St. Louis may be next city to raise minimum wage

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis could be the next city to raise its minimum wage significantly if Mayor Francis Slay has his way.

Slay spokeswoman Maggie Crane on Tuesday confirmed the Democratic mayor wants to raise the city's minimum. She says a starting point for discussion is $15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2020, but details still are being ironed out.

Alderman Shane Cohn is expected to file a formal bill Friday.

The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 since 2009, prompting some cities such as Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco to raise the standard on their own.

Missouri lawmakers last month passed a bill stripping cities' ability to adopt local policies, including a local minimum wage. But cities with a different minimum wage in place before Aug. 28 would be exempt.