As of noon on Friday, the Senate is still in session and working on a variety of issues. Over the course of the week, the House and Senate sent a number of bills, on topics ranging from education to minimum wage policy, to the governor for concurrence.
This trend will continue through the end of the legislative session next week. We have a number of important issues that still need to be addressed, and I look forward to doing so.
This week both the House and the Senate put finishing touches on HB42 relating to education, commonly known as the "transfer bill." This bill generated a great deal of discussion, and elicited a great deal of passion from both proponents and opponents.
In the end, I voted for this legislation not because it is a perfect, definitive solution, but rather because it is far better than the status quo and represents a decisive step in the right direction.
I am grateful for Rep. David Wood and Sen. David Pearce for their leadership on this bill and for their lengthy and diplomatic negotiations among a large group of opinionated and passionate stake-holders.
On Wednesday, the Legislature sent HB722 to the governor for signature. I carried HB722 on the Senate floor and made changes to the underlying bill in order to level the playing field for businesses across the state. In addition to the original provisions to ensure that municipalities cannot ban the use of plastic bags, HB722 also reaffirms that the minimum wage is a state policy, not one determined by individual municipalities.
As a business owner, I want the ability to make decisions about employee compensation based upon the market and the quality of employees.
Truth be told, I have never been able to hire someone for minimum wage because the market and skill set of employees has always demanded more.
The state minimum wage provides a baseline, and that baseline should not be adjusted according to the whims of local bureaucrats who do not understand the impact of wages on businesses. HB722 simply clarifies that minimum wage policy is a state matter, not a local government matter.
Business owners, who are on the line for loans and payroll and all of the risks of owning a small business, need the assurance of a consistent standard in which to operate. Ultimately, business owners and their relationships with their employees, along with the influence of market conditions, will determine wages.
The legislative session will draw to a close next Friday, May 15, at 6 p.m. This is a hard deadline and all actions will be completed by then.
My purpose and my intent is to serve the constituents of the 6th Senatorial District. If you are in the Capitol during the coming weeks and months, please stop by your office in Room 220.
State Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, represents the 6th District.