Missouri Minimum Wage Amendment: Missouri voters may get a second chance to decide the future of the state’s minimum wage and paid sick leave rules, just two years after they already voted on the issue once. A citizen-led group has filed Initiative Petition 2026-047, a proposed constitutional amendment that would set a $15 minimum wage and restore automatic inflation-based increases starting in 2027, along with a paid sick leave mandate for private employers. Unlike the 2024 measure, this one would be written directly into the Missouri Constitution rather than as an ordinary state law, meaning state lawmakers could not simply repeal it again with a legislative vote, as they did to the last one.
The push comes directly out of what happened after Missouri voters already approved similar protections in November 2024. That measure, Proposition A, passed with nearly 58 percent support and raised the minimum wage while guaranteeing paid sick leave. Less than a year later, the Missouri Legislature passed and Governor Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 567, which eliminated the paid sick leave requirement entirely and canceled the annual inflation adjustments to the minimum wage that were set to begin in 2027. Supporters of the original measure argue that only a constitutional amendment can permanently protect these worker protections from being undone again by state lawmakers. We’ll be updating this article monthly as the campaign’s signature filing status, ballot certification, and any legal challenges develop.
What the Missouri Minimum Wage Amendment Would Actually Do
The proposed constitutional amendment, filed under Initiative Petition 2026-047, closely mirrors the original Proposition A language but goes further by locking the provisions into the state constitution instead of ordinary statute.
| Provision | What It Would Change |
|---|---|
| Minimum wage | Set at $15.00 per hour, with automatic annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index starting in 2027 |
| Paid sick leave | Restore the requirement that private employers provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked |
| Legal protection | Written into the Missouri Constitution, meaning the Legislature could not repeal or weaken it through an ordinary bill |
| Local government authority | Would allow cities and counties to set their own higher minimum wage and leave standards than the state floor |
| Effective date | Provisions would take effect starting January 1, 2027, if approved by voters |
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Why This Amendment Exists: The Proposition A Repeal
To understand why this amendment is on the table, it helps to walk through the sequence of events that led here.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 5, 2024 | Missouri voters approve Proposition A with nearly 58 percent support, raising the minimum wage and mandating paid sick leave |
| January 1, 2025 | Minimum wage rises to $13.75 per hour under Proposition A |
| April 29, 2025 | Missouri Supreme Court upholds the Proposition A election results against a business group legal challenge |
| May 1, 2025 | Paid sick leave requirement takes effect for covered employers |
| May 14, 2025 | Missouri Senate passes House Bill 567, repealing the sick leave mandate and inflation indexing |
| July 10, 2025 | Governor Mike Kehoe signs House Bill 567 into law |
| August 28, 2025 | Paid sick leave requirement is officially repealed |
| January 1, 2026 | Minimum wage rises to $15.00 per hour, the last scheduled increase under the original Proposition A schedule |
| November 3, 2026 | Possible date for the new constitutional amendment to appear on the ballot, if the petition qualifies |
Current Ballot Status: Has the Amendment Officially Qualified?
This is where accuracy matters most, since not every filed initiative actually makes it onto the ballot. As of the most recent confirmed ballot certification records, Missouri’s Secretary of State had certified four statewide measures for the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, covering topics such as a parks and conservation sales tax renewal, Jackson County government structure, abortion and gender-related provisions, and a measure that would raise the threshold needed to pass future citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. The minimum wage and paid sick leave amendment was not among those four certified measures as of that point, and remained listed as a potential rather than confirmed measure, still subject to the state’s signature verification process.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type of measure | Initiated constitutional amendment |
| Signatures required | A minimum of approximately 170,215 valid signatures, collected across at least six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts |
| Signature filing deadline | May 3, 2026 |
| Verification method | Missouri’s Secretary of State may use either a 5 percent random sample or full verification of submitted signatures |
| Certification threshold | If random sampling projects more than 110 percent of the required signatures, the measure is certified; below 90 percent, it fails; between those figures, a full signature check is required |
Because the state’s official certification list did not include this amendment as of the most recent published update, voters should treat its appearance on the November 3, 2026 ballot as possible rather than guaranteed until the Secretary of State issues final certification.
How the New Amendment Differs From the Original Proposition A
The core minimum wage and sick leave numbers are similar to 2024’s measure, but the legal structure is fundamentally different, and that difference is the entire point of this campaign.
| Feature | 2024 Proposition A | 2026 Proposed Amendment |
|---|---|---|
| Legal form | Ordinary state statute | Constitutional amendment |
| Can the Legislature repeal it with a simple majority bill | Yes, and it did through House Bill 567 | No, would require another statewide vote to change |
| Minimum wage target | $15.00 per hour by 2026 | $15.00 per hour, maintained with CPI increases starting 2027 |
| Paid sick leave | One hour per 30 hours worked | Same structure, restored |
| Local government flexibility | Not addressed | Would explicitly allow cities and counties to set higher local standards |
Who Supports and Opposes the Amendment?
As with the original Proposition A fight, this amendment has drawn clear lines between labor advocates and business groups.
Supporting the amendment:
- Missouri Jobs with Justice, the organization behind both the original Proposition A campaign and this new constitutional push
- Labor advocacy groups who argue that placing worker protections in the constitution is the only way to prevent them from being repealed by future legislative sessions
- Democratic lawmakers who opposed House Bill 567’s repeal of the original sick leave mandate
Opposing the amendment:
- The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which supported the 2025 repeal and has warned of economic and administrative costs tied to reinstating the mandates
- The Missouri Restaurant Association and similar business trade groups, which argue mandated paid sick leave creates compliance burdens for smaller employers
- State lawmakers who backed House Bill 567 and argue that minimum wage and leave policy should remain adjustable through the ordinary legislative process rather than locked into the constitution
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What Happens Next in the Process
For workers, employers, and voters tracking this amendment, several concrete steps remain before it could reach the ballot.
