Missouri House approves minimum wage fix
Anthony Brown
Rep. Allen Andrews
In response to a Missouri Supreme Court decision that invalidated part of Missouri’s minimum wage law, lawmakers are moving quickly to implement a fix that would provide a consistent wage in municipalities throughout the state. The House approved legislation this week that would reaffirm that the state’s minimum wage is applied throughout Missouri, and keep the decision to raise wages in the hands of the employer and employee.
While the state currently has a minimum wage that increases based on the Consumer Price Index, and is currently higher than the federal minimum wage, some municipalities have considered their own increases. St. Louis passed an ordinance to raise its minimum wage to $10 an hour this year and $11 an hour by 2018. The legislation approved by the House would preempt and nullify the minimum wage enacted by St. Louis, and provide that other municipalities cannot enact a minimum wage that exceeds the one established by state law.
Supporters say the bill will ensure it is not illegal for an employer to hire someone in accordance with the state minimum wage. They say the legislation approved by the House will protect job creators from being turned into criminals. They also note that a mandated increase in payroll would force businesses to either raise prices or cut costs by reducing the size of their workforce. In addition, they say it’s important to have a consistent minimum wage across the state rather than an inconsistent patchwork of wages that vary from municipality to municipality.
Opponents of the bill say it’s important to preserve local control and allow municipalities the right to determine their own minimum wage standards. They say raising the minimum wage can help Missourians obtain a livable wage and move closer to self-sufficiency. They also note that the legislature passed similar legislation in 2015 that included a deadline to allow cities to enact a higher minimum wage, and that St. Louis met that deadline with its ordinance.
Realizing there are usually two sides to every issue I believe it was important to move this legislation forward to avoid potential confusion among municipalities. Simply put, allowing differing minimum wage amounts across multiple municipalities would cause a myriad of problems far too lengthy to address.
As always, it is a privilege to represent you.
Representative Allen Andrews, District 1, Missouri State Capitol, Room 406 B, 201 West Capitol Avenue, Jefferson City, MO 65101. Telephone: [email protected]
Allen Andrews is the First District State Representative.
