ST. LOUIS – As a new year rolls in, so do new laws. In Missouri, penalties will begin for violations of a distracted driving law, people can apply for expungements thanks to criminal justice reform, and the state will see an increase to minimum wage. Illinois continued their own increase to minimum wage and new laws for employers.
Missouri Criminal Reform
Individuals can apply for multiple expungements if the crimes were committed as part of the same course of criminal conduct. The crimes must have been prosecuted under the jurisdiction of a Missouri court.
Certain crimes are ineligible for expungement including class A felony offenses, dangerous felonies, offenses that requires registration as a sex offender, any felony offense of assault, any felony offense of domestic assault, any felony offense of kidnapping, and any felony offenses where death is an element of the offense.
Other crimes ineligible for expungement are intoxication-related traffic or boating offenses, certain county/state/municipal ordinances regarding operating a motor vehicle, unlawful use of weapons, and more.
Petitions must include full name, sex, race, driver’s license number if applicable, current address, each crime for which the petitioner is requesting expungement, date the petitioner was charged, counties and municipalities in which they were charged, case number and the name of the court for each crime. Additional rules apply.
Missouri minimum wage increase
After voters approved Proposition A on Nov. 5, 2024, by law, Missouri will increase the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour. It’ll rise again at the start of 2026 to $15 per hour.
Missouri Siddens Bening Hands Free Law
The hands free law requires motorist to put down the phone when operating motor vehicles. Drivers may not hold an electronic communication device nor write, send or read any text-based communication.
Any manual typing of letters, numbers, or symbols into an app/website/search engine is prohibited. Hand-free features and voice-operated features are allowed.
Watching videos or movies on an electronic device will be against the law.
Drivers cannot record, post, sent, or broadcast video.
For more information, look at our hands free law article.
Illinois minimum wage increase
Initially enacted on Jan. 1, 2024, the minimum wage in Illinois will increase once more on January 1, 2025. Minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour, $9 tipped, and youth under 18 whom work less than 650 hours per calendar year may receive $13 per hour. Employers may apply for licenses to pay below the rate to learners and certain workers with physical and mental limitations. Employers are required to pay overtime after 40 hours or work per week at time and one-half the regular rate.
Illinois Job description transparency
If an employer has 15 or more employees, they’ll need to include pay scale and benefit information on their job posting.
Illinois pay-period pay stubs
Employers must provide pay stubs to their employees each pay period that include information on hours worked, pay rates, overtime pay and deductions from wages. They will be required to keep a copy of an employee’s pay stub for three years from the date of payment, even if the employee has left their business. An employee or former employee may request copies of their paystubs.