- Signature verification by the Secretary of State’s office to confirm whether the required number of valid signatures across the required congressional districts was collected by the May 3, 2026 deadline
- Formal certification, if the signature threshold is met, adding the measure to the official November 3, 2026 statewide ballot alongside the four measures already confirmed
- Possible legal challenges, following the pattern of the original Proposition A, which faced a business group lawsuit that ultimately failed at the Missouri Supreme Court
- A statewide vote on November 3, 2026, if certified, requiring a simple majority of Missouri voters to pass
How to Apply for or Check Missouri’s Current Minimum Wage Rate
While the constitutional amendment’s ballot status remains uncertain, Missouri’s current minimum wage is already set under existing law, and workers do not need to wait for any election outcome to receive it.
- Confirm your employer is covered, since the state minimum wage generally does not apply to small retail or service businesses under $500,000 in annual gross sales, or to certain government and school employers
- Check your pay stub against the current statutory minimum wage rate, which the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations publishes annually
- File a wage complaint with the Missouri Division of Labor Standards if you believe you are being paid below the legally required minimum
- Watch for any changes tied to the 2026 ballot outcome, since a successful amendment would restore automatic annual increases beginning in 2027 that are not currently in effect
Processing Time: How Long Ballot Certification and Legal Review Take
Understanding the practical timeline helps set expectations for when Missourians will know whether this amendment appears on their ballot.
| Step | Typical Timing |
|---|---|
| Signature submission deadline | May 3, 2026 |
| Initial random sample verification | Several weeks after submission |
| Full signature verification, if triggered | Can extend the process by additional weeks |
| Final certification decision | Generally completed months ahead of the November election to allow ballot printing |
| Legal challenges, if filed | Can extend into the summer or early fall before the election |
Payment Schedule: When Any Approved Changes Would Actually Start
If the amendment is certified for the ballot and subsequently approved by voters on November 3, 2026, the practical wage and leave changes would not begin immediately on election night.
- A successful amendment would take effect according to its own stated implementation date, generally set for January 1, 2027, restoring annual inflation-based minimum wage increases going forward
- The paid sick leave requirement, if restored, would similarly take effect on a defined date after the vote, following the same one hour per 30 hours worked structure as the original 2024 measure
- Employers would need to update payroll and leave accrual systems ahead of the effective date, similar to the transition period businesses managed after the original Proposition A passed in 2024
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FAQs About Missouri Minimum Wage Amendment 2026
Is the Missouri minimum wage amendment definitely on the November 2026 ballot?
Not confirmed as of the most recent official certification update. Missouri’s Secretary of State had certified four other statewide measures for the November 3, 2026 ballot, and the minimum wage and paid sick leave amendment remained a potential measure pending signature verification.
What would the Missouri minimum wage amendment change if approved?
It would set the minimum wage at $15.00 per hour with automatic annual increases tied to inflation starting in 2027, restore the paid sick leave requirement of one hour per 30 hours worked, and write both provisions into the state constitution rather than ordinary law.
Why did Missouri repeal its original minimum wage and sick leave law?
The Missouri Legislature passed House Bill 567 in 2025, which Governor Mike Kehoe signed, repealing the paid sick leave mandate and the inflation-indexing provision that voters had approved through Proposition A in 2024.
How is this amendment different from the 2024 Proposition A that voters already passed?
The key difference is legal form. Proposition A was an ordinary state statute that the Legislature could and did repeal with a simple majority vote. The new measure is a constitutional amendment, which would require another statewide vote to change.
What is Missouri’s minimum wage right now, regardless of the ballot outcome?
Missouri’s minimum wage rose to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026, under the original schedule set by Proposition A, though automatic future increases tied to inflation are not currently scheduled to continue.
How many signatures does the amendment need to reach the ballot?
The measure needs a minimum of approximately 170,215 valid signatures, gathered across at least six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts, submitted by the May 3, 2026 deadline.
Who is backing the Missouri minimum wage constitutional amendment?
Missouri Jobs with Justice, the same organization behind the original 2024 Proposition A campaign, is leading the push for this constitutional amendment.
Who opposes the amendment?
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and several business trade associations, including the Missouri Restaurant Association, have opposed the measure, citing compliance costs for employers.
When would the changes take effect if voters approve the amendment?
If certified and approved on November 3, 2026, the provisions would generally take effect starting January 1, 2027, based on the amendment’s stated implementation timeline.
Can Missouri lawmakers repeal this amendment the way they repealed Proposition A?
No. Because it would be a constitutional amendment rather than an ordinary statute, the Legislature could not repeal or significantly alter it without putting another measure before voters statewide.
Conclusion
The Missouri minimum wage amendment represents a direct response to the Legislature’s 2025 repeal of the original Proposition A protections, and its supporters are betting that a constitutional amendment will succeed where an ordinary statute failed to hold. Whether it actually reaches the November 3, 2026 ballot depends on signature verification that was still pending as of the most recent official update, with only four other statewide measures confirmed at that point. Workers and employers should track the current $15.00 per hour minimum wage as it stands today, separate from what this amendment could add starting in 2027 if it clears the certification process and wins voter approval. As the Secretary of State’s office finalizes signature verification and any legal challenges play out, check back here, since this article is reviewed and updated with the latest confirmed information each month.
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