Missouri Supreme Court upholds voter-approved minimum wage increase -- for now

Kacen Bayless, The Kansas City Star on Apr 29, 2025

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the election results of a November vote that raised the state’s minimum wage and guaranteed paid sick leave to workers, even as state lawmakers push to weaken the voter-approved law.

The court, in a decision signed by six of the seven judges, found that the results for Proposition A were valid, rejecting a challenge brought by a coalition of Missouri business advocacy groups who claimed the measure had a series of irregularities that cast doubt on the fairness of the election.

“Because Contestants’ claims fall well short of this high standard, this Court finds there was no election irregularity and the election results are valid,” Chief Justice Mary R. Russell wrote in the majority opinion, which also dismissed an argument that Proposition A violated a requirement that ballot measures only deal with one subject.

The decision marks a win for supporters of Proposition A, which more than 57% of Missouri voters approved in November. But it will likely bolster attempts by state lawmakers to overhaul portions of the law, which gradually raises the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by next year and requires most employers to provide paid sick time off to workers starting Thursday.

A group of small business owners who have campaigned and argued in favor of Proposition A celebrated the decision in a series of statements on Tuesday.

“We’re looking forward to full implementation of the minimum wage increases and paid sick time,” said Michael Schroeder, who owns Oddly Correct Coffee in Kansas City.

The legal challenge came from the state’s top business organizations, including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Kara Corches, the chamber’s president and CEO, said in a statement on Tuesday that the organization was “deeply disappointed” by the decision.

“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,” Corches said. She called on state lawmakers to pass legislation that would overhaul the paid sick leave provision.

Missouri Republican lawmakers are pursuing legislation that would strike down the portion of the law that requires employers to provide paid sick leave. The legislation would also repeal a section that allows future minimum wage increases based on inflation.

The effort to strike down Proposition A comes as Republican lawmakers have been frustrated by recent ballot measures seen as progressive. Legislators have in recent years sought to curtail direct democracy in the state in response to voters using the ballot box to raise the minimum wage, legalize abortion, expand Medicaid and legalize marijuana.

In the final weeks of the legislative session, Democratic senators have mounted hourslong filibusters to block the legislation from coming to a vote on two separate occasions. However, the bill is expected to come back to the Senate floor before the session ends on May 16.

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