<p>GOP lawmakers in Missouri passed a preemption law this week that bans all cities and counties from enacting their own minimum wage separate from the state level of $7.70.  ;</p>
<p>This is a significant shift for St. Louis, which had been gearing up to increase its minimum wage from $10 to $11. ;</p>
<p>Missouri Governor Eric Greitens is allowing the law to go into effect, but is refusing to sign it. ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I ran for governor to bring more jobs to Missouri,&rdquo; said Greitens. &ldquo;Our state needs more private sector paychecks and bigger private sector paychecks.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Politicians in St. Louis passed a bill that fails on both counts: it will kill jobs, and despite what you hear from liberals, it will take money out of people&rsquo;s pockets,&rdquo; he said, referring to the city&rsquo;s higher minimum wage. ;</p>
<p>The first-year governor has blamed politicians for allowing the minimum wage debate to get out of hand. &ldquo;Because of their failures, we have different wages across the state. It&rsquo;s created uncertainty for small businesses. And it all could have been avoided if the politicians had done their job on time.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The minimum wage debate has dragged on for years, with the &ldquo;Fight for 15&rdquo; movement gaining ground in many states. The movement, which seeks to raise the minimum wage to $15, calls Greitens&rsquo; approval of the law &ldquo;disgusting.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>As I wrote last month, however, cities ;that have raised the minimum wage have seen fewer jobs and smaller paychecks.  ;</p>
<p><strong>Author&#8217;s Note:</strong> Greitens may be one of the only smart governors out there. He wants jobs in Missouri, and this is the way to do it. ;We ;will revisit this in six month or so to see how it ;is doing. ;</p>