By Kelly Dereuck
Springfield News-Leader, May 8, 2024. Also Columbia Daily Tribune.
Missouri voters may have the opportunity to decide the fate of four initiative petitions this fall, if the signatures collected in support of each measure are verified. ... On May 2, Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages submitted more than 210,000 signatures in support of their ballot initiative that would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and allow workers to earn [paid sick days] ...
Laurie Knowlton, owner of Pickwick Underground Framing in Springfield and a member of Missouri Business for a Healthy Economy, said in a release, “When you take care of your employees, they stay longer and take good care of your customers. That’s the key to sustaining a successful small business like we have for more than 20 years. When businesses don’t pay enough to retain employees, they waste time and money on hiring and training new employees.” ...