Business interests are usually opposed to paid sick leave and minimum wage laws, laws which benefit middle income and low income families.  One ALEC backed bill passed by the Oklahoma legislature prohibits local governments in Oklahoma from raising their minimum wages or enacting laws requiring benefits such as sick leave or paid vacations.  Ten other states, including North Carolina, have passed similar ALEC initiated bills.  In North Carolina, Section 5 of the Regulatory Reform Act of 2013 prohibits cities and counties from enacting sick days requirements for government contract workers.  The law also prohibits cities and counties from enacting living wage requirements for contractors.  Thus, the law negates a unanimous vote of the Asheville City Council to require contracts over $30,000 to pay a living wage.  The law passed by the state legislature appears to voters to have been written by local legislators.  But, in fact, the law was written largely by ALEC in support of its corporate lobbies.

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