Time is running out for our legislators to pass a bill that would delay implementation of the Mandatory Paid Sick Leave legislation, officially known as HB 1, the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act.

If no action is taken, HB 1 will belcome law this Sunday, February 11th, and businesses would be forced to comply immediately. But the legislation is unclear and confusing, and even regulators admit, rules to guide compliance with the law won't be ready until after the current session ends in April.

HB 1 was originally passed by the legislature in last year's session, but was vetoed by Governor Larry Hogan. The Chamber supported the Governor's decision to veto. But within the first week of the current legislative session, legislators voted to overturn Governor Hogan's veto, leaving business owners facing an incredibly short window to try and figure out how to comply.

In last week's edition of In The Loop, we wrote about a bill that was introduced to delay implementation of HB 1 until July 1st, and that bill has since passed a vote in the Maryland Senate. Now it is up to the House of Delegates to take up the bill and pass it in time to get it to Governor Hogan before the Sunday deadline.

We strongly urge you to contact your legislators in the House of Delegates today and ask them to take up the bill for delayed implementation. You can find contact information for each of the legislators representing Howard County in the House of Delegates below.

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At the Chamber we are so proud of our members, and this month, in honor of Black History Month, we wanted to take a moment in each of our newsletters to shine the spotlight on one of our members! This week, we asked Allegra in Columbia Co-Owner Natalie Whylie to tell us a little about herself and her business.

"Allegra in Columbia, Md is an eight-year-old business that has established itself as "the small business source" for marketing communications. Our daily mission is to be an extension of our client's communications and marketing teams, and in the case of smaller organizations, the marketing arms and legs that implement the important tactics. We strive to help small organizations bring their marketing ideas to life.

Our business was born in 2009 in Annapolis, MD, where we merged an old-line printer with our new Allegra "small business focused" franchise. Our promise, then and now, was to fill the service and quality gaps between the "big box" stores and the high-end printers that charged a small fortune for small business sized orders.

Whether an organization's needs are more of the "traditional old school marketing," such as business cards, brochures and newsletters, or digitally driven like web sites, email campaigns, landing pages and, "pay per click" advertising, we can deliver. Allegra can design it, produce it and implement it.

As part of the Howard County community the owners of Allegra Columbia, Natalie and Whitfield Whylie, combine twenty plus years of business experience in Sales, Marketing and Operational roles with a wealth of local knowledge to bring this dynamic service business to life."

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The Center for Global Business at the University of Maryland is hosting its second annual Export Management Bootcamp for Industry Professionals. The two-day bootcamp is designed to help prepare professionals to export their products or services internationally.

April 20 & 21, 2018

University of Maryland BioPark

Building 2, Suite 100

801 West Baltimore Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

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