This week...
Busy Week on the Missouri House Floor
The Missouri House of Representatives had a productive week, giving final approval of 17 bills:
- - Changes provisions governing early childhood education programs.
- - Prohibits public institutions of higher learning from discriminating against a religious student association or denying a religious student association any benefit available to any other student association.
- - Support for students attending institutions of higher education.
- - Modifies the deadline for filing a declaration of candidacy.
- - Modifies provisions relating to human trafficking ().
- - Modifies provisions governing solid waste disposal area permits ().
- - Appropriates money for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and National Guard to deploy troops to the southern border ().
- - Modifies powers of the state auditor ().
- - Relating to roadway signs ().
- - Establishes the "Building Permit Reform Act."
- - Modifies provisions related to the virtual school program.
- - Modifies provisions relating to the licensing of persons performing funeral-related services.
- - Modifies provisions relating to the "Waterways and Ports Trust Fund."
- - Prohibits local governments from requiring private property owners to accept certain types of income ().
- - Modifies provisions relating to the board of trustees for the Missouri Local Government Employees' Retirement System (LAGERS).
- - Modifies provisions relating to public funding of abortion facilities and affiliates and provisions relating to MO HealthNet providers ().
- - Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Missouri to require Jackson County to have an elected county assessor instead of an unelected assessment department ().
Legislative Movement in the Senate
The Senate gave final approval to nine bills this week. The bills now head to the House chamber:
- - Modifies provisions relation to the State Treasurer.
- - Modifies provisions relating to public safety.
- - Modifies a property tax credit for certain seniors ().
- - Modifies provisions relating to business investment incentives.
- - Modifies provisions relating to landlord-tenant actions, including eviction proceeding moratoriums and filings for transfers of real property with outstanding collectible judgments.
- - Creates the Missouri Geospatial Advisory Council.
- - Modifies provisions relating to cotton trailers.
- - Modifies provisions relating to county officials.
- - Provides for the levying of certain costs and fees to support the salaries and benefits of sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys.
Hearings of Interest
Both chambers held public hearings on a number of bills this past week, including:
- Nuclear Security Building in Kansas City: Legislation to authorize a sales tax exemption for the construction of nuclear security enterprise in Kansas City was heard in both House and Senate committees this week. (, , and )
- "Taylor Swift Act": A bill that would allow non-consenting victims of sexually explicit digital deepfakes to pursue civil action was heard in the House Special Committee on Technology and Innovation on Tuesday. () .
- Local Tobacco Regulations: Legislation that specifies the state shall preempt any local laws or ordinances regulating the sale of tobacco, nicotine or vapor products was heard in the House Government Efficiency and Downsizing Committee on Wednesday. ()
- Residential Real Property Tax Reduction: A bill that would gradually reduce the assessment percentage of residential real property from 18% to 15% was heard in the Senate Economic Development and Tax Policy Committee on Monday. ()
Senate Committee Vote
- , sponsored by Senator Hough, was voted do pass on Thursday in the Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children.
Budget Update
House Budget Chairman Cody Smith (R-Carthage) hopes to drop his committee substitute versions of the FY25 budget bills next week. The following