KC Council opposes Missouri legislature’s attempt to restrict local control on minimum wage

The Kansas City Council approved a resolution Thursday opposing the Missouri General Assembly’s attempt to restrict local control over the minimum wage.

The council urged lawmakers to sustain Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of a bill that seeks to curb local control over everything from plastic grocery bags to employment wages and benefits.

The council voted 12-1 in favor of the resolution, with 1st District Councilwoman Heather Hall the lone dissenter.

The veto session is scheduled for Wednesday, and many observers expect the Missouri legislature to override Nixon’s veto of House Bill 722. Advocates for labor groups and low-wage workers have decried the bill, saying it will infringe on the ability of cities like Kansas City to adopt employment policies far beyond the minimum wage decision.

In July, the Kansas City Council approved an ordinance calling for an incremental increase in the minimum wage within the city to $13 per hour by 2020. But many restaurant owners and other business organizations have opposed that ordinance, which has not yet become law.

If the legislature overrides the veto and adopts HB 722, lawyers disagree on the impact, but some believe it will prevent Kansas City from adopting any minimum wage above the state-set minimum of $7.65 per hour.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 4:48 PM with the headline "KC Council opposes Missouri legislature’s attempt to restrict local control on minimum wage."