Lawsuit Trying to Stop Missouri Minimum Wage & Paid Leave Hike

A proposition was passed in Missouri in November that will increase the minimum wage in Missouri plus provide more paid sick leave. A lawsuit is now trying to stop those before they even start.

I saw this bulletin from the National Law Review that indicates the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry has teamed up with a number of businesses to file a lawsuit asking the Missouri Supreme Court to "set aside or invalidate" Proposition A.

What changes does Proposition A implement in Missouri?

On January 1, 2025, the minimum wage in Missouri is set to increase to $13.75 per hour. It will then increase another $1.25 in 2026 when the new minimum wage will be $15 per hour.

The proposition also requires employers to provide 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

Why does the Missouri Chamber of Commerce want the Supreme Court to strike down this proposition?

The National Law Review article says the lawsuit contends that Proposition A "fails to address costs to local governments; inaccurately presents Proposition A’s actual fiscal impact; fails to identify direct costs to private employers and state administrative costs; and fails to note the impact Proposition A would have on tax revenues."

There's also an allegation that the Proposition includes 2 different subjects by addressing minimum wage and paid leave in the same legislation.

It will not come as a shock that I am not a lawyer (my ACT score further proves that point) so don't take my word for what the legal jargon in this lawsuit means. All I know is the Missouri Supreme Court does not as of this date have a hearing scheduled and unless it acts prior to January 1, 2025, this proposition will go into effect.

Time will tell if minimum wage and paid leave increases in Missouri will stick.