Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
Missouri News Network: Statehouse News for MPA Members
This report is written by Missouri School of Journalism students for publication by MPA member newspapers in print and online.
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The winter storm canceled legislative action on Monday but hearings began this week on important topics like elimination of the state income tax. State officials celebrated the third consecutive year of declining highway fatalities and Republican senators upset that the state Supreme Court had invalidated a ballot law they passed last year filibustered to keep the chief justice from delivering his annual report on the judiciary.
If you have thoughts or questions, contact Fred Anklam at anklamf@missouri.edu.
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THURSDAY
MoDOT gives annual report, highlights safety improvements
By Kate Leverenz, Missouri News Network
Distracted driving fatalities in Missouri are decreasing, while seat belt use has increased to an all-time high, said Ed Hassinger, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, in a joint committee hearing on Thursday morning.
In its annual report to the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight, MoDOT highlighted successes from the last year relating to safety.
The state’s Siddens Bening hands-free law, which began enforcement on Jan. 1, 2025, has played a role in these developments, said Hassinger.
“We’ve seen promising improvements,” Hassinger said. “Cambridge Telematics has noted that they’ve seen a 5% decrease in distracted driving in the first year after the law took effect, putting Missouri in the top five nationally for states showing the greatest improvements since 2022.”
Fatalities related to distracted driving are down about 10%, and seat belt use has increased to an all-time high of 88%, he added.
Last year also marked the third year in a row of declining roadway fatalities, according to the report.
“Preliminary numbers show that 911 people died on Missouri’s roadways,” said Hassinger. “While we say that’s three years in a row in decline, 911 is still a staggering number.”
MoDOT’s Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety recently released its new highway safety plan, “Show-Me Zero,” to improve the safety of Missouri roadways and decrease fatalities.
“We have a document in MoDOT we call the ‘safer document,’ which is a safe assessment for every roadway,” Hassinger said. “It’s a tool that we’ve developed to help our project teams facilitate discussions and look at projects through the lens of safety.”
For the first three years of this plan, MoDOT has allocated approximately $489 million for safety projects, including road improvements, signage and other safety measures. Hassinger said that 73% of these projects were specifically aimed at improving roadways.
In 2025, MoDOT spent $54.4 million for dead animal removal, sign replacement, potholes repair and natural disaster response.
Hassinger also noted issues with staffing and turnover within MoDOT during the hearing.
To combat these staffing issues, the department hired more than 700 new employees in 2025, and is asking for another 100 employees to be added into its budget this year.
Rep. Michael Johnson, D-Kansas City, expressed gratitude toward MoDOT for its efforts in cleaning up trash, foliage and brush on Interstate 70 in Kansas City.
“The before and after is amazing, and they did an immaculate job,” Johnson said. “You have some great people that you’re working with, that work for you.”
Officials still have concerns about MoDOT’s staffing efforts, contractor delays on certain projects throughout Missouri and data they wish had been collected this year.
Rep. Bob Bromley, R-Carl Junction, inquired about unfinished projects, particularly a bridge that has been under construction for over a year on Missouri 8.
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WEDNESDAY
Brattin slams Missouri Supreme Court after throwing out his law
By Kaleb Anderson, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Sen. Rick Brattin is calling for a change to the Missouri Supreme Court following its decision to strike down a law giving the secretary of state and attorney general increased powers.
Brattin, R-Harrisonville, took to Facebook Saturday and to the Senate floor Wednesday to voice his concerns with the Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Senate Bill 22, passed last year. On Wednesday, Brattin and other Senate Republicans filibustered for over an hour to delay the State of the Judiciary address.
The address, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was canceled as a result of the filibuster.
“I call all my colleagues in both chambers to do what we can to rein in an out of control court,” said Sen. Joe Nicola, R-Grain Valley. “We cannot allow this to stand, if we want to protect the freedom and liberty of our constituents.”
SB 22 was passed into law last year after being introduced by Brattin. The law gave the secretary of state the authority to rewrite ballot language during legal challenges, a responsibility previously held by judges.
The bill granted the secretary of state three attempts to rewrite ballot language when a judge has determined that the submitted language does not accurately reflect the question being put to voters.
The bill also gave the attorney general the ability to appeal temporary restraining orders issued by Circuit Court judges. That power was seen by legislators as an opportunity to continue to uphold state laws that restrict abortion access despite voter approval of Amendment 3, ensuring reproductive rights in November 2024.
