Results for: Paid sick leave

Missouri voters may soon have the chance to decide whether to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour after a group supporting the effort submitted nearly double the required number of signatures. The proposal would raise the minimum wage from $12.30 an hour to $13.75 an hour next year and then to $15 an hour in 2026. It would also require workers to receive paid sick leave. Missouri voters have previously supported minimum wage increases, and the proposal has a good chance of passing in the fall.

Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation as part of the fiscal year 2025 budget to provide pregnant women with an additional 20 hours of paid sick leave for prenatal care. The budget also includes financial incentives for hospitals to reduce unnecessary C-sections, eliminates cost-sharing for certain pregnancy-related expenses, and invests $37 billion in Medicaid to support the state’s healthcare system. Additionally, the budget prohibits hospitals from suing low-income patients, expands hospital financial assistance programs, and limits medical debt collections.