Small business recovery bill would remove minimum wage requirement

Intro: Small business employees could see smaller pay checks because of a bill exempting some businesses from the minimum wage requirement. RunTime:0:40
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St. Louis Democrat Vicki Englund said employees will suffer.

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Description: I would suggest we change the title of the bill to "take the shirt off the worker's back."

The "Small Business Get Off My Back" bill would allow businesses with fewer than $1 million in sales per year to side step the minimum wage requirement.

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Description: But I find it extremely hard to believe, Mr. Speaker, that a small business is profitable whether or not they're actually paying their workers the wage that they deserve.

Currently, law exempts businesses with sales of a half a million dollars from this requirement.

Proponents of the bill say with small businesses failing across the country, this measure could help keep them alive.

From Jefferson City, this is Allison Blood, newsradio 11-20 KMOX.

Intro: House Republicans are trying to remove the minimum wage requirements for small businesses in order to stimulate the economy.

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Republican Representative Darrell Pollock said the "Small Business Get Off My Back" bill is the best way to save small businesses.

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Description: "These businesses are failing at an alarming rate and we are trying to protect these businesses one little bit by saying "'government, get off our back!'"

The bill allows businesses with fewer than $1 million in yearly sales to ignore minimum wage requirements.

Democrats voiced opposition saying employees of small businesses will be hurt most by the measure, claiming they could see pay cuts.

From Jefferson City, this is Allison Blood, newsradio 11-20 KMOX.

Intro: House Republicans say their small business recovery bill will solve economic problems, but Democrats say it will only make the problem worse. RunTime:0:45
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The bill would allow businesses who make fewer than $1 million in yearly sales to ignore minimum wage requirements when paying employees.

Democratic Representative Jeff Roorda said it will only help business owners but offer no relief for employees.

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Description: "The reason a lot of those small businesses, those main street businesses are shuttered is not because they got to pay that extra dollar in wages, it's because people are not coming through their door because they're not making that extra dollar in wages or they don't have a job at all."

Roorda also said the $1 million cap is too high because so many employees work in small businesses and would be affected.

Republicans said this is the best way to save small businesses from crumbling in this economy.

From Jefferson City, this is Allison Blood, newsradio 11-20 KMOX.