Latest news with #PropositionA
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
After Missouri repealed paid sick leave law, it could go back on the ballot
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@ Have the latest Reality Checks delivered to your inbox with our free newsletter. When Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe last week signed a bill repealing paid sick leave protections, his signature overhauled a voter-approved law that enjoyed widespread support in November. But the Republican governor's decision may not be the final say on the matter. Supporters of paid sick leave have laid the groundwork for a potential campaign that would put another measure on voters' 2026 ballots. 'This measure would restore the paid sick leave that legislators just took from Missouri voters,' said Richard Von Glahn, who filed a new measure on behalf of Missouri Jobs with Justice, one of the groups that successfully campaigned for the previous initiative, called Proposition A. The decision by Kehoe and Republican lawmakers to strike down portions of Proposition A was met with fierce backlash from paid sick leave supporters. Workers who began receiving paid sick leave earlier this year are now poised to lose those benefits on Aug. 28, when the law signed by Kehoe takes effect. The move also illustrated a continuation of Republican attempts to undermine voter-approved policies seen as more progressive, such as legal abortion, which lawmakers are seeking to overturn through a new ballot measure in 2026. Unlike Proposition A, which changed state law, the initiative filed by Von Glahn would amend the state constitution. Some supporters feel that constitutional protections might be the only way to prevent lawmakers from overturning measures passed by voters. 'It's about the only response that's left to proponents of these particular proposals,' said Peverill Squire, a professor of political science at the University of Missouri-Columbia. 'When you leave it as a statute, then it invites the legislature to make changes.' Von Glahn cautioned that the paid sick leave initiative was still in its early stages and supporters could eventually decide on a different path. After settling on a measure, campaigners must also clear an expensive and time-consuming signature process to get initiatives on statewide ballots. But if supporters decide to collect signatures to put his measure on a ballot in 2026, it would serve as a major response to the legislature's overhaul of Proposition A. 'The initiative is basically about restoring rights to Missourians that the legislature has, you know, in the previous decade taken from them,' Von Glahn said. The language of Von Glahn's initiative is similar to Proposition A. It would require most employers with 15 or more employees to offer an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. The measure would also enshrine the state's $15 minimum wage in the constitution and guarantee future increases based on inflation. In addition, the initiative would also allow cities and counties with populations of more than 10,000 people to enact their own minimum wage and sick leave requirements. A spokesperson for Kehoe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. GOP opposition likely While nearly 58% of voters approved Proposition A, the measure faced intense pushback from Republican lawmakers and business advocacy groups who argued it would hurt local businesses. They also argued that the new law did not repeal all of Proposition A, including a section that raised the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour. If Von Glahn's initiative reaches the ballot, it's certain to run into similar opposition. Some of the resistance will come from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which last month submitted a letter to Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins opposing the proposed initiative. Kara Corches, the chamber's president and CEO, said in a statement to The Star that the measure would have 'dire effects on Missouri's economy.' 'The ability for businesses to decide the policies that best fit their unique needs is the bedrock on which our free enterprise system is built,' Corches said. 'This proposal is a clear break from our system of free enterprise.' Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O'Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, sent The Star a lengthy statement that also lambasted the proposed initiative as a 'job killer.' O'Laughlin specifically criticized the paid sick leave requirement, claiming it 'basically allows anyone to claim illness even if they are not ill.' 'It is an effort to destroy the capitalist society that has made America a place of endless opportunity for anyone willing to work and be responsible for their own future,' O'Laughlin said. Direct democracy attacks The prospect of another paid sick leave initiative could also bolster Republican attempts to curtail direct democracy in Missouri by raising the threshold for initiative petitions to pass. Abortion rights, Proposition A, Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization were all placed on statewide ballots through initiative petitions, a more-than-a-century-old process that allows voters to bypass lawmakers and approve policy measures. Missouri is one of more than 20 states where voters have this ability. Missouri Republicans, who control every statewide office and both chambers of the legislature, have targeted this mechanism for direct democracy in recent years. They argue that amending the state constitution has become too easy, while some insist that the U.S. is a republic, not a democracy. Historically, however, most initiative petitions fail to qualify for the ballot before they're even put to voters. Missourians also shot down nearly 60% of the initiatives on the ballot between 1910 and 2022, according to previous reporting. But Missouri Republicans have made raising the threshold for amending the state constitution a top priority during recent legislative sessions. At least one Republican senator told The Star he'd like to pursue changes to the process during the upcoming legislative session. 'This whole initiative petition thing is a mess,' said Sen. Mike Cierpiot, a Lee's Summit Republican, who later added, 'my primary focus this year is trying to do something to fix this initiative petition thing.' But Cierpiot said his plan would not focus on changing the approval threshold. Instead, he said he wants to amend the process so that the summaries on voters' ballots are more concise and that the state properly enforces a rule that ballot measures only deal with one subject. While Republican lawmakers argue against the initiative petition process by saying the state constitution has been amended too easily, supporters like Von Glahn point to the recent decision to overhaul Proposition A. He had hoped that a constitutional change wouldn't be necessary, he said. 'But for the legislature to attack provisions that were so overwhelmingly passed by voters, for the legislature to repeal provisions on the minimum wage that have been in place for nearly two decades,' Von Glahn said, 'well, it certainly seems like greater protections for Missouri families might be needed.'
