Missouri House committee hears bills aiming to create exceptions to minimum wage laws
Two bills seeking to create exceptions to Missouri’s minimum wage laws were heard by a House of Representatives committee on Wednesday. The bills, House Bill 758 and House Bill 958, would allow employers to pay teenage workers below minimum wage and exempt businesses with fewer than 50 employees from the state minimum wage requirements.
These bills come after Proposition A was approved by 57% of voters in November, increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour by January 2026. The proposition also requires employers to provide paid sick leave to employees. The minimum wage recently increased to $13.75 an hour on January 1.
Advocates for workers’ rights, such as Jobs with Justice, have spoken out against these bills, arguing that they undermine the initiative passed by voters. On the other hand, business and industry organizations, including Associated Industries of Missouri and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, support the legislative changes to Proposition A.
Committee Chair David Casteel suggested working on legislation that combines parts of the proposed bills instead of passing them in their current form. The bills are part of a larger trend of bills filed this session that aim to delay, alter, or roll back the changes brought by Proposition A.
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