KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A proposal by the Kansas City Council to boost the minimum wage faces challenges from groups opposed to the measure.
The Kansas City Council adopted an ordinance in July to increase the city's minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2020. But that ordinance drew opposition from a group representing businesses, which has started a referendum drive to overturn the council's proposal.
The council ordinance has been on hold while that referendum effort is underway.
Another group representing civil rights groups and advocates of low-wage workers seeks to raise the minimum wage to $10 per hour on Sept. 1 and incrementally over the next four years to $15 per hour by 2020, The Kansas City Star reported (http://bit.ly/1fbH2lb).
City Attorney Bill Geary said those petitioners have gathered enough signatures and have submitted a valid petition to place its minimum wage proposal before voters.
The Kansas City Council took the first step Thursday to get that group's measure boosting the minimum wage to $15 an hour before voters in November. In a procedural move, an ordinance was introduced on the council's docket to submit a petition initiative to voters in the Nov. 3 election. The council has to vote on the measure by next Thursday to meet ballot deadline.
The Kansas City ordinance could face more opposition if the Missouri General Assembly overrides a governor's veto at a special session in mid-September. Such an override could put in place a law that some legal authorities say would prohibit Kansas City and other Missouri cities from adopting any minimum wage above the state-mandated level of $7.65 per hour.