It looks like Missouri voters are going to get their say as to whether or not minimum wage workers start earning more money.
If passed, the ballot issue would raise Missouri’s minimum wage rate to $8.25 an hour, starting in 2013. Then, there would be an annual cost-of-living adjustment that would kick in at the beginning of following years. And, like all other states, if the federal minimum wage rate ever rose beyond what Missouri was offering, the higher federal rate would apply, and the state would apply the cost-of-living adjustments to that rate instead.
In order to be listed on the ballot, supporters need to get enough signatures from 6 out of the state’s 9 congressional districts to equal 5% of the number of votes cast in the 2008 Governor’s election. Depending on which districts you look at, supporters would need anywhere from 91,818 to 99,600 signatures. Missouri Jobs with Justice — one of the organizations leading the charge for the change — says it has already submitted 175,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office.
This is the second time in recent years that Missouri Jobs with Justice has fought for higher minimum wage rates. They were behind the 2006 measure that boosted Missouri’s minimum wage rate to $6.50. That plan also included similar cost-of-living adjustments to the ones being proposed now.
One issue that likely won’t be on the ballot in November? The issue of caps on interest rates and fees on payday loans. Supporters want to limit interest rates and fees on payday loans to 36% of the amount of the loan. If passed, it would certainly help minimum wage workers, many of whom rely on payday loans and other types of loans to make ends meet.
Even though supporters collected 180,000 signatures in favor of putting the issue on the November ballot, a state court struck down the issue’s ballot title. According to Missouri law, any signatures that are on a page without an official ballot title don’t count.