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The law regarding minimum wage in Missouri is being debated by lawmakers.

Wednesday, several business owners went before lawmakers to plead their case that the minimum wage law that was approved by Missouri voters in 2006 should be repealed. That law provides for annual cost of living adjustments to keep up with inflation. Since the law took affect, the state's minimum wage has risen from $5.15 to $7.25, where it now stands.

Missouri Jobs for Justice, a labor rights group, says the law helps workers keep up with living expenses such as food and housing and that lawmakers should leave it in place.

According to USDA's 2011 food price outlook, at-home and restaurant prices can be expected to go up 2% or 3%. They say higher commodities and energy prices are to blame. This is a raise in the yearly increase from 2009 and 2010, in which prices stayed close to the same. While the increase in prices will be felt throughout the rough patch in the economy, the increase is average for inflation rates.

Members of a labor rights group called Missouri Jobs for Justice testified the state should keep the law in place. They said it helps workers keep up with price increases for things they need, like food and housing. want the law to stay the same because it would mean more money and less stress as living costs continue to increase.

The House Committee on International Trade and Job Creation will likely vote on the bill sometime next week.