendum petitions are being processed, including dueling abortion petitions and two medical marijuana petitions.

The office must certify the November general election ballot by Sept. 13.