Gov. Mike Kehoe signs repeal of paid sick leave into law
Jazsmin Halliburton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Gov. Mike Kehoe has repealed certain provisions of Proposition A, by signing House Bill 567 into law.
Kehoe signed the measure into law Thursday afternoon at the State Capitol.
Proposition A passed in November 2024 with support from more than 57% of Missouri voters, and it took effect on May 1. It guaranteed workers one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. However, two weeks later, on May 14, Republicans forced a vote to repeal the sick leave portion of the bill.
There were concerns about Proposition A’s legality, and a lawsuit was filed shortly after it was approved by voters. The lawsuit claimed that voters were misled in the initiative petition used to get Prop A on the ballot.
Yellow Dog Bookstore owner Joe Chevalier has been in business for 12 years and has three part-time employees. He says he will continue to offer paid sick leave, but the overturn is a disappointment.
“I’m really disappointed with the Republicans in the legislature and overturning the will of the voters,” Chevalier said.
However, Chevalier said the change in law puts other workers in a tough spot.
“You have to make that choice of working while you’re ill and getting paid and staying home and getting paid and for many people, that’s really not an option,” Chevalier said.
President and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce Kara Corches believes the change will protect Missouri’s economy overall.
“We applaud Gov. Kehoe signing this bill into law because it was incredibly vital to protect our business climate,” Croches said. “By signing this bill, we knew Prop A as passed in 2024 was indeed a job killer, so we are really pleased to see this across the finish line and signed into law to protect businesses and jobs in our state.”
Mandated sick pay will no longer be required for businesses after Aug. 18. It will then be up to each employer to decide whether to continue offering the benefit.
Corches said the law created limits for employers, especially in certain industries.
“You can’t ask why they are sick, which is problematic if you think about a health care setting or a food setting where you do have to know why someone is out sick in case they have communicable disease,” Corches said.
For Chevalier, he says if his small Columbia bookstore can offer paid sick leave, so can other businesses. He says it helps businesses in the long run.
“Your success depends on the people who work for you, and if they’re happy, if they feel taken care of, they’re going to do better work and the business will prosper from that,” he said.
However, Corches says mandatory paid sick leave would have hurt Missouri businesses’ budgets. She said more than 550 businesses joined the chamber to oppose Prop A.
HB 567 raises the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour this year, then to $15 starting in 2026. Thursday’s signing, however, eliminated a future increase to minimum wage.
Supporters of Prop A have filed papers to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot during the 2026 election cycle. If passed, it would reinstate the paid sick leave mandate and the increase to minimum wage.