The pendulum has swung again in Kansas City, Missouri on the question of municipal minimum wages as KC voters this week overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to raise the city minimum wage, but the vote is only a symbolic one due to the state legislature having preempted local wage mandates. The specific Kansas City measure, which was approved by a 69 – 31% plurality, called for a $10 wage in the city effective later this month and then ramping up to $15 an hour by 2022. City officials and other advocates must now decide whether to challenge the state preemption in court. St. Louis prevailed on the constitutionality of their wage hike, but with the state preemption now in place, the minimum wage in St. Louis rolls back to $7.70 effective August 28. In the meantime, SEIU, Kansas City ALF-CIO and other groups are funding a new statewide ballot initiative to hike the wage floor across Missouri to $12 per hour.