The bill was struck down on Friday because it changed too much from its original purpose, according to Chief Justice W. Brent Powell’s unanimous decision.
Brattin called out many problems he sees in the judicial branch via a video on Facebook on Saturday. Brattin emphasized during the video that he believes the courts don’t have a constitutional right to change ballot language.
“Go read the Federalist Papers, which laid out our constitutional republic and the powers of each branch,” Brattin said in the video. “They explicitly said that, first off, the judiciary was supposed to be the lesser of all the branches because ... they have no power amongst themselves and they have no power to legislate.”
“Well, if they’re rewriting ballot language to how they see fit, that is legislating from the bench,” he added.
Brattin said that the law he introduced last year was meant to stop judges from writing legislation. In his video, Brattin said the courts are “elitist” and that he would look for ways to balance the power between the branches of government.
“If these Supreme Court justices want to act like they’re legislators, then I just find it fitting that we need to equal the pay to ensure they’re getting paid like us legislators,” Brattin said. “We get paid about $40,000 a year, and they get, I think, it’s $240,000 a year, roughly.”
Brattin also criticized the Supreme Court selection process. Nominees for the court are interviewed and have their application reviewed by a nonpartisan panel, which makes recommendations for appointees to the governor.
The panel includes three citizens selected by the governor, the Supreme Court’s chief justice and three lawyers elected by the lawyers of The Missouri Bar. Brattin said lawyers selected by the bar often sway the committee to recommend liberal justices. Appointments are made by the governor.
“So, it doesn’t matter how ruby red this state is,” Brattin said in the video. “You’re getting the most liberal judges put up by the Missouri Bar Association behind closed doors in the dark of night.”
Brattin said he would be looking for ways to change the model in the future.
The senator was unable to be reached for comment on Tuesday but provided the Missourian with a statement arguing that the Supreme Court threw out the law because it limited the court’s authority.
“SB 22 limited the power of judges and gave it back to the people’s elected representatives, who are accountable to the voters,” Brattin said in the statement.
“The Court did not like that, so they came up with a reason to kill the bill,” he said. “Courts are supposed to interpret the law, not protect their own power.”
Anika Austvold Sawyer Bess contributed to this report.
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Republicans' bid to eliminate income tax heard by House committee
By Peter Pynadath and Emma Farrel, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The House Commerce Committee met Wednesday to further discuss Gov. Mike Kehoe’s proposal to eliminate state income tax.
Missouri’s individual income tax is currently set at 4.7% for top earners. These taxes generate billions of dollars annually, making up roughly 65% of general revenue funds used for education and state services.
Supporters of the proposal believe that eliminating the state individual income tax would create economic growth by attracting new residents and businesses to the state, while critics warn that it will cause a major budget shortfall and increase the cost of daily living for Missourians.
The joint resolution is a constitutional amendment that will reduce and eliminate individual income tax by January 2031 at the earliest. To replace the revenue individual income tax generates, the amendment will allow the state to expand sales and use taxes.
Missouri Speaker of the House Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, stressed the importance of giving Missouri voters the choice to try a different tax system. Patterson, who is carrying the joint resolution in the House, said that the current state sales and income tax policies, which were implemented in 1917 and 1937, are outdated for a modern economy.
“This is the first step in a long, methodical process that will take place if the citizens so choose to modernize our tax system,” Patterson said. “This would just be the first step in doing that.”
Although Minority House Floor Leader Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, agrees that Missouri’s tax system is outdated, Aune believes Patterson’s proposal will become part of the problem, not the solution.
“Creating a regressive tax structure is not what the average Missourian needs,” Aune said. “The average Missourian is struggling to put food on the table, fill up their gas tank, pay their vet bills — all costs that are going to be raised for them.”
While income taxes in Missouri are considered progressive because those with more money are taxed at a higher rate, sales taxes are considered more regressive, meaning low-income residents often spend a higher percentage of their income on sales taxes than wealthy individuals.
Throughout their inquiry, multiple representatives brought up concerns over the resolution’s potential impact on low-income earners and the social services provided by the state.
“The proposal here, by eliminating income tax for the state, then we have no choice but to raise sales taxes,” Rep. Pattie Mansur, D-Kansas City, said during the hearing. “We don’t know what that’s going to look like with that bill. That’s not described yet.”
