Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
The following is a legislative update from Clarkston Nelson, LLC concerning the Missouri General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session. Use the information within to develop local coverage of issues important to your readers.
The 2026 Missouri legislative session officially adjourned sine die on Friday, May 15th, concluding the second regular session of the 103rd General Assembly and Governor Mike Kehoe’s second legislative session as Governor. Republicans maintained firm control of both chambers throughout session with a 24-10 Republican majority in the Missouri Senate and a 106-52 Republican majority in the Missouri House of Representatives, with five House vacancies. The session also marked a significant transition period within the General Assembly, as nine Missouri State Senators are term-limited and unable to seek re-election in 2026, representing more than half of the 17 Senate seats up for election next year. Additionally, 32 members of the Missouri House are term-limited, ensuring substantial turnover in both chambers heading into the 2027 legislative session.
After 18 weeks of legislative activity, lawmakers filed approximately 3,150 bills during the session. Of those measures, 101 bills — including 17 appropriation bills — were Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed (TAFP’d), surpassing last year’s total of 69 enacted bills.
While disagreements and partisan tensions still surfaced throughout session, legislative leaders largely avoided the procedural gridlock and extended floor battles that characterized several recent years in the Missouri Senate. Instead, leadership from both chambers consistently emphasized completing core legislative business, passing the state budget on time, and advancing major Republican policy priorities before adjournment.
The overall tone of the 2026 session differed significantly from the 2025 session, which you might recall ended amid heightened partisan confrontation, use of the Previous Question (PQ) motion, and disputes surrounding initiative petition reform, abortion policy, and stadium funding proposals. This year, lawmakers focused more heavily on the following key priorities and issues:
One of Governor Mike Kehoe’s signature priorities throughout session was advancing a long-term phase out of Missouri’s individual income tax, which lawmakers ultimately approved through a proposed constitutional amendment now headed to Missouri voters for consideration. Governor Kehoe described the proposal as a transformational economic development initiative designed to increase Missouri’s competitiveness, attract business investment, and allow Missourians to keep more of their earnings.
In addition to the income tax proposal, lawmakers also approved several other major priorities during session, including passage of the ICCA hemp regulatory framework legislation, multiple public safety initiatives, workforce development investments, and several economic development measures highlighted by the Governor and legislative leadership as major wins of the 2026 session. On Thursday, ahead of the Legislature’s constitutional adjournment deadline on Friday at 6:00 p.m., Governor Kehoe held an end-of-session press conference highlighting what his administration described as one of the more productive and collaborative legislative sessions in recent years. While several proposals gained momentum throughout session, others continued to face challenges navigating the legislative process. Two of the highest-profile priorities that ultimately failed to cross the finish line were legislation authorizing Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) and broader property tax reform measures, both of which stalled despite significant debate and support from various members of legislative leadership.
Governor Mike Kehoe will now spend the coming weeks reviewing legislation passed during the 2026 legislative session and determining whether to sign or veto the various policy and appropriation bills sent to his desk. Appropriation decisions must be finalized by June 30, while policy legislation decisions must be completed by July 15. Bills signed by the Governor will generally become effective on August 28, 2026, unless passed with an emergency clause.
Although several priorities remain unfinished and are expected to continue into the interim and the 2027 legislative session, the overall perception surrounding the 2026 session is that lawmakers successfully restored a greater degree of stability and productivity to the legislative process. Compared to recent years marked by procedural battles and partisan stalemates, the 2026 session demonstrated a more measured and collaborative approach to governing while still advancing key Republican priorities, including tax relief, economic growth initiatives, infrastructure investments, workforce development, and public safety measures. Legislators will now return to their districts for the interim before bill filing officially resumes later this year ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
As usual, you will find our detailed report below on all bills of interest that have passed and those that have failed. If you would like a copy of any of the bills that have reached the Governor’s desk, please let us know.
We truly appreciate the opportunity to work with you and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Dates of Interest
June 5, 2026 - Missouri Press Board Meeting
July 1, 2026 – First day of the 2027 State Fiscal Year
July 15, 2026 – Last day for Governor to sign bills
August 4, 2026 – Primary Election
September 16, 2026 – Veto Session
November 3, 2026 – General Election
December 1, 2026 – Pre-filing of bills for 2027 Legislative Session
One of the Legislature’s primary constitutional responsibilities during session remained passage of the Fiscal Year 2027 state operating budget before the constitutional May 8 deadline. This year, both the Missouri House and Senate approved the final conference committee versions of the appropriations bills totaling approximately $50.7 billion, officially completing work on the budget package ahead of the deadline and sending all 17 appropriations bills to Governor Mike Kehoe for consideration. The Governor now has authority to sign the budget bills into law, issue line-item vetoes, or reduce specific appropriations before the FY 2027 budget takes effect July 1, 2026.
