Senator Nasheed Presents Legislation to Raise Missouri’s Minimum Wage
Jefferson City – State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, presented legislation in the Missouri Senate’s Small Business and Industry Committee that would raise the state’s minimum wage by almost a dollar an hour in 2019.
Currently, Missouri’s minimum wage is $7.85 an hour. Senate Bill 801 raises the minimum wage to $8.60 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2019. Additionally, the proposal increases the state’s minimum wage by $0.85 a year for the next four years.
“It has been long overdue, but we need to raise the minimum wage now,” said Sen. Nasheed. “We cannot expect our neighbors and our loved ones to live off less than $8 an hour and thrive while the cost of living continues to increase. I am proposing a modest increase to our state’s minimum wage. This increase will not break the bank, but it will provide a big boost to many hard-working Missourians.”
Senator Nasheed said this legislation is particularly important for the St. Louis area.
“Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation that prohibits municipalities from having a higher minimum wage than the state,” said Sen. Nasheed. “This was a blow to those communities that have a higher cost of living that demands a higher minimum wage. This bill works to restore the wage cuts inflicted by the General Assembly. I also believe this bill helps lift up hard-working citizens from across the state by providing a wage that allows them to survive.”
Senate Bill 801 also allows for the minimum wage to be raised or lowered after 2024, in accordance to the cost of living. For full text of the bill, click here.
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