Missouri governor repeals paid sick leave law approved last year by voters

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eight months aft voters approved it, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the repeal of a instrumentality Thursday that had guaranteed paid sick permission to workers and inflationary adjustments to the minimum wage.

The determination marked a large triumph for the state's largest concern radical and a frustrating decision for workers' rights advocates, who had spent years — and millions of dollars — gathering enactment for the palmy ballot measure. The repeal volition instrumentality effect Aug. 28.

Kehoe, who besides signed a bundle of taxation breaks Thursday, described the paid sick permission instrumentality arsenic an onerous mandate that imposed burdensome record-keeping.

"Today, we are protecting the radical who marque Missouri enactment — families, occupation creators, and tiny concern owners — by cutting taxes, rolling backmost overreach, and eliminating costly mandates,” Kehoe, a Republican, said successful a connection released aft a backstage bill-signing ceremony.

The caller taxation instrumentality excludes superior gains from idiosyncratic authorities income taxes, expands taxation breaks for seniors and disabled residents and exempts diapers and feminine hygiene products from income taxes.

Richard von Glahn, who sponsored the idiosyncratic payment ballot initiative, said galore parents felt forced to spell to work, alternatively of staying location to attraction for a sick child, successful bid to wage for their rent oregon utilities.

"The politician signing this measure is an implicit betrayal to those families, and it hurts my heart,” said von Glahn, argumentation manager for Missouri Jobs With Justice.

About one-third of states mandate paid sick leave, but galore businesses voluntarily supply it. Nationwide, 79% of private-sector employees received paid sick permission past year, though part-time workers were importantly little apt to person the payment than full-time employees, according to Department of Labor data.

Voters successful Alaska, Missouri and Nebraska each approved paid sick permission measures past November. Only Alaska’s, which kicked successful connected July 1, has remained unchanged by authorities lawmakers.

Before Nebraska's measurement could instrumentality effect Oct. 1, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen signed a measurement past period exempting businesses with 10 oregon less employees from the paid sick permission requirements. The revision besides lets businesses withhold paid sick permission from seasonal cultivation workers and 14- and 15-year-olds.

Missouri's instrumentality allowed employees to gain 1 hr of paid sick clip for each 30 hours worked, starting May 1. By the clip it's repealed, 17 weeks volition person elapsed. That means idiosyncratic moving 40 hours a week could person earned 22 hours of paid sick leave.

If workers don't usage their paid sick permission earlier Aug. 28, there's nary ineligible warrant they tin bash truthful afterward.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry had made repealing the instrumentality its apical legislative priority.

The "paid permission and minimum wage policies were a occupation killer,” enclosure President and CEO Kara Corches said.

But Missouri voters could get a 2nd accidental astatine mandating paid sick leave.

Von Glahn has submitted a projected ballot inaugural to the caput of authorities that would reinstate the repealed provisions. Because the caller measurement is simply a law amendment, the Legislature would beryllium incapable to revise oregon repeal it without different ballot of the people. Supporters haven't decided whether to motorboat a petition thrust to effort to suffice the measurement for the 2026 ballot.