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.

The initiative would increase Missouri’s minimum wage from its current rate of $7.85 an hour to...

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.”

Straughter shared her story Wednesday at a press conference in support of Raise Up Missouri’s initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage. The press conference, held at the Missouri Secretary of State’s office on West Main Street...

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.

Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a coalition of 200 local employers...

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. ...

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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. ...

The signatures were gathered by the group Raise Up Missouri, and a separate group Missouri Businesses for a Fair Minimum Wage announced its formation and support of the effort.

Supporters want...

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.

Along with...

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. ...

Organizations who support the petition like Raise Up Missouri and the Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, said the raise in the wage will have an immediate and positive impact...

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.

One initiative petition filed by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition that includes unions, community activists and clergy, would gradually raise the state's minimum wage from the current $11 an hour to $15 an hour by 2022. It would also raise the hourly sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, such...

By Katie Johnston
Boston Globe, April 10, 2018

Small business owners grappling with proposals to raise the minimum wage and mandate paid leave expressed their frustrations to business leaders and state lawmakers Tuesday morning ... At issue are bills to raise the state minimum wage from $11 to $15 an hour, and the tipped minimum wage from $3.75 to $9, by 2022, and require businesses to give employees up to 16 weeks of paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child and up to 26 weeks of paid medical leave for serious injuries or illnesses. If lawmakers fail...

Letter to Editor By Annebeth Bunker, Owner, Annebeth's
Capital Gazette, April 4, 2018

Before Maryland’s legislative session draws to a close, lawmakers can still take action to support Maryland businesses and workers by raising the state’s minimum wage.

As a small retail store owner, I know how important good employees are to the success and stability of a business. This year, we’re celebrating 20 years serving customers on historic Maryland Avenue in Annapolis. We rely on our employees to open and close our shop, take good care of our customers and uphold our reputation.

Fair...

By Christopher Fenn
The American Agora, April 2, 2018

Reflecting a national trend, Washington DC is scheduled to raise its minimum wage later this year from $12.50 to $13.25 per hour, or a 6% increase. This minimum wage hike was set forth in a 2016 bill signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser that laid forth a plan for Washington to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour over a period of four years by increasing the minimum wage approximately $0.70 per year. While dozens of states and cities throughout the United States have adopted similar measures, the issue...

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).

Over 20 years, our business has grown to six locations and 225 employees. Our staff...

Op-Ed By Gina Schaefer
Baltimore Business Journal, March 21, 2018

When my husband and I opened our first hardware store in 2003, we were focused on the need for a great store in our own neighborhood.

Fifteen years later, we’ve grown to 12 neighborhood hardware stores across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, including Canton Ace Hardware, Federal Hill Ace Hardware and Waverly Ace Hardware in Baltimore. Fair pay has been fundamental to our successful business model and our growth — including during the last recession.

That’s why we support the proposal to gradually raise Maryland’s...