Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
Statehouse Reporting

Capitol Report 1/31/2025

Posted

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.

-----------------------------------------------------

Missouri News Network coverage this week included Gov. Mike Kehoe’s first State of the State address, information on his proposed budget and the first steps by the House to seek to limit abortion rights approved by voters last fall. Days of the week indicate the days of publication on the Columbia Missourian website.

If you have thoughts or questions, contact Fred Anklam at anklamf@missouri.edu.

-----------------------------------------------------

THURSDAY

House takes first steps toward putting abortion limits on ballot

By Natanya Friedheim, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — House Republicans have taken their first steps at giving voters another chance to weigh in on abortion rights.

House Joint Resolution 54 would ban all abortions except in cases of medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape or incest. The same proposed ballot measure would ban surgeries, hormones and drugs given to minors for the purpose of gender transitions.

“Ultimately the goal, and the language, is to protect those that are most vulnerable,” said Rep. Melanie Stinnett, R-Greene County, who introduced the measure. Stinnett said her background working with people with disabilities led her to include restrictions on abortions based on prenatal disability.

Restricting abortion belongs on the same ballot measure as a ban on transgender medical interventions because both issues concern “those most vulnerable,” Stinnett said.

Passage of the joint resolution is required to put an initiative petition on the ballot. House Speaker Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, said that he has referred the measure to the House Committee on Children and Families. The committee will hear the bill when it meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday

“Anything that we do really will be done in public,” he told reporters Thursday. House and Senate Republicans collaborated to create the joint resolution and a similar measure in the Senate, SJR 33.

If the joint resolution or an amended version passes the legislature, voters will see it on the ballot during the next general election in November 2026, or sooner if the governor calls a special election.

The resolution would permit abortion in cases of rape or incest only up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It also requires a person seeking an abortion to report the rape or incest to an appropriate law enforcement agency, then give the attending physician documentation of the police report at least 48 hours before the abortion.

The resolution prohibits abortions based on a prenatal diagnosis, such as Down syndrome, but carves out an exception for fetal anomaly.

Abortion became a constitutional right in Missouri after voters narrowly approved Amendment 3 in November, but elective abortions remain unavailable in the state.

Amendment 3 established a constitutional right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability.

”This is just the first example of out-of-touch Missouri politicians trying to undermine the will of the people,” Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, which advocated for Amendment 3, said in an email.

”It’s not surprising to see in HJR 54 the same fear-mongering attacks that we’ve always fought, but we are clear, Missourians want and deserve to make their own decisions about their own health care, and it’s not politicians’ business,” she added.

Prior to the election, abortion opponents claimed Amendment 3 would open the door to unregulated transgender procedures for minors; abortion advocates refuted the idea as a red herring.

The amendment directly contradicted Missouri’s near-total abortion ban, which had limited exceptions for health and life of the mother but no exceptions for rape or incest. The abortion ban became law in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri and the Missouri American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction blocking the state’s abortion ban in December. They also sought to block a slew of laws which they say make operating an abortion clinic onerous, and which they argue are medically unnecessary.

In December, Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang struck down the ban and other laws but kept abortion clinic licensing requirements in place.

“While Planned Parenthood stands ready to start providing abortions in Missouri again as soon as the Court permits, the abortion restrictions remaining in effect – including Missouri’s medically unnecessary and discriminatory clinic licensing requirement—make this impossible,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement following Zhang’s decision.

-----------------------------------------------------

WEDNESDAY

Open enrollment bill faces lengthy committee questioning

By Molly Gibbs, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — A bill to establish the “Public School Open Enrollment Act” has been filed for the fifth year — this time backed by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The bill, House Bill 711, would allow students to attend public schools outside of the district they live in and let districts opt in to the program on a voluntary basis. In his State of the State address on Tuesday, Kehoe said he supports school choice and urged legislators to pass the bill.

The governor also voiced his support at a noon rally for school choice Wednesday at the Capitol Rotunda.