Budget negotiations throughout session focused heavily on balancing continued investments in infrastructure, workforce development, public safety, higher education, and economic development initiatives while addressing growing concerns surrounding long-term state revenues and a tightening fiscal environment compared to recent surplus years. Debate in both chambers centered heavily around K-12 education funding levels, with several lawmakers voicing concerns that the state did not fully fund the statutory foundation formula despite maintaining record overall education spending levels. House budget leaders defended the final agreement by emphasizing that education funding remains historically high while acknowledging the Legislature must begin preparing for slower revenue growth and more restrained future budgets.
In higher education, lawmakers approved House Bill 2003, which funds Missouri’s colleges, universities, and workforce development programs. Senate debate focused heavily on whether Missouri should eventually transition to a revised higher education funding model tied more closely to enrollment and performance metrics. Ultimately, lawmakers-maintained Governor Kehoe’s recommended core funding structure for public institutions while directing continued review of long-term funding formulas. The final budget also included continued investments into workforce training and career readiness programs, including funding for the MOScholars education savings account program and various workforce recruitment and retention initiatives championed by the Governor and legislative leadership.
Lawmakers additionally finalized capital improvement and maintenance appropriations through House Bills 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (comprised of $2 billion of the $50.7 billion budget) which included funding for statewide infrastructure projects, higher education facility improvements, transportation investments, economic development initiatives, and numerous community-based projects across Missouri. The capitol improvements budget included $15M for a new conference center and parking garage in Jefferson City to help address some of the current parking challenges in the capitol city. Compared to the 2025 session — where lawmakers nearly faced the possibility of a special session to complete budget work and tensions escalated following the collapse of a major capital improvements bill — this year’s appropriations process was viewed as significantly smoother and more coordinated between both chambers. Leadership repeatedly emphasized fiscal discipline while continuing targeted investments into statewide priorities and long-term economic growth.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTIONS 173 & 174 PASSES
Upon voter approval, this constitutional amendment requires the General Assembly to enact legislation to reduce and eliminate the state individual income tax by reducing the top rate of the individual income tax based on revenue growth until the tax is eliminated. Upon elimination of the individual income tax, the General Assembly is prohibited from enacting or imposing any State individual income tax.
Currently, state and local sales and use taxes, or similar transaction-based taxes, may not be expanded to impose taxes on any service or transaction that was not subject to sales, use, or similar transaction-based tax on January 1, 2015.
The amendment provides that the General Assembly may authorize the expansion of sales and use taxes to transactions involving any goods and services for the purpose of reducing and eliminating the state individual incoming tax and the reducing of local tax rates but only if the same legislation reduces the top rate of the state individual income tax by an amount that is at least substantially equal to the revenues generate by the expansion of the sales and use tax or increase in the state sales and use tax rate. If such legislation is enacted within five years of the effective date of this amendment, it shall not be considered new annual revenue for the purposes specified in the amendment.
Beginning 12 months after the effective date of any law expanding the sales and use tax base, any political subdivision that imposes a sales and use tax must adjust one or more specified tax rates or levies to reduce revenue generated in an amount equal to 97% of the additional revenue produced by the expansion.
Beginning 12 months after the effective date of any law expanding the sales and use tax base, each sales and use tax rate imposed directly by the Missouri Constitution, except the rate imposed under Article XIV of the Missouri Constitution, must be reduced in the manner provided by law to offset the additional revenue generated by the expansion, as determined by the State Auditor.
The amendment includes ballot language for this proposed constitutional amendment.
ELECTION NOTICES BILL PASSES
House Bill 1871, sponsored by Rep. Peggy McGaugh (R-Carrollton), an elections bill, was third read and passed by the Senate on May 11, and truly agreed and finally passed by the House on May 12. The bill allows a county clerk to mail election notices to all registered voters in their county and, if notices are mailed, a newspaper in that county would publish the election notice one time instead of two times. Also, election notices would be published within six weeks of an election, rather than within one week before the election. The bill provides that, in the case of a bond election, if an election contest is not filed within 30 days after the official announcement of the election result, all conditions of state election law must be deemed to have been complied with in the issuance of the bond. This bill seeks to reorganize and update Missouri’s election statutes by repealing and rewriting multiple sections that govern various aspects of election administration, procedures, and rules.
