Area GOP lawmakers back bill to block St. Louis city plan to increase minimum wage

Area Republican state representatives unanimously voted for a measure last week that blocks St. Louis and other cities from adopting minimum wages higher than the state's wage rate.

The measure easily won passage in the Missouri House on Thursday on a 112-46 vote. The legislation goes to the state Senate, where that body's leaders have said they hope to act on the measure soon.

State Reps. Kathy Swan, Donna Lichtenegger, Rick Francis and Holly Rehder voted for the bill.

The GOP-dominated Legislature pushed through the bill in response to a Missouri Supreme Court ruling last month that upheld a plan by the city of St. Louis to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour this year and to $11 an hour by 2018.

Lichtenegger, R-Jackson, said, "It is a matter of economics."

Businesses in St. Louis would be at competitive disadvantage if they had to pay a higher minimum wage than the state's $7.70 rate, she and other lawmakers said.

Minimum-wage jobs at fast-food restaurants and other businesses are not designed to provide a family income, Lichtenegger said.

"If you are working at McDonald's and trying to raise a family, there is a problem with that," she said.

Lichtenegger said the state has a minimum wage rate that increases based on the consumer price index. It is higher than the federal minimum wage, she said.

Democrats contend giving low-wage workers higher pay ensures they will spend more money, bolstering businesses and the economy.

They also argue cities should have local control over minimum wage rates.

But Francis, R-Perryville, said St. Louis businesses would be forced to raise their prices or cut staff if the city of St. Louis is allowed to raise its minimum wage.

"I feel like we are actually trying to save St. Louis from itself," he said.

Without such legislation, Missouri could be faced with a "inconsistent patchwork of wages," Francis said.

Francis and Lichtenegger said a higher minimum wage would make it harder for low-income, unskilled workers to obtain jobs.

Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, said small businesses create the majority of jobs in Missouri. Allowing the city of St. Louis to raise the minimum wage would put "another regulatory burden" on employers, she said.

She added it would "not be conducive to economic development in the state."

Swan said a higher minimum wage could result in employers hiring fewer students in the summer.

The legislation includes an emergency clause that would allow it to take effect immediately if the Senate approves it, Swan said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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