In November, Trenton passed an ordinance that entitles certain employees to paid sick leave. Business groups, including The New Jersey Business and Industry Association, State Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Food Council and others, filed a lawsuit in an attempt to void the law.   Christopher Gibson, the lawyer for the business groups, argued that paid sick leave should be uniform throughout the state rather than legislated locally by individual municipalities. He further argued that the law was “vague, ambiguous and contrary to New Jersey law.” After hearing three hours of argument, Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobsen rejected these arguments and ruled that the ordinance is reasonably related to promoting the health of Trenton’s citizens and the people who work there.

To date, nine municipalities have passed similar paid sick leave laws, including, Jersey City, Newark and Montclair.