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Kids Win Missouri Endorses Proposition B

by Craig Stevenson, Director of Policy and Advocacy

Kids Win Missouri’s Board of Directors has voted to endorse Proposition B, a ballot initiative which will gradually raise the minimum wage in Missouri to $12.00 per hour in 2023.

What does Proposition B do?

Proposition B would raise the minimum wage by $0.85 per hour yearly until it reaches $12.00 in 2023. If passed, minimum wage in Missouri would be as follows:

January 1, 2019: $8.60
January 1, 2020: $9.45
January 1, 2021: $10.30
January 1, 2022: $11.15
January 1, 2023: $12.00

After 2023, the minimum wage would be adjusted annually for cost of living increases or decreases. Proposition B does not apply to public employers such as the State of Missouri or other political subdivisions such as counties, cities, or school districts. The proposition also includes a penalty for eligible employers who do not pay the appropriate amount by law.

How will Children Benefit From Proposition B?

Almost 1 in 4 minimum wage earners are parents. More than 260,000 children in Missouri have a parent who would benefit from the minimum wage increase. Low wages can create financial stress for families that can become toxic, affecting the physical and psychological health for both parents and children.

Families in urban and rural Missouri will see benefits of a raised minimum wage. Specifically in rural Missouri, it’s estimated that approximately 40% of workers in Shannon, Ripley, Ozark, Oregon, and Hickory counties will see increased wages if Proposition B passes. Raising minimum wages causes caregivers to better provide for a child’s basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. A study by Indiana University concluded that raising the minimum wage reduces the number of child neglect cases.

A research paper update from the London School of Economics and Political Science found that there is “strong reason” to believe that reducing income poverty would have “important and measurable effects on children’s environment and on their development.” A study supported by the National Institute of Health concluded:  “To the extent that increases in the minimum wage boost family income and reduce poverty, they could benefit many domains of children’s development and promote intergenerational mobility. Negative effects on children would be most likely if increases in minimum wage lead to job losses or unwanted cuts in work hours.”

The Clark-Fox Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis published a report that confirms that children who are raised in families who earn “living wages attend school more regularly, perform better on tests, and graduate from high school at higher rates.” More than 19% of Missouri’s children live in families whose income is at or below the federal poverty level.

Where Can I get more information?

More information on Proposition B can be found at https://www.raiseupmo.org/ 

Proposition B will be on the November 6, 2018 ballot in Missouri. Absentee ballots are already available for those who are unable to vote on election day.

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