NEWSPAPERS’ NEW LEGAL PUBLICATION REQUIREMENTS PASS
House Bill 1940, as amended, was sponsored by Rep. Peggy McGaugh (R-Carrollton), legislation that changes the length of time for successor newspapers and newly established newspapers to be considered legal newspapers, qualified to publish public notices in their communities, was third read and passed by the Senate on May 7, and truly agreed and finally passed by the House on May 12. Currently, to qualify, a newspaper must have been published regularly for a period of three years or must be the successor newspaper to a non-active newspaper that restarts publication no later than 30 days after the termination of the prior newspaper. HB 1940 reduces the regular publication period from three years to one year and increases the time from 30 days to 90 days for a successor newspaper to begin publication. The bill also allows a newspaper that has been purchased or newly established by another newspaper that already satisfies these conditions to qualify. The bill had been amended in the Senate to allow a county clerk to publish notice of an election twice in at least two qualified newspapers within six weeks before the election. If a county clerk mails the election notice to the county’s registered voters, then the notice will be published only one time, rather than two times.
LEGISLATION PASSES THAT CLOSES JUVENILE COURT PROCEEDINGS
Senate Bill 888, sponsored by Sen. Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon) and House Bills 2637 & 3155, sponsored by Rep. John Black (R-Marshfield), are bills modifying and establishing provisions relating to public safety, along with the criminal and juvenile justice system. Both the House and Senate bills provide that juvenile court proceedings for criminal offenses will not be open to the general public. SB 888 was truly agreed to and finally passed on March 12 and signed by Governor Mike Kehoe on April 7. HB 2637 & 3155 was truly agreed to and finally passed on April 29.
ANTI-SLAPP BILLS PASS
Senate Bill 1067, sponsored by Sen. Mike Henderson (R-Desloge), and Senate Bills 835 & 1111, sponsored by Sen. Sandy Crawford (R-Buffalo), both were passed and both contain the “Uniform Public Expression Protection Act” or anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation). Both bills were third read and passed by the House and then truly agreed to and finally passed by the Senate on the last day of session, May 15. The legislation is to protect speakers at public meetings and elsewhere, even on social media, from meritless lawsuits, creating a faster path for judges to dismiss such lawsuits. The legislation would allow defendants to seek early dismissal of cases arising from speech, press, assembly, petition and association rights tied to matters of public concern.
AUTOMATIC EXPUNGEMENT FOR CERTAIN CRIMINAL RECORDS PASSES
Senate Bill 1421, sponsored by Sen. Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon), is an omnibus bill regarding public safety and includes some provisions dealing with court records. The bill allows for the automatic expungement of all eligible offenses against persons who previously were charged, and it creates the Missouri Expungement Fund. The bill requires, beginning no later than Jan. 1, 2027, all eligible offenses, as that term is defined in the bill, to automatically be expunged upon eligibility. The central repository will, at least once a week, automatically screen criminal history record information contained in the statewide criminal history database for eligible offenses, and the offenses will be automatically expunged. The central repository will, at least on a weekly basis, send the Supreme Court of Missouri a list of all expunged offense charges since the previous report. An offender will be limited to expungement of three misdemeanors and two felonies. The Missouri State Highway Patrol will provide a consumer reporting agency with information to identify expunged records. The Office of State Courts Administrator, Department of Corrections, and the Highway Patrol must jointly develop a document outlining certain details about any expungements. Records of arrest, indictments pending trial, and convictions of crimes will no longer be reported if a full pardon or expungement has been granted. If a violation of these provisions occurs, the Attorney General may bring a cause of action. The bill creates in the State Treasury the "Missouri Expungement Fund,” a fund dedicated to the creation, operation, and maintenance of the program. The Office of State Courts Administrator and the Department of Public Safety will use money from the Fund, upon appropriation. SB 1421 was truly agreed to and finally passed on the last day of session, May 15.
