Senator Mike Bernskoetter

6th Senatorial District

For Immediate Release: 

April 25, 2025

Capitol Building, Room 416

Jefferson City, MO 65101

Contact Kenny Ross: 

 573-751-2076

Reforming Proposition A 

This week the Missouri Senate continued its work on fixing provisions in Proposition A that were drafted and put in place without much thought to the practical effect the changes would have on the state. The problems Proposition A has presented is a microcosm of why the initiative petition process can be so detrimental.

Legislating is hard - it is supposed to be. It takes a long time and lots of drafts to get the language just right and think through all the possible consequences. When initiative petitions like Proposition A are put on the ballot, they dodge the arduous process of vetting language through multiple hearings, debate and votes.

Proposition A mandates, among its many provisions, that all employers in the state must provide sick leave for their employees, raises the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour in 2026 and, from that moment forward, ties the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index. 

People should get sick leave; I do not disagree with that. We have all been in a situation where we are too ill to go to work or one of our kids gets sick and there is no other option than to stay home with them. However, the way the sick leave provisions were drafted in Proposition A presents problems that need to be rectified.

That is why I am presenting House Bill 567 in the Senate. This bill is the vehicle myself and other concerned legislators are using to reform the sick leave provisions of Proposition A. Some of the ways we are looking to do this is by changing the ‘safe harbor’ provision of Proposition A. This would make it so if you are an employer that already provides the necessary sick leave for your employees you are exempt from the paperwork requirements of Proposition A. The goal behind Proposition A is to provide sick leave to workers. If you are a business already providing that benefit there should be no reason you have to change your operating procedures or have more bureaucracy placed on your process.

Also, in my opinion, the enforcement mechanism of Proposition A is drafted very poorly and needs to be fixed. As it stands, the proposition would make it a class C misdemeanor if an employer does not follow the new provisions or have their paperwork filed perfectly. The proposition does not state who is guilty of the class C misdemeanor. For example, is it the manager of the business or the owner of the business? Both? Someone else entirely? It is not clear. A class C misdemeanor is a big deal and a punishment like that requires clear and concise language.

I am hopeful that by the end of session HB 567 will pass and fix the issues with Proposition A. Missouri employees and employers deserve to understand this new required sick leave system. 

Please feel free to contact my office at 573-751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.