Three initiative petitions to increase Missouri's minimum wage have been approved for circulation.
Secretary of State Jason Kander on Tuesday announced supporters of all three now can begin collecting signatures.
The petitions need to be signed by at least 5 percent of legal voters in six of the state's eight congressional districts to make it onto a ballot.
All three petitions propose increasing the state's minimum wage, which is adjusted to changes in cost of living.
The minimum wage in effect for 2015 is $7.65 an hour.
The petitions propose upping that to $9 per hour. One would increase that $1 a year until 2023, when it reaches $15 an hour. The other two would increase the minimum wage $1 a year until it reaches $11 or $12.
