Rick Scott signs ALEC-backed ban on paid sick leave The law blocks local governments from implementing mandatory sick leave policies

Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., has signed a bill that would prevent municipal governments in the state from implementing measures mandating paid sick leave policies for businesses.

The Orlando Sentinel reports:

The Republican governor sided with Walt Disney World, Darden Restaurants, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and a broad array of powerful business interests that argued the ban was needed to avoid a patchwork of local employment rules for companies. "This bill fosters statewide uniformity, consistency and predictability in Florida's employer-employee relationships," Scott said in a statement. "These fundamental elements are essential to ensuring a business-friendly environment that supports job creation."

As ThinkProgress has pointed out, the original sponsor of the legislation, state Rep. Steve Precourt, a Republican, is a member of the shady lobbying group ALEC, which writes model legislation for state legislatures, and has been pushing similar bills to gut labor standards in other states as well.