If this resolution were to pass, Patterson said details about how individual income tax would be eliminated would be determined by the General Assembly in a future session. If voters were to approve this tax reform, lawmakers could raise sales taxes on all goods or services at their discretion.
To conclude her inquiry, Aune asked Patterson if he would be open to an amendment that requires Missouri voters to approve any sales tax increases. Patterson said he is open to “any and all” amendments.
Following Patterson’s testimony on the resolution, Rep. Bishop Davidson, R-Republic, presented Joint Resolution 173, which is identical to Patterson’s. After presenting the resolution, Rep. Don Mayhew, R-Crocker, said that he believes last year’s budget revealed a spending issue, not a revenue issue.
Representing the Missouri Budget Project, Jeremy Lafaver started the public comment in the hearing. The Missouri Budget Project partners with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which has a contract with the federal government, providing data for their models.
Lafaver said their models estimate that sales tax would bring in roughly $6 billion in revenue. However, Lafaver said this is not enough to replace the $9 billion in state revenue generated by income tax.
“We already have a $2 billion shortfall, so that leaves us roughly $5 billion short,” Lafaver said.
Lafaver also echoed points brought up by Aune, noting an increase in sales tax would likely impact lower-income earners more.
“If you make $20,000 a year or less, you pay 10% of your income in taxes; if you make over a million dollars a year, you pay 6% of your income in taxes,” Laferve said. “You expand sales tax in this way, and that problem gets worse.
Many representatives and testimonies spoke on the impact this proposed tax reform may have on senior citizens, such as Jay Hardenbrook, Missouri’s advocacy director for the AARP.
“This is a huge tax shift onto older people in the state of Missouri,” Hardenbrook said. “If you rely on a public pension or Social Security for the majority of your income, you are going to see a massive, massive tax increase, and it’s going to be in everyday costs.”
Representatives of Realtor associations, lawyers, and various interest groups gave testimony for the good or service they provide to be exempt from potential sales taxes. Jason Zamkus, a registered lobbyist for the Missouri Association of Realtors, said that already existing issues with housing affordability could be exacerbated under this proposed tax reform.
“We have grave concerns that a shift in tax policy that would layer sales taxes on the myriad different services associated with your standard real estate deal may not only frustrate our efforts to ensure housing affordability, but might actually price people out of the residential market,” Zamkus said.
Finally, Leah Vukmir, representing the National Taxpayers Union, spoke in strong support of the proposed tax reform and the joint resolution.
“We believe (income tax) penalizes work, it discourages investment and slows long-term economic growth,” Vukmir said. “So as Missouri considers its path forward, we urge you to keep several things in mind: affirm the goal of income tax elimination, but be honest about the timeline.”
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Proposed A-F school report card faces bipartisan criticism in House hearing
By Nolan Haberstroh, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Kehoe’s proposed A-F school report cards were heard Wednesday by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.
The plan would require the State Board of Education to develop an annual accountability report card for each public school district, public school and public charter school.
House Bill 2710, sponsored by Rep. Dane Diehl, R-Butler, aims to implement a standardized system by which each institution is given a single grade on a one to 100 scale, made publicly viewable on any given school’s website and simplified to an A-F grade.
Diehl said the report card makes the process of school choice simpler for parents.
The bill also introduces the “Show Me Success Program,” a financial reward initiative granting schools $100 for each student attending if the school falls within the top 5% in the state in either student performance or academic growth assessment categories.
For schools within the top 10% in the state in these categories, $50 per student would be granted.
Several committee members aired grievances with the proposed system during a two-hour public hearing for the bill.
Former high school English teacher, Rep. Kem Smith, D-Florissant, raised concerns over the system’s similarity to Texas’s A-F system and its potential to upset school districts that may be unsatisfied with their grade.
Education Week reported in 2023 that dozens of districts in Texas sued the state over the accountability report card system.
Ranking minority member for the committee, Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, D-Columbia, said the bill is overly harsh toward teachers and school staff. Steinhoff is also a former math teacher in Columbia Public Schools.
“I think our schools are trying, and a lot of this just feels very punitive,” Steinhoff said. “Almost like saying ‘You’re just not trying hard enough, so maybe we throw some money out there, you’ll try harder.’”
Steinhoff said that the A-F grade system is too simple. Steinhoff gave the example of parents who may want a school proficient in arts for one child, and one with a star football team for the other. She noted that the needs of parents and students are not encompassed by an A-F system.
