COLUMBUS — The campaign to require that Ohio workers be able to earn seven paid sick days per year cleared a major hurdle on Tuesday.

Ohioans for Healthy Families, the group pushing the issue, turned in petitions with about 268,000 signatures from registered voters to Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner who will send them to county boards of election to be validated.

The petitions contain more than double the 120,683 signatures required to ask the legislature to enact the sick leave legislation.

If enough signatures are ruled valid, the legislature will have four months to act on the proposal. If the legislature doesn't act by the deadline, backers of the plan can put the issue on the November 2008 ballot by meeting the same signature requirements.

Supporters of the proposal say that 42 percent of Ohio's private sector workers have no paid sick days. Employees could use the sick days to care for themselves, a child, parent or spouse.

Dale Butland, spokesman for the supporters, said that if legislators really are for family values they will "prove it by passing legislation that truly values families."

However, Ty Pine, legislative director of the National Federation of Independent Business-Ohio, said the legislation actually could hurt some families because businesses would be forced to cut back on benefits to pay for the mandatory sick leave.

The legislation would apply to companies with 25 or more employees.