Missouri Supreme Court upholds paid leave, minimum wage law
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a voter-approved law that increases the minimum wage and requires employers to provide paid leave.
Chief Justice Mary Russell wrote the majority opinion, joined by five of the court's seven judges. The remaining judge wrote in a separate opinion that the court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case.
The lawsuit challenged whether Proposition A, which changes Missouri statutes to increase the minimum wage to $13.75 on Jan. 1 and by another $1.25 in 2026 to reach $15 per hour. After that, minimum wage increases would be pegged to inflation.
The law also requires all employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked and allows the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to oversee and enforce compliance.
The minimum wage hikes started Jan. 1, and the paid leave requirements are set to start May 1. Business leaders challenged the approval, saying the ballot measure and fiscal note were misleading. Opponents claimed that Prop A's ballot title broke the same subject rule, since increasing minimum wage and expanding paid leave were separate issues.
Supporters of the ballot claimed both topics were a package deal under employee compensation. Those who brought the lawsuit didn't meet the burden of proof to show that the statement and fiscal note misled voters.
Legislative Republicans are also working on a bill to overturn Proposition A or get a ballot measure to overturn it before voters.
"We are disappointed the courts didn't consider multi-subject as a reason and we’ll continue to save businesses in the state of Missouri," Director of the Missouri Grocers Association Dan Shaul said in a statement.
Missouri Business for a Healthy Economy, a business group that supported Proposition A, praised the decision. The group's release quotes Joseph Chevalier, owner of Columbia's Yellow Dog Bookshop.
“If a small bookstore like ours can provide paid sick time to employees, so can other businesses," Chevalier said, according to the release. "No one should have to work sick in order to keep a roof overhead and food on the table. That’s just wrong. And it’s counterproductive for businesses.”
The state Chamber of Commerce also mentioned in a statement House Bill 567 that was filed in response to Prop A. If passed, the bill will remove the expanded sick leave provision.
"This bill will provide much-needed clarity for business owners struggling with the onerous paid sick leave requirements and give employers the flexibility to tailor workplace policies to meet the needs of their workforce," the chamber of commerce wrote. "We urge the Missouri Senate to take immediate action on HB 567 and ensure Missouri’s economic climate is not adversely impacted by Proposition A’s implementation.”
Before the Missouri Supreme Court's decision, state Sen. Brian Williams (D-St. Louis County) filibustered from 10 a.m. to around noon at the start of Tuesday's Senate session by reading an excerpt from a book written by NBA trainer Drew Hanlen.
"There are so many people in our state that would benefit from this body operating again in good faith, upholding the will of their very vote," Williams said at the beginning of his filibuster. "This isn't about anything other than the fact of ensuring that voters feel heard in the very body that they elected every single one of us to serve."
Williams added after that the background of the filibuster was to bring attention to the concerns of voters who were opposed to "the state government rolling back the will of the people."
HB 567 is on the Senate's informal calendar for its third reading.