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Missouri governor repeals voter-backed law guaranteeing paid sick leave
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) on Thursday signed legislation repealing a voter-approved law that guaranteed paid sick leave to workers and adjusted the minimum wage to inflation. The law, Proposition A, had been repeatedly challenged by conservative lawmakers and business groups since it passed by a ballot measure in November with almost 58 percent of the vote, with the state Supreme Court upholding it just days before it went into effect in May.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Paid Sick Leave Repealed for Millions in Missouri
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed the repeal of a law on Thursday that guaranteed paid sick leave to workers, just months after voters approved it. Why It Matters The move is a major victory for Missouri's largest business group and a frustrating defeat for workers' rights advocates, who had spent years—and millions of dollars—building support for the successful ballot measure that established mandatory paid sick leave for Missouri workers. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe delivers the State of the State address on January 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe delivers the State of the State address on January 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo What To Know The change that voters approved in November, with almost 58 percent of the vote, established mandatory paid sick leave for Missouri workers and called for raising the state's minimum hourly wage to $15 in 2026. But Republicans who control the Missouri Legislature approved a bill that limited the minimum wage increase and scrapped the paid sick leave requirement. After signing the repeal, Kehoe, a Republican, described the paid sick leave law as an onerous mandate that imposed burdensome record-keeping. Richard von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs With Justice who sponsored the ballot initiative, said many parents felt forced to go to work, instead of staying home to care for a sick child, in order to pay for their rent or utilities. He said Kehoe signing the repeal is "an absolute betrayal." There is no federal law requiring paid leave, and the Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees only unpaid time off. However, more states are passing or considering laws that require employers to offer paid leave. As well as in Missouri, voters in Nebraska and Alaska approved paid sick leave measures in November last year. Only Alaska's has remained unchanged by state lawmakers. What People Are Saying Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, in a statement on Thursday: "Today, we are protecting the people who make Missouri work—families, job creators, and small business owners—by cutting taxes, rolling back overreach, and eliminating costly mandates." Richard von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs With Justice, told the Associated Press: "The governor signing this bill is an absolute betrayal to those families, and it hurts my heart." Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement on Thursday: "Business owners were clear: Proposition A's paid leave and minimum wage policies were a job killer. "Missouri employers value their employees and recognize the importance of offering competitive wages and benefits, but one-size-fits-all mandates threaten growth. We thank Gov. Kehoe for signing this legislation that safeguards jobs and supports Missouri's overall economic competitiveness." What Happens Next The repeal will take effect on August 28. This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
The Hill
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Missouri repeals voter-approved paid sick leave law
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed a measure Thursday that repeals the state's guaranteed paid sick leave law, less than a year after nearly 58 percent of voters approved it. In a news release, the governor's office described the voter-initiated paid sick leave law as 'onerous' and harmful to small businesses because it dictates 'when and how paid leave must be provided' and requires 'burdensome record keeping and compliance obligations.' 'Today, we are protecting the people who make Missouri work — families, job creators, and small business owners — by cutting taxes, rolling back overreach, and eliminating costly mandates,' Kehoe said in a statement. Kehoe was elected governor last fall, receiving nearly the same number of votes (about 1.7 million) as those in favor of the paid sick leave measure on the same ballot. The legislation Kehoe signed this week also ends automatic Consumer Price Index adjustments to the state's $15-an-hour minimum wage, another component of the ballot initiative voters overwhelmingly approved in November. 'The governor's action today demonstrates the absolute disdain Republicans have for working Missourians,' Missouri House Democratic Leader Ashley Aune said in a news release. 