Yesterday, the Missouri legislature used the ‘previous question’ rule – a rare procedure to stop debate, end a filibuster and force an immediate vote on a bill – to repeal the paid sick days requirement voters approved in November. The repeal legislation now heads to the Governor’s desk and, if signed, takes effect on August 28, 2025.
The following is a statement from A Better Balance Vice President Jared Make:
“The repeal of Missouri’s paid sick time law is an outrageous attack on workers’ hard-won rights, as well as an anti-democratic move to stifle the clear will of the state’s voters. Paid sick time is a common-sense policy with broad bipartisan support that benefits families, businesses, and public health. By a margin of more than 15 percentage points, Missouri’s paid sick time policy was passed into law via ballot initiative, which allowed voters in the state to directly make their voices heard. After the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ballot initiative against a legal challenge, the law took effect earlier this month. Workers across Missouri are already earning paid sick time to care for their personal or family health needs, and it is an injustice that the Missouri Legislature has ignored the will of the voters and stripped millions of workers of this basic right as of August 28th.
The results were clear on Election Day: Missourians across party lines need and want paid sick time. Our longtime partners at Missouri Jobs with Justice have led a robust and diverse coalition of advocates, businesses, and public health leaders in support of paid sick time. As the coalition’s fight for workplace and economic justice proceeds, we will continue to support their efforts in Missouri and resist anti-worker and anti-democratic threats in every corner of the country.”