>Sick-leave bill stalls over cash payouts
The Democrat sponsoring a bill to end five- and six-figure sick-leave payouts for retiring public employees clashed with New Jersey’s Republican governor on Monday over whether accumulated sick time should have limited cash value — or none.
Sen. Paul Sarlo of Bergen County told The Associated Press that Gov. Chris Christie is holding up the bill over a relatively small difference that would end unlimited payouts for all future employees.
The sticking point is over whether to eliminate the sick time’s cash value, as Christie wants, or to allow retiring employees to cash out a nominal amount, as Sarlo wants, to discourage employees from using up their sick-leave allotment every year.
“A year ago the Legislature unanimously passed (a bill) with input from Democrats, Republicans and the governor’s office and put a bill on his desk that would have immediately stopped all of these ridiculous sick payouts,” Sarlo said. “While the governor has grandstanded the past year, and argued about whether it should be $15,000 for employees or $0, he has cost these municipalities money.” (Delli Santi, Associated Press)