1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

On November 5, 2024, over 1.6 million Missourians—more than 57% of voters—spoke loud and clear by passing Proposition A to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 and provide earned paid sick leave to workers across our state. This was a historic victory for working families, a testament to the power of democracy, and a recognition that every Missourian deserves dignity, fairness, and economic security. Yet, these bills—HB 958 (Miller), HB 758 (Caton), HB 567 (Gallick), HB 555 (Lewis), HB 546 (Vernetti), HB 625 (Caton), and SB 325 (Brown)—seek to undermine the will of the people and roll back the progress we fought so hard to achieve. I stand in strong opposition to these harmful proposals. These bills are a direct attack on Missouri workers, particularly our most vulnerable populations. HB 958 and HB 625, for example, would exempt workers under 21 and under 20, respectively, from the minimum wage increase, effectively legalizing age-based wage discrimination. Despite what some lawmakers may thing, young workers are often students, parents, or primary breadwinners for their families. They deserve equal pay for equal work, not a system that devalues their labor simply because of their age. HB 758 and HB 555 would delay or eliminate critical cost-of-living adjustments to the minimum wage and weaken paid sick leave provisions. These changes would disproportionately harm low-income workers, many of whom are women and people of color, by denying them the financial stability and health protections they need. Paid sick leave is not a luxury—it is a necessity. No one should have to choose between their health and their paycheck, yet these bills would force countless Missourians to do just that. HB 567 and HB 546 would further delay the implementation of paid sick leave and exempt small businesses from providing these essential benefits. Defining "small businesses" as those with fewer than 50 employees would exclude tens of thousands of workers from the protections they voted for. This is unacceptable. Workers in small businesses are just as deserving of fair wages and sick leave as those in larger corporations. These bills prioritize corporate profits over the well-being of Missouri families. Finally, SB 325 would preempt local ordinances, stripping workers in certain localities of the paid sick leave they were promised under Proposition A. This is an affront to local control and an attempt to silence the voices of communities that have fought for stronger worker protections. These bills are not just bad policy—they are a betrayal of the democratic process. The people of Missouri have spoken, and their message was clear: workers deserve a living wage and paid sick leave. I urge you to reject these bills and honor the will of the voters. Uphold the promise of Proposition A and ensure that every Missourian, regardless of their age, employer size, or where they live, has access to fair wages and the dignity of paid sick leave.