Mitchell Kaminski
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Supporters of a voter-passed proposition rejoiced after a court’s decision on Tuesday.
The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Proposition A, which raised the state’s minimum wage and requires employers to offer paid sick leave, rejecting arguments from business groups that the ballot measure was misleading and unconstitutional.
The court’s majority ruled that the Missouri Chamber of Commerce failed to prove voters were misled. It also said it lacked jurisdiction to rule on claims the initiative petition used to get Prop A on the ballot violated the state constitution’s single-subject requirement, leaving that issue open to further challenges in local circuit courts.
Proposition A passed in November 2024 with support from more than 57% of Missouri voters. The law raises the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour in 2025, then to $15 by 2026, and ties future increases to inflation. It also guarantees workers one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.
Legislative Republicans are working on a bill to overturn Proposition A or get a ballot measure to overturn it before voters. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a news release that the ballot measure contained multiple subjects, in violation of Missouri law.
“We are deeply disappointed by the Missouri Supreme Court’s decision regarding Proposition A,” the chamber wrote. “While we respect the Court’s authority, we believe today’s decision fails to address critical concerns regarding election irregularities and constitutional violations that occurred.”
Supporters say the measure is a victory for working Missourians and small businesses alike.
“Everyone in Missouri gets sick through no fault of our own, but currently sick leave is a benefit that’s often enjoyed by managers and wealthy and white collar professionals, but not by a lot of the essential workers who do drive our economy forward,” said Richard von Glahn, policy director at Missouri Jobs With Justice.
“We are disappointed to see that business groups would seek to ask the Supreme Court to undermine the vote of so many Missourians. And we’re obviously very pleased that the Supreme Court has rejected to do so,” he said.
Von Glahn added that the campaign for Proposition A earned support from more than 500 businesses statewide, many of them small employers who already offer similar benefits.
“When we talked to a lot of business owners, they would say that a worker earns one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours that they work. You know, for a lot of small businesses that maybe people don’t work full time. They understand it could take two months for someone to earn one full day off work,” von Glahn said. “Oftentimes, small business owners are ones who actually already sort of recognize and treat their employees as family because they see them every day.”
However, he added that the bulk of opposition to the law was from larger corporations.
“What we are finding is larger corporations that always try to extract as much from their employees as possible are the ones leading the pushback,” von Glahn said.
Dave Roland, director of litigation for the Freedom Center of Missouri, said the court was clear that claims about voter confusion need to be backed by strong evidence.
“If you are claiming that voters were confused in some way, or if there was some problem in the process that might call into question the result of the election, you’ve got to be able to point to the evidence that supports your claim,” Roland said. “You can’t just make the argument and then hope that the courts follow along. You got to show your work.”
The lawsuit against Prop A included two main claims: Voters were misled and there was a structural flaw in the initiative petition used to get Prop A on the ballot. The court ruled against the first and declined jurisdiction over the second.
“One of the primary arguments that was being made is that the Supreme Court should not even hear post-election challenges to these election disputes,” Roland said. “And one of the things that the majority opinion hammered home very emphatically is, look, they’ve decided this issue several times since 2015. They have very clearly concluded that the Supreme Court does indeed get to hear these challenges and the not so subtly suggested that litigants should stop making this argument.”
Still, Roland emphasized that the initiative process is vital in Missouri politics.
“Missourians adopted the right to initiative and referendum for a reason. From hard experience, they saw that there are frequently issues that matter to the people that the legislature simply is not willing to deal with. And it is crucial that we leave open the opportunity for citizens to put these issues on the ballot,” he said.
Kara Corches of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce said in a statement that the group remains concerned about the initiative’s legality.
“Prop A, and how it’s written, is unconstitutional. It violates the single-subject provision. Voters were misled. The Constitution was not complied with,” she said.
Despite the legal challenges, businesses and workers are now preparing for implementation. Paid sick leave provisions take effect May 1, and employers must notify workers of their rights under the law.
Mike Draper, owner of RAYGUN, a Kansas City-based apparel company, welcomed the court’s decision in a statement.
“The Missouri Supreme Court’s decision today to uphold Prop A is welcome news. They reaffirm what we all saw on election night in November: The vast majority of Missourians want workers to have a living wage and paid sick leave,” Draper said. “More than 500 businesses across the state endorsed Prop A. The voters, and now the Court, have spoken. It’s time to fully implement Prop A.”
Terrence Wise, a fast food worker and leader with Stand Up KC and the Missouri Workers Center, called the decision a long-awaited win.
“The ruling today affirms the will of over 57% of Missouri voters who approved Proposition A in November,” Wise said. “Workers like me have spent over a decade fighting across race and place to strengthen our rights, and the Supreme Court decision today proves that when we fight, we win.”
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