LIMITING MINORS TO PORN ON THE INTERNET PASSES
House Bills 1839, 2921 & 3015, handled by Rep. Sherri Gallick (R-Belton), would prevent minors from accessing harmful material on the Internet. The bill requires any commercial entity for which it is the regular course of business to publish or distribute in the state a website in which at least 33 percent of the material published is harmful to minors, to verify that any person attempting to access the material is at least 18 years old. After verification, the commercial entity is prohibited from retaining any identifying information of the individual. The bill does not apply to bona fide news or public interest broadcasts or other media and will not affect the rights of a news-gathering organization. The bill was truly agreed to and finally passed on May 13.
ILLEGAL OPERATION OF DRONES PASSES
House Bills 2637 & 3155, sponsored by Rep. John Black (R-Marshfield), and Senate Bill 1421, sponsored by Sen. Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon), are bills relating to the unlawful use of unmanned aircraft (drones) in certain areas. The legislation makes it unlawful to operate drones within the boundary of any critical infrastructure facility or within a vertical distance of 400 feet from the ground and within the boundary of the facility. “Open air facility,” such as a stadium, is modified by decreasing the capacity from 5,000 or more people to 500 or more people. An emergency clause was added to the legislation so it would become effective prior to the FIFA World Cup Soccer matches in June and July in Kansas City. The House bill was truly agreed to and finally passed on April 29. SB 1421 was truly agreed to and finally passed on May 15.
INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC OVERSIGHT COMMISSION PASSES
Senate Substitute #2 for Senate Bill 863, sponsored by Sen. Jason Bean (R-Holcomb), was passed to create provisions governing organizations that facilitate interscholastic athletic activities for high schools, both public and charter. Under this bill, appeals of decisions made by the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) may be heard by the newly created "Interscholastic Athletic Oversight Commission,” a board of directors appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The oversight commission shall hear appeals after the activities association's appeals process has been exhausted or appeals are made directly to the oversight commission. The oversight commission may recommend rule changes to the activities association to be considered through the activities association's rulemaking procedures. The oversight commission shall be established within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for purposes of hearing appeals. All decisions of the oversight commission are final, not subject to further appeal, and shall be adhered to and implemented by the activities association. The bill was truly agreed to and finally passed on April 30.
ABUSIVE WEBSITE ACCESS VIOLATIONS BILL PASSES
Senate Bills 907, 1154 & 1272, sponsored by Sen. Brad Hudson (Cape Fair), would create the “Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation.” The legislation targets "sue-and-settle" lawsuits where plaintiffs allegedly exploit Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards to extract quick settlements from small businesses rather than genuinely seeking accessibility improvements. Businesses are granted a 90-day "safe harbor" period to take substantial, good-faith steps to fix alleged website accessibility violations before a lawsuit can be deemed "abusive." A civil action alleging a website access claim is considered abusive only if the court, based on all of the circumstances, finds the primary purpose of the litigation was to obtain a monetary settlement unrelated to improving accessibility or enforcing accessibility rights. If the U.S. Department of Justice issues standards concerning website accessibility under the federal ADA, the provisions of this bill shall expire. The bill was truly agreed to and finally passed on April 21, and Governor Mike Kehoe signed the bill on May 6.
75 MPH RURAL INTERSTATES BILL PASSES
Senate Bill 1408, sponsored by Sen. Jamie Burger (R-Benton), would increase the maximum speed limit from 70 miles per hour to 75 miles per hour on rural, divided highways and interstates. The bill aims to align Missouri with neighboring states like Kansas, Arkansas, and Nebraska that already permit higher speeds. The bill was truly agreed to and finally passed on May 15, the last day of session.
COPIES OF LAWS, REVISED STATUTES PRINTED, PASSES
Senate Bill 1470, sponsored by Sen. Mike Bernskoetter (R-Jefferson City), is a bill modifying the duties and functions of the Joint Committee on Legislative Research. The Joint Committee is required to provide copies of all laws in a web-based electronic format, in addition to the current paper copies that must be made available. Currently, printed copies of laws, resolutions, constitutional amendments, and measures are made available at no cost to members of the General Assembly, certain judicial entities, and certain law enforcement entities, but the bill repeals this provision and provides that such copies shall be available for sale by the Joint Committee, and the money received shall be deposited into the Statutory Revision Fund, rather than the General Revenue Fund. Currently, the revised statutes of Missouri are printed only upon the adoption of a concurrent resolution by the General Assembly. The bill repeals the requirement of adopting a concurrent resolution. Instead, if an appropriation is made for republishing the revised statutes, the General Assembly must adopt a concurrent resolution for such republishing. If there is no appropriation for the printing of supplements, then the cost shall be paid by the Statutory Revision Fund. The bill was truly agreed to and finally passed on May 13.
