Missouri Governor Repeals Voter-Approved Paid Sick Leave Law

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed a bill repealing the paid sick leave protections approved by voters in the 2024 Proposition A ballot measure, despite nearly 58% voter support. The repeal, effective August 28, removes the mandate requiring employers with 15 or more workers to provide paid sick leave and halts inflation-based future increases to the state $15 minimum wage, although the wage itself remains intact. Kehoe framed the legislation as "pro-business," aimed at cutting taxes and eliminating what he described as costly mandates, while business groups strongly supported the repeal. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and worker advocates, condemned the move as an attack on workers' rights and voter will, with some predicting the issue will return to the ballot as a constitutional amendment to protect it from legislative interference. The repeal aligns with a broader pattern of conservative Republicans using legislative majorities to overturn progressive ballot initiatives. Similar paid sick leave measures passed in Alaska and Nebraska face legislative challenges, but only Alaska's remains intact.