Republicans also brought up critiques of the proposed system. Vice chair of the committee, Rep. Brad Banderman, R-St. Clair, commented on what he saw as drawbacks to the grading scale.
“There is some inherent weaknesses, natural weaknesses to a letter grade, whether it’s to a student or a school,” Banderman said.
Banderman also echoed Steinhoff’s concerns of oversimplicity. He said the broad label would unfairly represent districts and schools.
“We are putting on (any given) district a letter grade that will be digested in its simple form without the understanding overall of it’s context,” Banderman said.
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Sweeping gun bill attempts to prohibit ‘red flag’ seizures
Jackson Cooper and Scout Hudson, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A Missouri House committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill that would prevent courts from seizing weapons from high-risk individuals.
The bill, House Bill 2176, contains changes to state firearm statutes, a catch-all that rounds up a number of gun-related provisions that Republicans have attempted to pass in previous legislative sessions.
Alongside prohibiting so-called red flag gun seizure laws, it eliminates all local authority to regulate firearms and expands self-defense presumption. It is sponsored by Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Bowling Green.
Red flag laws, or Extreme Risk Protection Orders, remove guns from individuals that are believed to be high-risk of causing harm to themselves or others. Typically, the process is initiated by an individual’s family or law enforcement.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris formed a national office to lead state-level implementation of red flag laws in March 2024. A year prior, the Department of Justice allotted $231 million through a bipartisan gun package to promote statewide implementation of the law and gun violence prevention.
Red flag laws are enforced in 22 states. Missouri, which has the fourth-highest firearm injury and death rate in the country, does not enforce them.
If passed, Perkins’ bill would preemptively prevent the enforcement of red flag gun laws in Missouri. State lawmakers have unsuccessfully proposed similar legislation over the last two years. Republicans say red flag legislation undermines due process, as the law allows officials to seize an individual’s guns before facing trial.
An investigation following the 2022 shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis revealed the parents of the gunman requested that law enforcement seize the firearm the shooter ultimately used to kill two people and wound several others. Because Missouri does not abide by red flag laws, city police were not authorized to remove the firearm.
Minority Floor Leader, Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, cited the St. Louis shooting in her opposition to the bill.
“I feel our job as lawmakers is to balance public safety with civil liberties,” Aune said.
California established similar legislation in 2016. Red flag orders were implemented 58 times when mass shootings were threatened in the state, six of which were lodged by minors intending to target schools.
Red flag seizure orders are also triggered in cases of suicide and domestic violence.
Research published by American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law determined that “one potential suicide was likely prevented for every 17 times an order removed guns from people who showed a risk of harming themselves or others.”
Suicides represent the majority of gun deaths in Missouri.
Democratic lawmakers cited personal experience as proof that a legal mechanism would ensure a stronger guarantee of safety than simply leaving it up to families.
“If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’re trying to keep someone you love safe, and they don’t want you to do that, and they are armed — that’s a very difficult thing to do,” Aune said.
HB 2176 also addressed a number of other areas that Republican lawmakers have taken aim at in recent years.
Missouri law leaves little room for local gun regulation, with cities and counties permitted only to regulate open carry in their jurisdictions. HB 2176 seeks to repeal that exception thereby standardizing firearm enforcement across the state.
Some argued that gun laws should allow for local concerns to be kept in consideration.
“HB 2176 is forcing a one-size-fits-all approach to public safety that doesn’t address city gun violence and other local concerns, while it preempts local control of public safety and it interferes with the autonomy of local government leaders,” Kristin Bowen, a volunteer with advocacy group Moms Demand Action, testified.
Self-defense parameters would be expanded in Perkins’ bill. It protects from civil liability those using deadly force in self-defense and creates an automatic legal presumption that those claiming self-defense are doing so within reason. This shifts the burden of proof to the prosecution, effectively making it harder to prosecute in cases where self-defense is claimed.
The bill also lowers the age at which one can obtain a concealed carry permit from 19 to 18.
To reach the House floor for debate, HB 2176 needs to be passed by the General Laws Committee. It has no direct sister bill in the Senate, though several smaller Senate bills are focused on individual statutory changes similar to those proposed in HB 2176.
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Senate committee discusses regulations on kratom, 7-OH
Noah Symes, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A bill to regulate kratom products got a hearing Wednesday in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence.
