BFMW In the News

By Philip Joens
Jefferson City News Tribune, May 3, 2018

A group of business owners, activists and retail employees turned in more than 120,000 signatures Wednesday to the office of Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in an attempt to force voters to decide whether to raise the state's minimum wage to $12 per hour.

Proponents of the initiative said Wednesday that the proposal has the support of more than 200 businesses statewide. If passed by voters, the proposal could raise the state's minimum wage gradually until 2023. ...

By Alisha Shurr
Missouri Times, May 2, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri business owners and workers gathered in the state Capital to turn in signatures in an effort to put raising the minimum wage to a vote of the people.

Raise Up Missouri submitted more than 120,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office on May 2 and was joined by Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a group of over 200 business owners supporting the initiative.

By Stephanie Sandoval
Columbia Missourian, May 2, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY — Alexis Straughter is a single mother of two young girls who works at the Royal Oak Nursing and Rehab in St. Louis. She makes $10.45 an hour, and she said it’s still not enough. “I’ve been trying to make ends meet,” she said. “It just doesn’t work.”

Associated Press (AP), May 2, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A group calling for a higher minimum wage has turned in signatures for a ballot initiative that would let voters decide the issue.

The organization, Raise Up Missouri, said Wednesday it had turned in more than 120,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office. The group wants a question on November’s ballot asking voters to slowly raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour. The current minimum wage is $7.85.

By Andria Kirkland
KRCG TV 13 (CBS) Columbia/Jefferson City, May 2, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY — Some Missouri business leaders and workers planned to turn in signatures for a ballot initiative to increase the state's minimum wage.

A coalition known as Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage along with Raise Up Missouri were scheduled to hold a joint press conference Wednesday morning. ... The event will also serve as the launch of Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a growing statewide coalition of more than 200 Show-Me State business leaders. ...

ST. LOUIS (KMOX), May 2, 2018 - Business owners who support raising Missouri's minimum wage will be in Jefferson City this morning, supporting an effort aimed at putting the issue before voters in November. ...

Among those backing the push is Clever Real Estate, Chief Strategy Officer Luke Babich who says the group calling itself "Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage" represents a wide range of businesses. ...

By Joel Hulsey
KSDK 5 (NBC), St. Louis, May 2, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Show Me State could receive a significant pay raise within the next five years if an initiative by state leaders have their way.

Wednesday, several Missouri business leaders, workers and supporters of a new ballot will hold a press conference to turn in signatures in support of the initiative. If passed, the ballot would increase Missouri's minimum wage from $7.85 per hour to $8.60 per hour by 2019, with a gradual increase to $12 per hour in 2023.

By Jalyn Henderson
KOMU 8 (NBC), May 2, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri business owners, workers and supporters submitted a petition in support of a minimum wage increase on Wednesday morning.

More than 120,000 people signed the petition, which proposes an increase to Missouri's minimum wage from $7.85 to $8.60. The wage would gradually increase each year, by 85 cents, until the wage reaches $12 an hour in 2023. ...

By Bob Salsberg
Associated Press (AP), April 14, 2018

BOSTON — Democratic legislative leaders and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker are hoping to reach deals that would keep some prospective ballot questions from reaching voters in November, but they're running short on time and their bargaining clout appears limited.

By Katie Johnston
Boston Globe, April 10, 2018

By Christopher Fenn
The American Agora, April 2, 2018

By Ned Atwater
Baltimore Sun, Letter to the Editor, March 28, 2018

In the final days of Maryland’s legislative session, lawmakers have an opportunity to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2023 and phase out the tipped sub-minimum wage by 2025. As a restaurant owner, I know the increases will be good for business, good for Baltimore and beneficial to our state (“Raising the Md. minimum wage would stabilize families — and destabilize the underground economy,” Jan. 31).