Abortion rights, paid sick leave, minimum wage all back on the line in Missouri

Yahoo

16-05-2025

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A dramatic end to Missouri's legislative session is setting up a fierce fight over some of the state's most hot-button issues — including abortion, paid sick leave, and minimum wage.
Lawmakers before Missouri voters in 2026. This time, it's a proposed ban — with limited exceptions — just months after Missourians enshrined abortion protections into the state constitution in November.
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While abortion remains legal in Missouri, the newly passed measure sets up a direct challenge to those constitutional rights — and could undo them altogether.
This controversial move came after Republican senators used a series of rare procedural tactics to block debate from Democrats before swiftly pushing the proposal through the Senate.
'What came out of the Legislature is purposefully deceiving,' said Emily Wales, president & CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes.
'It doesn't talk about abortion — it talks about creating exceptions. But what it actually does is take back the ability for Missourians to make decisions for themselves,' she said.
Republican State Rep. Mike Steinmeyer acknowledged concerns over how the original amendment was presented to voters.
'My struggle with it was the ballot language. If the people of Missouri feel like they understood it properly and have a good grasp of it, they'll vote accordingly,' he said.
That wasn't the only voter-approved policy the legislature moved to reverse.
In a separate action, lawmakers passed House Bill 567, which would that took effect just this month and roll back future automatic increases to the state's minimum wage.
Under Proposition A, voters had approved a plan to gradually raise the state's minimum wage — starting at $13.75 this year and reaching $15 by 2025 — along with guaranteed earned sick time for workers.
Now, with HB 567 headed to the governor's desk, that plan could be wiped out entirely.
'People all across the board want to get their sick day. We all remember the puppy mills since the puppy mills. They have been going back on what their own people want to do. They think they know better and they are to represent us, not to control us,' said protestor Linda Rezny.
Supporters of the rollback say the changes are necessary to protect small businesses from financial strain.
'My greatest concern is for the small business owners — if this puts them into a bad situation… The small business owners I know do the right thing, but I think it's a valid concern,' Steinmeyer said.
Frustration has spilled into protests on the Capitol steps, with many Missourians asking how two ballot measures — passed just months ago — could now be under threat.
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Prop A survived legal challenges and was upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court.
Now, its future rests with the governor — who has signaled he plans to sign HB 567.
As for abortion rights, the governor will decide when the newly passed referendum goes to the voters — but it will appear on the 2026 ballot.
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