Senate Bill 927 aims to further regulate the sale of kratom, a drug often used for pain relief. The bill would ban the sale of kratom to those under the age of 21 and restrict advertising that could be appealing to children. The bill would also ban products that contain a level of seven-hydroxymitragynine, an alkaloid found in kratom, that is greater than 2% of the alkaloid composition of the kratom product.
Seven-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, is a byproduct of the natural kratom plant often put into kratom products to increase potency. It is also the primary alkaloid responsible for kratom’s pain-relieving effects. The bill would effectively ban products with increased levels of 7-OH, limiting them to similar levels found in natural kratom.
With similar 2% restrictions on 7-OH having passed in Colorado and Arizona, bill sponsor Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, said it’s time Missouri does the same.
“It’s time for us as Missouri legislators to act, to keep our kids and our community safe from these highly addictive unregulated drugs,” Nurrenbern said.
Former state Sen. Jeff Smith testified against the bill as a representative of Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, an organization focused on alternative recovery to address the opioid crisis. Smith said that many users of 7-OH are battling chronic pain and sleep problems that 7-OH can help mitigate.
“I’ve had persistent back pain for the last 15 years, and I take a half pill of 7-OH every night, and it helps me, it just helps me deal with the pain when I’m trying to sleep,” Smith said. “It profoundly enhances the quality of my life.”
Smith said he loves what Nurrenbern is trying to accomplish.
“We support a strong regulatory framework,” Smith said. “There are a lot of great things in this bill; we support about 90% of it.”
Where Smith deviates from Nurrenbern is in the bill’s restrictions on 7-OH.
“If you wanted to get some vitamin C, you wouldn’t go drink three gallons of orange juice, or you wouldn’t go eat 40 oranges, you would take a vitamin C capsule, that’s a little bit like what people are doing when they take 7-OH,” Smith said.
While natural kratom can provide pain relief, 7-OH provides a concentrated pain-relieving effect.
Jacob Scott, a physician, testified in support of the bill as a representative of the Missouri State Medical Association, and said, “these drugs mimic opioid like conditions.”
In 2025, the Food and Drug Administration published a paper saying 7-OH demonstrates a potency three times that of morphine and that “there is significant potential for abuse of 7-OH.”
Opponents of the bill say that 7-OH offers an alternative.
“Many of them also are using it to avoid other opioids like oxy, or heroin or fentanyl,” Smith said.
Terry Blevins, a retired law enforcement officer, testified against the bill, describing his need for 7-OH in his daily life. After returning from service in Iraq, Blevins suffered chronic pain. Being unable to take traditional pain relievers, he tried 7-OH.
“I live in pain every single day, so it’s a great help to me,” Blevins said. “I’m here today because I’m able to use 7-OH; it gives me, you know, a quality of living, a quality of life.”
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Senate bill seeks to eliminate state sales taxes on groceries
Chase Pray, Missouri News Network
A bill proposing the exemption of state sales tax on retail foods was heard by the Senate on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 1017, sponsored by Sen. Patty Lewis, D-Kansas City, would exempt SNAP-eligible food from the current 1% tax rate on all retail food items. Retail food includes food items that are not immediately consumed after purchase.
The bill would only eliminate state sales tax, allowing local taxes to be left up to the jurisdiction of counties, Lewis said to the Senate Committee on Economic and Workforce Development.
Missouri is one of 10 states to tax groceries, something that Lewis said has led several of her constituents in Kansas City to travel across state lines to Kansas for grocery shopping.
Lewis said the bill is designed to help provide relief to working-class Missouri families in response to the 3.1% increase in food prices in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“I just want to help every Missourian put a little bit of money back in their pocketbooks,” Lewis said. “And you know, with grocery prices rising, I think this is a good solution.”
Curtis Wichmer, a representative of the Missouri Catholic Conference, expressed his support for the bill’s goal to lower prices on essential goods.
“We’ve been in favor of previous measures for cost-cutting for basic necessities,” he said. “And I can’t think of a more necessary item than food for families.”
Tyler Travers, a registered lobbyist for Missouri Appleseed, also voiced his support for the bill. Travers said eliminating the tax will allow Missouri families to become healthier.
“One of the best ways to create a healthy family is to put affordable food on the table,” Travers said.
If passed, Missouri would join Illinois and Arkansas as the most recent states to eliminate state sales taxes on groceries.
