Missouri Moves to Limit Local Contril as Sly Blasts Their “Bad” Laws

(AP) – Missouri’s Republican-controlled Legislature has passed a bill barring cities from adopting ordinances on plastic bags and employee benefits.

House members voted 105-48 Wednesday for the bill, which passed the Senate a day earlier. It now goes to Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.

The bill would bar ordinances such as one considered in Columbia prohibiting grocers from using plastic bags. It also would bar policies such as a Kansas City proposal setting a “living wage” above the state minimum wage, or local ordinances requiring certain employee benefits.

Wednesday, the Kansas City chapter of the Aourhern Christian Leadership conference submitted 4,000 signatures calling for a city-wide vote to raise the minimum to 10 then 15 dollars an hour.

Kansas City Mayor Sly James also complained again on the batch of bad laws he says the state legislature passes.

He says the lawmaker are out if step with the state’s urban areas.

Missouri law already bars cities from requiring wages above the state’s minimum wage.

Democratic lawmakers criticized Republican supporters of the bill for stripping local control.