FOR OUR FREEDOM AMENDMENT – DID NOT PASS
House Concurrent Resolution 23 (Perkins R-Bowling Green) and Senate Concurrent Resolution 11 (Trent R-Springfield) calls on members of Congress to uphold the principles of federalism. These resolutions clearly state the position of the Missouri General Assembly is to retain state control of campaign spending. HCR 23 was passed by the Missouri House of Representatives by a vote 117-0 and later passed by the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, and Resolutions Committee by a bi-partisan 4-0 vote. SCR 11 was also voted do pass from the Senate Committee but was not placed on the Senate floor calendar. In the final week of session, due to limited floor time, HCR 23 was not placed on the floor calendar for adoption by Senate President Pro-Tem Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina). The House sponsor and House Speaker Pro-Tem Chad Perkins has stated his intentions to re-file the resolution again next session as one of his top priorities. The Missouri Senate will have new leadership in 2027 due to term limits, to which, our Senate sponsor Curtis Trent is running for the Senate Majority Floor Leader position. Significant progress was made during the 2026 legislative session and the resolution received strong bi-partisan support in both legislative chambers.
PUBLIC ACCESS TO ARREST WARRANT RECORDS – DID NOT PASS
House Bill 1633 (Overcast, R-Ava) would have restricted public access through electronic case management systems to arrest warrants, probable cause affidavits, and related court records for covered offenses until the warrant is executed, unless a prosecuting attorney asks for disclosure and the court finds that disclosure is necessary for public safety or the administration of justice. The bill also included exceptions, provides civil and criminal immunity for officials who restrict access in good-faith compliance with the bill, and directs the Office of State Courts Administrator to create rules and procedures to implement the new requirements. The bill was referred to the House Emerging Issues Committee but did not receive a hearing.
MEDIA LITERACY AND CRITICAL THINKING ACT – DID NOT PASS
Two bills, House Bill 1792 (Jim Murphy, R-St. Louis) and Senate Bill 1351 (Joe Nicola, R-Grain Valley), would establish the Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act, a pilot program in public schools, to address media literacy, develop strategies for student learning in classroom curricula, and demonstrate various literacy strategies used. House Bill 1792 was passed out of the House Children and Families Committee as well as the House Rules-Administrative Committee but did not progress further. Senate Bill 1351 moved to the House and a hearing was conducted by the House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs but was not brought up for consideration by the House Rules-Legislative Committee.
POSTING NOTICES ON SOS WEBSITE – DID NOT PASS
House Bill 2179 (Casteel, R-High Ridge) would allow public notices in charter counties to be posted on the Secretary of State’s website or published in newspapers. MPA was opposed to the bill. The bill was referred to the House Legislation Review Committee on Jan. 29, and a hearing was conducted on Feb. 10. The committee passed the bill on April 13, but the bill died.
NOTICES NOT REQUIRED IN NEWSPAPERS – DID NOT PASS
House Bill 2305 (Oehlerking, R-Ballwin) would not require public notices in newspapers for any publicly funded construction project by any county, city, or other governmental entity. Instead, notices would be published on a publicly accessible online portal, such as the political subdivision’s official website, and additional notices may be published in local or regional newspapers. The bill was not heard by a committee and died.
PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY ELECTION – DID NOT PASS
House Bill 2387 (Brad Banderman, R-St. Clair) was a bill to revise the Presidential Preference Primary Election in Missouri. The bill was third read and passed by a vote of 116-23 but ultimately died on the Senate calendar.
CONFIDENTIAL ADDRESSES OF STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS – DID NOT PASS
House Bill 2466 (Jones, R-Kansas City) would establish a Sunshine Law exemption that makes the addresses of state elected officials confidential and not public records. MPA opposed the bill. It was not heard in committee and died.
ELECTED OFFICIALS’ TRAVEL INFORMATION CLOSED – DID NOT PASS
House Bill 2562 (Costlow, R-Dardenne Prairie) called for an exemption to the Sunshine Law, closing records relating to security or travel for elected officials that, if disclosed, would endanger the safety of the official or the general public. The bill was referred to the House Local Government Committee on March 26, but did not receive a hearing.
SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS’ EXPRESSIONS – DID NOT PASS
House Bill 2682 (Chappell, R-Rogersville) and Senate Bill 909 (Hudson, R-Cape Fair) are bills that would rename the “Missouri Student Religious Liberties Act” as the “Missouri Safeguarding Personal Expression at K-12 Schools (SPEAKS) Act” and create provisions safeguarding students’ political and ideological expression at public schools. The Senate Bill received a hearing and was passed by the Senate Education Committee on Jan. 29. House Bill 2682 moved through the House, was third read and passed by the House on Feb. 26, referred to the Senate Education Committee on March 12, and passed by the committee on April 30. The bills died.
AUTO-RENEWAL CANCELLATIONS – DID NOT PASS
House Bill 3512 (Woods, D-Kansas City) would have created provisions relating to automatic renewal or continuous service offers for consumers and cancellation mechanisms for paid subscriptions or purchasing agreements. House Bill 3519 (Hales, D-St. Louis) would have changed the law regarding automatically renewed transactions by requiring certain notice to be given to consumers. Both bills were referred to a committee on the last day of session.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – DID NOT PASS
Senate Bill 1012 (Nicola, R-Grain Valley), was a bill that would have created new provisions relating to artificial intelligence. The bill sets restrictions on the use of AI, requires owners of AI systems to maintain reasonable and documented oversight and control measures, and requires election advertising created by AI to include a disclaimer alerting viewers that the media was created with the use of AI, among other provisions. SB 1012 was passed out of the Senate by a vote of 20-10 in early May, but ultimately died in the House Emerging Issues Committee.
SELF-STORAGE NOTICES – DID NOT PASS
Three bills were introduced that would eliminate public notices in newspapers regarding self-storage unit auctions. They failed. Senate Bill 1022 (Brown, R-Rolla), was referred to the Senate Emerging Issues and Professional Registration Committee, which conducted a hearing on Feb. 10, and passed on March 10. House Bill 2206 (Mayhew, R-Crocker) was re-referred to the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 11, a hearing was conducted on Feb. 18, and the bill was passed out of the committee on March 4. Then, on April 14, the bill was reported passed by the House Rules Committee. House Bill 2717 (Diehl, R-Butler) was heard by the House Commerce Committee on Feb. 4 and passed on Feb. 12. It was then referred to the House Rules Committee on Feb. 24 and passed on March 10. The bill was placed on the House Perfection Calendar on March 12, then placed on the House Informal Calendar on April 13, then placed back on the Formal Perfection Calendar on April 29. MPA opposed all three bills, and none of them passed.
CRONKITE NEW VOICES ACT – DID NOT PASS
Two bills were introduced, Senate Bill 1172 (Washington, D-Kansas City) and House Bill 2918 (Miller, St. Charles). The Senate bill was referred to the Senate Education Committee on Jan. 17, but never received a hearing. The House bill received a hearing on Feb. 11, by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. The House bill’s sponsor did not agree with the bill’s language and with several witnesses at the hearing. He rewrote the bill. MPA opposed the substitute which was passed by the House committee on March 11. And the bill died.
TAX CREDITS FOR PRINTING PLANTS – DID NOT PASS
Two bills were introduced to provide tax credits for qualified printing plants in Missouri. Senate Bill 1209 (Burger, R-Benton) was heard by the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee on March 25, however the bill was never voted on by the committee. House Bill 2527 (Voss, R-Cape Girardeau) was a bill identical to Senate Bill 1209, but it was never heard by a committee. Both bills died.
PROVISIONS FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION - DID NOT PASS
Senate Bill 1351 (Nicola, R-Independence) in the original bill dealt with the school board makeup of the Independence School Board. The bill was amended in the House to add the Student Screen-Time Standards Act as set out in HB 2230. It also added language to create a school accountability grading system as well as the Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act, the Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program and the screening focus group. The bill passed the Senate with the original language but died in the House Rules-Legislative Committee.
COURT RECORDS AVAILABLE IN COURTHOUSES – DID NOT PASS
Senate Bill 1418 (Curtis Trent, R-Springfield) is a bill that would make court records available to members of the public who are physically present at the courthouse where the official court record is maintained for that court. The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee but never received a hearing and died.
