The legislature’s labor committee is expected to vote at 2 p.m. today on the highly controversial issue of paid sick days.
Advocates on both sides have been lobbying legislators since the session began on an issue that failed to get a vote last year in the state Senate because the lawmakers were deadlocked at 18 to 18.
The bill passed in the state House of Representatives after a marathon, nine-hour debate last year, and advocates vowed to bring it back again this year.
Sen. Edith Prague, an outspoken Democrat who strongly favors the bill, told Capitol Watch that she does not know if the bill can pass in the Senate this year.
“I don’t know,” Prague said. “We haven’t had a caucus on it. Every day, people change their minds. CBIA is running around all over the place.”
She was referring to the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, which lobbied successfully against the bill last year and is back again this year.
The labor committee had expected to vote last week, but not all of the members were present when the meeting started – and Prague said candidly that she was not sure whether she had the votes to pass the bill. As such, the vote was delayed until today.
UPDATE: The committee vote was tied at 4 to 4 when the meeting went into recess Tuesday, but the vote was being held open until 4 p.m. – meaning those who were not at the meeting could arrive later and vote.
But then Rep. Barbara Lambert of Milford and Sen. Edwin A. Gomes of Bridgeport both voted in favor of the measure, making the final count 6 to 4.
Kia Murrell, an attorney who lobbies for CBIA on labor issues, said the vote is too close in the Senate to make any predictions.