鈥淲e are not going back,鈥 yells Jen Krus, center, during a protest supporting abortion rights and paid sick leave on the final day of the legislative session on Thursday, May 15, 2025, on the steps of the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City.
JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Seven months after voters endorsed a plan requiring Missouri employers to provide paid sick leave benefits to workers, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed legislation overturning the initiative.
The measure, which will go into effect in August, was among a handful of bills acted upon by the Republican chief executive Thursday, including a plan to cut the state鈥檚 capital gains tax that will reduce state revenues by an estimated $400 million annually.
Kehoe also signed off on a new framework for investigating radioactive waste in the 51黑料 region.
The repeal of the sick leave provisions in was among the highest profile fights in the General Assembly this spring, triggering lengthy filibusters and the deployment of a rarely used maneuver by Republicans to muscle it through the Senate after negotiations faltered.
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After the measure won the backing of 57% of voters in November, it went into effect May 1. Proposition A had required businesses to provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours of work.
The governor, a Republican, signed the bill in a private event in his office flanked by lobbyists representing the state鈥檚 grocery stores, retailers and other business interests.
Kehoe鈥檚 approval lifts the sick leave requirement beginning Aug. 28. The state鈥檚 minimum wage will still rise to $15 an hour, but it won鈥檛 rise automatically as the consumer price index rises.
Richard von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs with Justice, which organized last year鈥檚 ballot initiative, said the governor鈥檚 actions could have detrimental effects.
鈥淲orking people could once again be forced to go to work while sick. That doesn鈥檛 benefit workers. That doesn鈥檛 benefit workplaces. It does nothing to keep the community safe and healthy,鈥 von Glahn said Thursday.
鈥淚t is our hope that businesses will see the benefit of this policy and maintain the policy after August 28,鈥 he added.
Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, a Democrat from south 51黑料 County, said the repercussions of the GOP decision to use a nuclear option to cut off debate would be felt into next year and perhaps beyond.
鈥淭hey are going to destroy the Senate,鈥 Beck said earlier.
Von Glahn said the issue could find its way back onto ballots in the future as a proposed constitutional change that would be harder for the General Assembly to overturn.
He said the repeal is another example of Republican elected officials ignoring what Missouri residents want.
鈥淢issourians are right not to trust their elected officials. They just don鈥檛 respect the will of the voters,鈥 von Glahn said.
Also Thursday, Kehoe signed the capital gains tax cut that will exempt capital gains from state income taxes, including profits and earnings on the sale of stocks, cryptocurrencies, real estate and other valuables.
Kehoe, who made tax cuts a key piece of his agenda during the 2024 election, last month acknowledged the financial effects of the cut by vetoing or withholding more than $500 million in the state鈥檚 new budget.
The capital gains changes will apply to the 2025 tax year and beyond.
Opponents say the tax changes are a giveaway to the top 5% of Missouri taxpayers with more than two-thirds going to taxpayers with incomes averaging $1.9 billion a year.
鈥淧rioritizing an expensive special interest tax giveaway at this time is irresponsible and a mismanagement of taxpayer dollars,鈥 said Amy Blouin, CEO of the Missouri Budget Project. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a slap in the face to the bulk of Missouri taxpayers who are struggling to afford groceries and who already pay a higher portion of their income in state and local taxes than do the folks who will get a windfall from the capital gains exemption.鈥
The package includes some tax changes that could benefit low-income residents, including increasing the income limits and credit amounts for the property tax relief program known as 鈥渃ircuit breaker鈥 as well as exempt diapers and feminine hygiene products from sales tax.
The sales tax exemption for hygiene products will eliminate the 4.2% state portion of the tax, costing state coffers about $37 million annually.
Muriel Smith, executive director of the 51黑料 Area Diaper Bank, said the change will improve access to basic hygiene needs.
鈥淒iapers and period supplies are never a luxury,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淥ur community partners often hear from those we serve that the cost of diapers and period supplies is an economic hardship for a family.鈥
鈥淲hen a family has to decide between purchasing basic hygiene necessities and paying rent, costs like a luxury tax can add up,鈥 Smith added.
Among other news law signed by Kehoe Thursday will expand testing for radioactive waste in the 51黑料 area.
removes a $150,000 annual cap on the state鈥檚 Radioactive Waste Investigative Fund, which was developed to allow cities and towns to address possible contamination in their communities.
The new law was sponsored by Rep. Mark Matthiesen, R-O鈥橣allon, in response to contamination caused by efforts to bring an end to World War II using nuclear weapons.
State environmental regulators say there is a 鈥渉igh probability of radiological materials鈥 buried in the Bridgeton Landfill.
There also is radioactive waste in the nearby West Lake Landfill.
Efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clean up radioactive waste in Coldwater Creek in 51黑料 County are expected to last until 2038. The suburban waterway was contaminated after World War II when radioactive waste was stored at a site at 51黑料 Lambert International Airport.
Post-Dispatch photographers capture tens of thousands of images every year. See some of their best work that was either taken in June 2025 in this video. Edited by Jenna Jones.