'But in stripping workers of their legal right to earned sick leave, the governor and his allies have probably guaranteed this issue will be back on the ballot next year as a constitutional amendment that will place worker protections beyond their reach.' Voters approved the ballot initiative known as Proposition A as a new state statute, which has a lower signature threshold for ballot submission and approval but can be repealed by state lawmakers, rather than as a constitutional amendment, which can only be reversed through another statewide vote. Missouri's GOP-controlled legislature approved the repeal of the components of Prop A during its session earlier this year, voting 133-17 in the House and 22-11 in the Senate. The paid sick leave law, which went into effect May 1, allows employees to earn an hour of time off for every 30 hours worked. The new law Kehoe signed doesn't provide for workers to keep time that they accrued during the nearly four months that it will have been effect when it ends next month. An independent poll of Missouri voters in April found 75 percent opposed efforts to repeal the measure, but pro-business groups lobbied heavily for its repeal, describing it as burdensome for employers. 'Business owners were clear: Proposition A's paid leave and minimum wage policies were a job killer,' Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) President and CEO Kara Corches said in a statement. 'Missouri employers value their employees and recognize the importance of offering competitive wages and benefits, but one-size-fits-all mandates threaten growth.' Missouri Jobs with Justice, a worker advocacy group that advocated for the paid sick leave law, had urged Kehoe to veto the legislation to repeal it. 'Missouri workers and their families do not deserve to see their newly earned paid sick leave stripped away,' the group wrote in a letter to Kehoe last month. 'So many workers are for the first time experiencing the relief of paid sick leave.' 'If Proposition A is repealed, workers will again face increased economic insecurity when balancing being sick with maintaining their job,' it added.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge rules $440M Hays County road bond void, Commissioners Court unlawfully called the election
HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A district court judge ruled Monday that the $440 million road bond approved by Hays County voters in November 2024 is now void. 419th Civil District Court Judge Catherine Mauzy found the Hays County Commissioners Court violated the Texas Open Meetings Act when calling for the bond election in August 2024. 'Because the Hays County special election for Proposition A road bond on November 5, 2024, was never lawfully ordered by the Hays County Commissioners Court, the Court declares the election void,' according to court documents. An attorney representing the plaintiffs told KXAN that Hays County will have an opportunity to appeal this decision. We have reached out to the County to determine if it will do this. It is not clear if any of the road projects have already started. On Aug. 14, in a 5-0 vote, the Commissioners Court approved pushing the bond election forward, setting in motion 30 transportation projects across the county by adding $0.02 per $100 valuation to the county tax rate – that would break down to about $80 a year for a home valued at $400,000. In November's election, 55.8% of voters approved of the proposition, while 44.2% voted against. In total, almost 116,000 Hays County residents voted on Prop A — a turnout of about 62.3% of registered voters. Four Hays County homeowners previously filed a lawsuit, alleging that the Commissioners Court violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by not specifically outlining the scope of the bond package. Hays County residents sue Commissioners Court over the transportation bond election 'County commissioners hatched this bond package in secret, ordering it onto the ballot at the last minute and in blatant violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act,' said Les Carnes, one of the plaintiffs, in an October press release. 'Hays County residents were deprived of both the required public notice that a bond proposal was being considered and the right to participate in determining what should be included or excluded, what the total price should be, and what it will mean for our taxes,' he continued. The lawsuit said that several controversial projects were included in the package – some that would go over environmentally sensitive areas like the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. County officials said the bond improved safety and mobility, responded to the city's continued growth, addressed existing roads, created new ones and supported economic development across Hays County. Digital Data Reporter Christopher Adams contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
