Editorial: Let’s take the time to get BernCo sick leave plan right

By Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board

Bernalillo County commissioners are scheduled to vote on a sick leave law this evening. What’s the hurry?

In an ideal world, they would leave that voting to their bosses, the taxpayers who reside in their five districts.

They would deliver them an ordinance that addresses the concerns of businesses as well as their employees. And they would have collaborated with the city of Albuquerque and surrounding metro-area communities to avoid a patchwork system that penalizes business for being on the wrong side of a city/town/village limit line.

All that takes time – more than the five weeks or so between this bill’s introduction and this commission vote. Instead, the item remains up for a vote today, with the meeting slated for an early 4 p.m. start because of the anticipated outpouring of public comment. That outpouring is to be expected as the commission canceled a public meeting on the topic with little notice. That makes the rush all the more suspect.