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Senate Committee discusses bill establishing rural housing investment
By Erin Hynes, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee heard a bill Wednesday to help establish workforce housing in rural communities.
Senate Bill 1105, sponsored by Sen. Jason Bean, R-Holcomb, would establish a Rural Workforce Housing Investment Act. It would bring in housing for the “modern working family,” according to the bill.
The bill defines workforce housing as a house that meets the needs of a “modern working family,” is attractive to people considering moving to the area and costs less than $275,000 per unit to build, among other provisions.
“This bill is about supporting rural Missouri, helping smaller communities grow their economy and attract and retain businesses by helping their workforce have access to local and affordable housing,” Bean said at the hearing.
The bill allows nonprofit organizations to apply for a Workforce Housing Grant through the Department of Economic Development. The grants help offset the cost of building workforce housing in rural communities.
Bean said these grants would enhance what pre-existing housing development projects are already doing in rural Missouri.
Marcy Lawson, from Bootheel Progress Partnership, drove four hours from Sikeston with her 13-year-old son to testify for the first time in favor of SB 1105.
Lawson said that the tri-county region’s population has declined by an average of 13% in the last 20 years, despite several major employers like Magnum Ice Cream and Carlisle Construction Materials LLC being located in Sikeston.
“To actually grow our population, we have to have housing that working families can purchase,” Lawson said. “SB 1105, it fills that last-mile gap.”
If passed, rural communities would be able to apply for a grant provided by the Department of Economic Development. Grants cannot exceed $1 million to a single non-profit organization in the span of two years.
The bill outlines that grants will be awarded based on five criteria:
Missouri is home to 2.06 million rural residents as of 2024, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Crystal Jones from the Perry County Economic Development Authority testified in favor of the bill, highlighting how the bill would help keep the manufacturing industry in town.
“We have a very large manufacturing base, and when they can’t find housing in the city where they work, they go to our neighboring community ... and then we lose them forever,” Jones said.
Perryville has local incentive programs to help with housing costs, but SB 1105 fills a gap in those programs, she said.
“We have the demand, we just need the supply,” Jones said.
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Bill could expand fingerprinting for minors, changes juvenile point system
By Kennedy Voss, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House Children and Families Committee passed a bill Tuesday that would modify provisions on detaining juveniles who commit crimes.
House Bill 2498 would broaden the number of crimes that a minor can be fingerprinted for and allow the minor’s name to appear in the central repository with their fingerprints.
This provision aims to expand communication between enforcement jurisdictions and make it easier for law enforcement to know if the minor in custody has committed similar crimes.
Some nonprofit advocacy organizations, such as the Missouri Justice Coalition, shared privacy concerns about minors’ fingerprints and names being added to police databases.
“In today’s climate, all of the things that are happening with surveillance, with AI technologies, people’s privacy rights are being invaded without permission,” said M.L. Smith, founder and executive director of the Missouri Justice Coalition. “So I do think that there is an issue with opening up this fingerprint database.”
The sponsor of this bill, Rep. Brad Christ, R-St. Louis, said that he was not concerned about privacy issues from expanding the database.
“They’re already being fingerprinted for certain crimes,” Christ said. “We’re not making a new system for it, we’re just expanding it and adding it to the MULE system.”
The Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System is used by the Missouri State Highway Patrol to communicate between law enforcement officers.
The identity of juveniles arrested for crimes has predominantly been shielded from public view in the past.
This bill also clarifies the point system for minors and the crimes they commit.
Currently, the law determines whether a minor can be detained based on the number of points that are assigned to certain crimes. This bill allows the officer to assign the points for multiple crimes, making it easier to detain the juvenile.
The bill had widespread support from prosecutors and law enforcement. Pat Kelly, executive director of the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis, spoke at the hearing about how this bill could help minors who were repeat offenders.
“In most cases, a police officer literally has to take these individuals back home, and they’re out the back door before the police pull away from the curb,” Kelly said.
The bill now moves to the House floor.
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Unregulated gaming machines again spark debate among legislators
By Ryan Brandt and Emmy Smith, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Gaming machines have once again sparked debate in the legislature.
A familiar bill, sponsored by Rep. Bill Hardwick, R-Dixon, heard by the Missouri House Committee on Emerging Issues on Tuesday would legalize and regulate gaming machines across the state in gas stations, convenience stores and bars.
