As of noon Thursday, two high profile bills have stalled in the Missouri Senate after earlier being approved by the House.

A measure to do away with wage requirements on public works projects was set aside in the upper chamber after a brief filibuster from the Democratic minority.

The bill would repeal a stipulation for employers to pay the prevailing wage in a particular location where a project is being performed.  The measure has strong support from business interests, and if it fails to pass, would be a major disappointment in the Republican dominated legislature.

A two-hour filibuster Wednesday night, led by Democrat Jamilah Nasheed, forced a minimum wage bill to be tabled.  The measure, if passed, would prohibit cities and municipalities from raising minimum pay above the state’s standard.

The state Supreme Court threw out a previous law capping minimum wage, and also dismissed a lawsuit against a 2015 pay hike in St. Louis.

After a circuit court lifted its injunction, the city increased its minimum wage to $10 last week. The rate is set to jump to $11 an hour in January.  In March, the Kansas City Council voted in favor of increasing the local minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2023.  Missouri’s current minimum wage is $7.70 an hour.

Both the prevailing wage and minimum wage bills could be revisited by the Senate before the end of the legislative session.  But time is running short as state law requires lawmakers to adjourn for the year by 6 p.m. Friday.

Unlike the Missouri House, Senate rules allow for lengthy filibusters which can delay and sometimes grind the passage of legislation to a halt.