A look into Missouri's minimum wage battles over the last couple months in Kansas City and St. Louis
Two minimum wage increases—in Kansas City and St. Louis— are currently in jeopardy based on the actions taken by the General Assembly and a lawsuit that has been filed by NFIB and several other business groups.
On Friday, Aug. 28, St. Louis aldermen passed legislation that would incrementally raise the city’s minimum wage to $11 per hour by 2018. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay signed the bill shortly thereafter. The bill also states that employers who are found in repeated violation of this law can have their business licenses revoked. However, NFIB filed suit on September 14 and are expected to get a hearing and decision on October 6.
In Kansas City, there were two initiatives to be placed on the ballot. One would raise the minimum wage to $13 an hour and the other one to $15. These municipality increases hinged upon HB 722, which states that municipalities cannot have a minimum wage higher than that of the state or federal government. While Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the bill in July, Missouri legislators overrode the veto on September 16 at their annual Veto Session.
As a result of the overturn of HB 722, the Kansas City initiatives have been pulled back however the lawsuit in St. Louis is still pending. The minimum wage lawsuit against the City of St. Louis was preliminarily heard Sept. 16. NFIB had asked for a Temporary Restraining Order, which the judge denied. However, it wasn’t all bad because he said he would hear the case on Oct. 6 in advance of the ordinance taking effect on Oct. 15.
