Legal Update: If Pain, Yes Gain – Part 113: California Officially Expands Statewide Paid Sick Leave Law

What You Need to Know: On September 13, 2023, the California legislature passed SB 616, which expanded the State's existing paid sick leave mandate, the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014in significant ways. On October 4, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law. The law takes effect on January 1, 2024. The amendments increase the annual amount of California paid sick leave from three days or 24 hours (whichever is greater) to five days or 40 hours (whichever is greater) for eligible employees. The increase to five days or 40 hours impacts several substantive topics, including the…

Federal judge blocks Texas’ SB4 immigration law that would criminalize migrant crossings

Eagle Pass, Texas — A federal judge in Austin on Thursday blocked Texas state officials from implementing a sweeping immigration law that would have allowed them to arrest, jail and prosecute migrants who crossed into the US illegally.The Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union had challenged the law known as SB4which was set to take effect on Tuesday, March 5. In a 114-page order, Judge David Ezra of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas granted the challengers' request for a preliminary injunction preventing Texas officials from enforcing the state law. Ezra wrote that the…