From the debate about a bill that would require that some employers give sick days to their workers - transcript of the Connecticut Senate, May 29, 2007:

SEN. LEBEAU:

Thank you, Mr. President. I'm hearing all this discussion about how we're losing jobs in the state. I find it a little disconcerting, because I don't think that we are losing jobs in the state.

As a matter of fact, between last April and this April, we gained almost 23,000, almost 24,000 jobs. We gained them not in government jobs, but in all sectors of the economy.

If we're going to blame ourselves for, in the past, making ourselves such an unfriendly environment, okay, folks, we just created 24,000 jobs. Let's pat ourselves on the back, because we haven't done such a bad job in the last year.

Connecticut is moving forward, and there's a balance here. As every bill, there's a balance, and we're searching to find that balance, in terms of what is good for the state, what is good for workers.

I intend to vote for this bill because I believe it is good for the state, because it is good for workers. I'm not wishing to prolong the debate.

By the way, I just want to tell you I got that information on Governor Rell's website. I didn't read from it, but I want to tell you that we're bragging about getting 24,000 jobs. Okay. Let's take the credit for it. We did that between last April and this April.

All these anti-business legislations that came through this Legislature in the past, yeah, I recognize that there are businesses that are leaving, but there are businesses that are coming too.

We have to look at both sides of the coin. We have to look at the balanced approach. I think this bill does this, and I commend Senator Prague. I think this is a humanitarian act.

I do not think this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I don't think it's going to stop our economy from making progress.

I don't think it's going to stop our receipts from our various taxes from coming in, but it's going to make us a state that says that we care about our people, whether they are part-time workers, whether they are full-time workers.

We care about our people. We care about them being sick and trying to get healthy. We care about them maybe taking a day to go visit their schools, if their kids are in trouble or if they have to make a school visit during the school day.

We care about our families. We care about our kids. To me, that is what this bill says. It says this loud and clear, to the country, to the world, to the state. We care about our people. I thank Senator Prague for bringing this bill out today, because we do care.