House Bill 2989, the Missouri Video Lottery Regulatory Act, would establish a regulatory system for the machines, which currently operate in a legal gray zone.
Because these machines fall under a legal gray area, they are often referred to as "gray machines." The machines are also often called "no-chance" machines because the outcome is not selected randomly, like similar slot machines.
Hardwick said that prosecutors in the state are finding it difficult to determine if the machines are legal or illegal under the current law.
"So there's a split, meaning we have trouble prosecuting them,” he said.
Hardwick's bill would prohibit any new “no-chance” machines in the state and create regulations on new licensed machines, which Hardwick calls video lottery terminals. The new machines would also be required to operate with a random outcome and be in a separate area in each building.
In addition, the bill would require the new VLTs to be connected to a centralized computer system run by the Missouri Lottery Commission. This, Hardwick said, would allow the state to monitor revenue, payouts, location and the tax compliance of the VLT machines. Additionally, no one under the age of 21 would be permitted to use the gaming machines.
The bill also aims to create the Illegal Gaming Enforcement Fund. The fund would distribute money directly to the State Highway Patrol, the attorney general's office and local prosecutors. The fund would be set aside for investigations and enforcement of the proposed act.
Finally, the bill would require VLT operators, manufacturers and distributors to be licensed with several fees in the licensing process. The funds generated from these fees would be diverted between the State Lottery Fund and the enforcement fund.
Last year, a similar bill sponsored by Hardwick died in the Senate after a series of House amendments greatly changed the meaning of the bill.
On Tuesday, some representatives expressed concerns with some of the bill's enforcement provisions.
Rep. Emily Weber, D-Kansas City, voiced her concerns regarding the law enforcement aspects of the bill, posing a question to Hardwick.
“No one under the age of 21 shall be permitted to play or wager on the VLT terminal? Who’s keeping track of that? Is it the gas station attendant? The 18-year-old who is working there?" Weber asked. "Let's say a 16-year-old goes in there, puts some money in or a debit card, wins and we find out it's a 16-year-old. Who is in trouble?”
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce also issued a statement opposed to the legalization of VLTs on Tuesday. Kara Corches, the chamber's president and CEO, said that “legalizing video lottery terminals is not an economic development strategy.”
“Missouri should be focused on sustainable policies that grow our economy, strengthen local businesses and create jobs,” she said in the statement.
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A resolution heard by the House could allow counties to eliminate some property taxes
By Abigail Didonna, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Bills proposing the potential for counties to remove personal property taxes on authorized motor vehicles and changes to help ease the consolidation of ambulance districts were discussed by the House’s Local Government Committee on Wednesday morning.
House Joint Resolution 143, sponsored by Rep. Mike Jones, R-Kansas City, proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing counties to exempt eligible motor vehicles from personal property taxes.
The resolution would dissolve the constitutional provision requiring personal property taxes; it would not eliminate personal property taxes but simply give counties the option to do so. The responsibilities of defining an eligible vehicle and establishing a procedure would fall on the Missouri General Assembly later, Jones said.
“Mainly, it’s frustrating that we are paying for something that we’ve already paid for,” Jones said. “I understand this is the structure, I just think it’s flawed.”
Several committee members had concerns about where revenue would be made up from the tax cuts.
“I see this as maybe a tax cut today, but it’s going to affect our local services tomorrow, things like the libraries, and fire and school districts,” said Rep. Marla Smith, D-St. Louis.
Rep. Rodger Reedy, R-Windsor, also had concerns about the lost revenue, calling the resolution the “feel-good legislation.”
He noted that cutting personal property taxes will likely increase real property taxes on homes and land. He said that states without personal property taxes pay for it elsewhere, noting increased vehicle registration fees in some states.
Rep. Bryant Wolfin, R-St. Genevieve, said he believes in eliminating personal property taxes, but he agrees with his colleagues that there needs to be provisions for where the revenue will be made up.
Another bill heard Wednesday was House Bill 2600, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Farnan, R-Stanberry. The bill aims to ease consolidation between ambulance districts, a political subdivision established to provide and manage emergency medical services.
The bill proposes a consolidation plan that would allow two or more existing ambulance districts to merge without need for an election.
President of the Missouri Ambulance Association John Barclay said that small ambulance districts struggle to support themselves and could greatly benefit from the ability to merge with other districts in a streamlined manner.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve gotten a call saying, ‘What do we do?’ but I can’t magically make ambulances go down the road,” Barclay said.
