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Missouri Legislature Passes Bill to Limit Local Policymaking

The sponsor of the bill, Sen. John Lamping (R-St. Louis County), says barring race from consideration could help increase the number of adoptions in Missouri.
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The sponsor of the bill, Sen. John Lamping (R-St. Louis County), says barring race from consideration could help increase the number of adoptions in Missouri.

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 Governor 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.

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.

Republicans defended the bill as protecting business from having to comply with a variety of different local policies.

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