minimum wage

It's the first time in more than 70 years that the House has adjourned early. The session had been scheduled to end on Friday.

After GOP lawmakers repealed parts of a voter initiative on paid sick leave and minimum wage, and added an abortion ban to the ballot, protesters say they will look at passing a constitutional amendment that legislators can't touch.

Abortion is heading back to the ballot, after Missouri Republican lawmakers fell back on a little-used rule to shut down a Democratic filibuster and push through a ballot amendment to ban abortion again. They used the same maneuver to repeal a paid sick leave law — just months after Missouri voters approved both.

The governor's plan to convince the Chiefs and Royals to stay in Missouri hit a wall of resistance in the Senate. It now appears to be dead after Republican lawmakers cut off debate and forced through measures to ban abortion and repeal paid sick leave.

The legislation repeals the entire earned sick leave portion of Proposition A as well as a portion of the minimum wage increase. Only one Republican joined all Democrats in voting no.

On May 1, most Missouri workers began accruing paid sick leave under Proposition A, which voters approved last year. But with two weeks remaining in the session, state lawmakers could still pass a bill to change or repeal those provisions.

A coalition of business groups and individuals sued to strike down Proposition A, which Missouri voters passed in November. The new law raising the minimum wage and expands paid sick leave is set to take effect Thursday.

Business owners are required to tell their workers about their right to paid sick leave on Tuesday. But a bill in the Missouri legislature and a case in the Missouri Supreme Court could take away the provision, which voters widely approved last fall, before it begins May 1.

House Bill 567 would entirely remove Proposition A’s sick leave provisions, which are set to go into effect May 1. Opponents say it’s undemocratic for the Missouri legislature to directly undo a measure approved by voters.

The Republican-led legislature is considering changing or repealing some voter-approved measures, including abortion legalization and the minimum wage hike. Lawmakers also need to pass a budget, which may look much smaller than previous years.

Missourians approved Proposition A, which raised the minimum wage and mandated paid sick leave, with 57% of the vote. The legislation passed by the Missouri House entirely repeals the mandated sick leave portion.

Missouri voters approved Proposition A by a martin of 15% and more than 445,000 votes. But business groups argue that the ballot measure violates state law.