St. Louis' city minimum wage may rise as early as next week

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis' city minimum wage could rise to $10 an hour starting next week now that the state's highest court won't reconsider its ruling upholding it.

The Missouri Supreme Court in February rejected claims by business groups that setting a wage higher than the state's $7.65 one would spawn regulatory confusion. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to revisit that, ending the issue.

The ordinance sets a $10-an-hour minimum wage in the city this year, climbing to $11 in 2018.

Mayor Lyda Krewson calls the increase "good for our city's economy" and "a win for our city's working families." Critics counter that St. Louis' minimum wage, if higher than in surrounding areas, will put local employers at a competitive disadvantage, hurting the economy.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com