The Senate on April 7 gave final legislative approval to legislation granting six weeks of paid leave to employees at all businesses, regardless of size, by a vote of 21-15. The bill, A-873 (Albano), has been sent to Governor Jon Corzine, who is expected to sign it into law. Twenty-one votes are the minimum needed to pass a bill.

Despite strong and vigorous opposition by NJBIA, its members and other business groups, legislators approved the bill even though New Jersey is in a recession and the last thing employers need are more mandates. NJBIA thanks the thousands of members who sent e-mails, called legislators and traveled to Trenton to testify against the bill.

The Governor has said he will sign the bill. We urge you to contact the Governor one last time. Tell him you oppose this measure, which will be bad for the economy.

The final version of the bill provides employees with up to six weeks of leave. Employers can require employees to use up to two weeks of their existing sick leave or vacation time as part of the leave. A new payroll tax on employees will take effect January 1, 2009, and employees can begin taking the leave on July 1, 2009. The measure states that employers with two to 49 employees do not have to keep the job open if an employee takes leave; however, this provision could face a legal challenge.

Here is how members of the State Senate voted, followed by their party affiliation and legislative district number.

State Senators voting against businesses by supporting paid leave are:

NJBIA wishes to thank those Senators who stood up for businesses by voting no or abstaining on paid leave. They are:

* abstained

NJPRO Analysis: High Taxes Contribute to Lower Private-Sector Job Growth in NJ

The NJ Policy Research Organization recently released a Facts for Discussion issue paper, which analyzes several rankings comparing New Jersey with other states, and shows how New Jersey's poor tax climate is suppressing private-sector job growth. The paper, entitled New Jersey's Tax Climate: How Taxes are Affecting New Jersey Industrial, Commercial and Small Business Sectors, notes that between December 2000 and December 2007, New Jersey created an average of only 543 new private-sector jobs per year, while the public sector increased its employment by 54,800 jobs during the same period, accounting for almost 94 percent of the newly created jobs in New Jersey.

NJPRO also analyzed New Jersey's competitiveness with neighboring states. New Jersey ranked 49th in the nation in its business tax climate, according to the National Tax Foundation. By comparison, Pennsylvania ranked 27th; New York, 47th; and Delaware, 9th. NJPRO is NJBIA's research affiliate. For more information, contact Chris Emigholz at ext. 201.

Take Control of Your Company's Energy Costs with NJBIA's Power New Jersey Program

Protect yourself against volatile energy prices with NJBIA's Power New Jersey program. If your company has monthly electricity-supply bills of $3,000 per month or more, you can join an electricity purchasing pool managed by NJBIA's preferred supplier, Constellation NewEnergy. This will allow you to control electricity costs for your business by locking in a stable electricity rate for various lengths of time. The deadline to join the first aggregation pool is April 25, 2008! For more information, please contact Constellation NewEnergy's Stephanie Rios at 212-885-6439 or Thomas Dickinson at 856-745-1572. You may also visit NJBIA's Member Resource Center to get started.

NJBIA’s Directory of the 213th New Jersey Legislature

NJBIA's handy, pocket-sized Directory of the 213th NJ Legislature is now available. It is the best resource in the State for contacting State and federal decision-makers and their staff. The directory contains legislators' photos and the towns they represent, committee assignments, district office addresses, phone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, and the names of their legislative aides. It also lists the members of the Governor's Cabinet, Senate and Assembly leaders and staff. The cost is just $4 per copy ($3 per copy if purchasing more than 100 copies) for NJBIA members and $7 per copy for nonmembers. For more information, contact Lynette Mujica at 609-393-7707, ext. 224. You can also order your copies online now.

Survey: NJ Small-Business Advisor Seeks Input

The NJ Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC), a business advisor that offers counseling to small and medium-size companies, is seeking feedback from NJ businesses on its programs. The information will be used by a Rutgers University team to make recommendations to help market and develop the NJSBDC’s business-counseling programs. Take survey.

NJBIA's 2008-2009 Legislative Priorities Now Available

Want to know what New Jersey's Legislature is up to? Check out NJBIA's new Legislative Priorities Web page and get the latest on legislation impacting the way you do business in the Garden State. It is a comprehensive list of the probusiness bills that we are trying to get passed as well as the anti-business bills we are trying to stop. It is a dynamic list that will be updated on a regular basis, so revisit the page often. If you have any questions, please contact Senior Vice President Melanie Willoughby at ext. 205.

Meet NJ's Top Government Leaders at 3 Special Briefings

NJBIA will bring together top Administration officials, along with legislative leaders, for insightful briefings at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township on three of the biggest issues impacting your business operations, Healthcare Reform - April 22, Energy - May 16, and Environmental Regulation and Legislation - October 17.

Support the NJ Business Hall of Fame Gala, April 17

The NJ Business Hall of Fame (NJBHOF) 2008 Gala, to be held April 17 at The Mezzanine in Newark, will honor three business leaders, including NJM Insurance Group President and CEO Anthony G. Dickson. Please support this special event by buying a ticket, being a sponsor and/or purchasing an advertisement. Call Dawn Schwartz at 973-533-1133 for more information.