The bill also changes ambulance district board elections in certain counties from district-based elections to at-large elections, shifts certain oversight from county commissions to ambulance district boards and adds a procedure for decreasing board sizes.
These additions and changes are intended to make board positions easier to fill and relieve struggling districts.
Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore, D-St. Louis, asked for urgency from the committee, “I want to do this intentionally, but I want to stress the urgency of this matter.”
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TUESDAY
Final stats show traffic fatalities drop for third year in a row
By Noah Symes, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — State officials Tuesday announced a reduction in traffic fatalities for the third year in a row.
Data from the Missouri Department of Transportation show 911 traffic fatalities for 2025, down from 955 in 2024, equating to a 5% decrease and 44 fewer deaths. This continues the trend started in 2023 of a reduction in deaths every year.
Despite MoDOT reaching its goal of 955 traffic fatalities or fewer, Gov. Mike Kehoe spoke on the loss of Missourians this past year.
“While we mark progress and positive news, I want to stress that losing more than 900 people each year on our roadways is very much unacceptable. Every number is a person, every life lost is a family and a community that is forever changed,” Kehoe said.
MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger spoke to the individual’s power to reduce traffic fatalities.
“It starts with where you have that influence to make people make good decisions,” Hassinger said.
January 2026 also marks the one-year anniversary of the full enforcement of Missouri’s hands-free law, which Hassinger says is showing results.
“What we’ve seen in some of the preliminary data is there’s already been up to like a 5% reduction in distracted driving crashes that cause injuries and fatalities,” Hassinger said.
While Hassinger said he remains hopeful for the results of the hands-free law, he had a simple message to the public.
“We’re seeing less distracted driving. It is a huge problem, and we need people to really think about, when they’re in their automobile, you know, put your phone down, focus on driving,” Hassinger said.
Jon Nelson, MoDOT’s state highway safety and traffic engineer, announced an update to the department’s Show Me Zero initiative with a focus on what Nelson describes as a redundancy of safety.
“This redundancy, this global participation, it’s key, because if one element, if one person fails, the ideas that another element or a counter-measure picks up the slack and saves a life,” Nelson said.
As Nelson looks toward the future of MoDOT’s roadway safety initiatives, he reiterated the power of the individual.
“For this redundancy to work, it must be anchored in this principle of shared responsibility, that is, we all have a role to play,” Nelson said. “It takes all of us doing our part to get there; that’s how we save lives, that’s how we keep moving closer to zero.”
MoDOT’s ultimate goal remains reaching zero traffic fatalities by 2030.
MoDOT’s initiative and future updates can be viewed at: https://www.savemolives.com/mcrs/show-me-zero
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House Committee discusses proposed citizenship verification for voters
By Brandon Lorenz, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A bill introduced to the House Elections Committee on Tuesday would require citizenship status to be shared between the Department of Motor Vehicles and the secretary of state.
House Bill 2125, introduced by Rep. Brad Banderman, R-St. Clair, expands on existing law. The law requires the secretary of state and the director of Department of Revenue to match information in the voter registration database with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Right now, that information includes an individual’s first and last name, date of birth, and Social Security number. The bill would add requirements that these departments check the citizenship status of individuals.
Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis, objected to some wording in the bill but there was little discussion over the need for citizenship checks.
The biggest pushback came to a section of the bill that reinstates the secretary of state’s power to investigate and subpoena individuals based on suspected election offenses. The power expired last August. The claims can be made by anyone to the secretary’s office.
The section speaks specifically on “credible” and “frivolous” claims, however some lawmakers were left uncertain on how these claims would be categorized.
“I do not want to empower the secretary of state with (subpoena) power,” Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, said. “Those are subjective determinations whether something is frivolous.”
The bill also extends the deadline of the subpoena power to 2031.
“I feel like this subpoena power is very important, no matter who the secretary of state, no matter the party. This is an important tool that our secretary of state should have,” Banderman said.
The committee also heard HB 1812, proposed by Rep. Mark Nolte, R-Higginsville. This bill requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to report death certificates to the secretary of state on a monthly basis.
Under the bill, the secretary of state will then notify local election authorities of the deaths, and they will be removed from the voter rolls.
Some concern was brought about individuals with similar names, however Nolte says that these reports will come with Social Security numbers to ensure that the individuals being removed are the correct individuals.
