City governments are raising standards for working people—and state legislators are lowering them back down

City governments are raising standards for working people—and state legislators are lowering them back down: On August 28, 2017, low-wage workers in St. Louis, Missouri, became the latest victims of state preemption laws. St. Louis had raised its minimum wage above the state minimum—but was then forced to lower it back down when the Missouri state legislature preempted the local ordinance.