蜜芽传媒

JEFFERSON CITY 鈥� Future minimum wage increases and new paid sick leave rules for employers were on the chopping block late Wednesday in the Republican-controlled Missouri Senate.

Although Democrats said they were close to a compromise to block the repeal amid a 10-hour filibuster, Senate President Cindy O鈥橪aughlin pulled the plug on the talks and adjourned the Senate early Thursday morning.

In a social media post afterward, O鈥橪aughlin complained that Democratic negotiators were talking to 鈥渁n outside interest鈥� during negotiations to see if compromise could be made.

鈥淚t鈥檚 quite difficult to get an agreement when you aren鈥檛 dealing with your colleagues but a nameless, faceless person on the phone,鈥� O鈥橪aughlin wrote.

鈥淭his is not the ending we were looking for and leaves us much less likely to engage the next time around,鈥� O鈥橪aughlin said.

The move stunned negotiators, who said they were blindsided by O鈥橪aughlin鈥檚 demands.

鈥淲e did our best to negotiate in good faith. We were so close,鈥� Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, D-蜜芽传媒 County, told reporters Thursday. 鈥淭he rug was pulled out from beneath us. It was like it was predestined to fail.鈥�

The legislation, which could come back to the floor in the final weeks of the legislative session, keeps a planned minimum wage increase from $13.75 to $15 an hour starting next year, but does away with future inflation-based increases.

The minimum wage and sick leave requirements are part of Proposition A, a citizen-led initiative petition that 57% of voters statewide supported in November. It won support in six of the state鈥檚 eight congressional districts.

After Republicans brought the bill to the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon, Democrats spoke out against it and proceeded to stall a vote in order to work out a possible compromise in private talks.

O鈥橪aughlin, R-Shelbina, had intervened in the issue earlier in the week when she warned of an impending offensive on her Facebook page.

鈥淗eading to the Mother Ship. Prop A on the agenda. #NoToThisBusinessKiller,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are prepared to stay as long as it takes.鈥�

Beck said on the Senate floor Wednesday he felt 鈥減ushed into a corner and I don鈥檛 like when I get pushed into the corner sometimes.鈥�

The chief Republican negotiator, Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, told Beck that 鈥淚 think there are things that we can compromise on.鈥�

Bernskoetter said even if businesses have a sick leave policy in place already, 鈥渋t mandates that they do it this way.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 sure you鈥檝e heard from your businesses in your district too that some of these rules and regulations are really cumbersome and it would be nice to make it a little less cumbersome,鈥� Bernskoetter said.

Beck said he was trying to strike a compromise because Republicans 鈥渨anted to gut the entire thing.鈥�

He criticized O鈥橪aughlin鈥檚 intervention in the talks.

鈥淚鈥檝e tried to provide steady, constant leadership. However, we鈥檙e not seeing that from the other side. We鈥檙e seeing herky-jerky moves,鈥� he said.

Beck said Proposition A won in 20 of the state鈥檚 34 Senate districts, including 10 Republican districts.

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 right. I feel like I鈥檓 on the side of working people,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淭he people of this state have said in no uncertain terms that they want to raise the minimum wage to $15 and they want to have sick pay.鈥�

The sick leave provisions targeted by Republicans require employers with annual business receipts greater than $500,000 to provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

Companies with fewer than 15 workers must allow workers to use at least 40 hours per year, with larger employers mandated to allow at least 56 hours.

The law required businesses beginning Tuesday to hang posters informing workers of the new benefits required by Missouri law.

Business groups have asked the Missouri Supreme Court to stop the new law. The high court had yet to act as of Wednesday night after hearing arguments in March.

The legislation is Hous