At the same time, the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee heard testimony on the bill and questioned bill sponsor, Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, extensively.

Pollitt said the bill will improve the quality of instruction and programs, provide choices for students and encourage competition between school districts.

“This country was built on competition. Why should these school districts in the state, that are supported by taxpayers’ dollars be afraid to compete in academic programs?” Pollitt said.

The bill has been modified since a similar bill failed to pass last year.

A lottery system was added to determine which student transfers are approved. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would establish the lottery system.

Pollitt said he has already spoken to DESE about mimicking what other states have done when creating the lottery instead of trying to “reinvent the wheel.”

Another change was made to the “Parent Public School Choice Fund” portion of the bill. Rather than providing a fixed amount, the language now calls on the General Assembly to appropriate state money to support the open enrollment program.

Committee members spent over an hour questioning Pollitt about open enrollment and sharing their concerns.

Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, D-Columbia, questioned if the bill would apply to all students.

“Even though this appears as a choice bill, the way it’s written right now, it doesn’t really apply to people who might have transportation issues. It doesn’t apply to all SpEd (special education) students and it doesn’t apply to our students who have behavior problems that are looking for a different alternative,” Steinhoff said.

Pollitt assured Steinhoff that parts of the bill excluding special education students from participating in open enrollment would be changed or removed with the help of Rep. Matthew Overcast, R-Ava.

“We will be stripping that language out with regard to ... essentially discriminating against students with disabilities,” Overcast said.

He said he will also be looking to address the “transportation issue” but supports the bill overall.

“This is a good thing for teachers. This is a good thing for students,” he said.

Still, the committee heard from many witnesses who oppose the bill for other reasons. Tammy Henderson, executive director of Community Relations & Governmental Affairs at the North Kansas City Schools, voiced concern that open enrollment would weaken local control.

“Our worry is, in the future a lot of things down here tend to start voluntary and become mandatory and we are very, very concerned about that,” Henderson said.

-----------------------------------------------------

Witnesses urge legislators to raise Missouri marriage age

By Kat Ramkumar, Missouri News Network 

JEFFERSON CITY — Sen. Tracy McCreery renewed efforts Wednesday to raise the minimum marriage age to 18 in Missouri.

McCreery, D-Olivette, spoke in favor of her Senate Bill 66 to the Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee.

In Missouri, 16- and 17-year-olds can get married to any person under the age of 21 with parental consent. McCreery wants to eliminate the parental consent language and limit marriage to those 18 or older.

McCreery said that by limiting marriage to those who are 18 or older, her bill would give individuals full autonomy over their choices.

“Witnesses in the hearing this morning shared that child marriage is a human rights issue,” McCreery said. “It’s time for Missouri to do the right thing by Missouri children.”

Missouri falls in the bottom third of states for child rights, and is one of 37 states that legalizes child marriage, according to Human Rights Watch.

Brandi Dredge is an author and a domestic crime and sex violence survivor who married her 24-year-old boyfriend when she was 17 years old.

“I can see the manipulation, the grooming and how the long term effects of abuse and trauma have played out in the lives of me and my children,” Dredge said. “We must stand by the truth that children are children until they reach maturity.”

Anti-child marriage activist Fraidy Reiss mentioned how young victims of child marriages cannot seek help at domestic violence shelters.

“You cannot get into a shelter and you cannot easily retain an attorney because contracts with minors are voidable,” Reiss said. “They have to wait until they’re 18 to file for divorce and at that point, they’ve experienced trauma that’s pulled them out of school.”

The bill is similar to Senate Bill 767, introduced last year by former Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Scott City. Rehder, who married at 15, spoke about how not all child marriages are forced.

“As a child, you do not know,” Rehder said. “Your prefrontal cortex is not developed, and you are making decisions that are not decisions.”

No testimony was given against the bill at the hearing.

“The fact that no one was willing to publicly get up and state their opposition shows how far Missourians have come on this issue,” McCreery said.

Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, who in the past has spoken against raising the marriage age, was present as committee chair, but he did not speak on Wednesday. Moon garnered national attention two years ago when he said, “Do you know any kids who have been married at age 12? I do. And guess what? They’re still married.”

McCreery thanked Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, for filing identical legislation, Senate Bill 631.

“We’ll have a discussion about rolling these bills together,” McCreery said. “But that’s something for the committee to decide later.”

-----------------------------------------------------

House Committee hears legislation expanding gun access

By Fletcher Mantooth, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — Efforts to expand concealed carry provisions got a hearing in the Missouri House’s General Laws Committee late Tuesday as gun rights advocates continue efforts to remove gun ownership restrictions.

House Bill 328, introduced by Rep. Tim Taylor, R-Bunceton, would make several changes for concealed carry laws. Changes could include reducing the minimum age for a permit from 19 to 18 years old, requiring places of worship and public transportation to allow concealed carry, allowing individuals with certain violent criminal records to have a permit and giving exemptions to some concealed carry permit requirements to lawmakers, prosecutors and other government officials.

Supporters of the law, including members of various gun-rights groups, argued that giving people in traditionally “gun-free” zones opportunities to arm themselves would lead to a lower chance of mass shootings.

“If you’re a concealed carry permit holder — not any Tom, Dick or Harry — you’ve had some training,” said Carl Smart, vice president of the Western Missouri Shooters Association. “You walk to the bus stop: you’re legal. You get on the bus: you’re a criminal.”

But representatives of various public transportation authorities argued that their riders did not want more guns on public transportation.

Another argument against the bill was one of religious freedom. By Missouri law, churches and other places of worship may choose to allow concealed carry, whereas the bill would require them to allow it. Opponents voiced their concerns that this law would override religious liberties.

“By targeting houses of worship, we’re saying that houses of worship will now have less say over their own facilities, their own first amendment rights, than liquor stores, riverboat gambling operations and amusement parks,” said Brian Kaylor, a Baptist minister. “What are we doing?”

Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, a committee member, argued that the legislation was tone-deaf, considering the number of mass shootings in the country in recent years.

“It’s kind of like sports analogies,” said Smith, in reference to the idea that a good guy is the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun. “If you have a prolific scorer, the best way to stop him is not to wait for him to get the ball, but to keep him from getting the ball.”

A similar bill has been proposed in years by a former representative and current Sen. Adam Schnelting, R-St. Charles.

The committee also took testimony on HB 434 and HB 459 authored by Rep. Bill Hardwick, R-Dixon, and Rep. Mazzie Christensen, R-Bethany. Their aim is to stop seizure of firearms based on red flag laws unless there is a court proceeding with the individual present and a finding of probable cause that the individual is engaged or has engaged in criminal activity.

This is a preemptive measure, because Missouri has no red flag laws that would seek to seize firearms or prohibit firearm access because of red flags, such as a credible threat of violence.

Supporters of the bill argued that seizure of firearms has been historically used against various marginalized groups, and that seizure would be a violation of Second Amendment rights.

Opponents of the bill cited the shooting at the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis where three students were killed. Despite the shooter’s parents requesting police take his guns prior to the shooting, he was still able to access them and commit a mass shooting.

“These two bills will not reduce gun violence,” said Kristin Bowen, a Columbia volunteer for Moms Demand Action. “Extreme risk protection orders or red flag laws are critical lifesaving tools that help keep firearms out of the hands of people who should not have them.”

The bill met some concerns from both committee Democrats and Republicans. A possible concern is the process to seize a firearm would be too lengthy.

“I am really torn wherever my final vote will go on this,” said Rep. Mark Matthiesen, R-O’Fallon. “I just need to know that we still have a process in place if this bill passes to stop real harm with real information.”

-----------------------------------------------------

House committee considers changes to vehicle inspections, registrations

By Hannah Taylor, Missouri News Network 

JEFFERSON CITY — Several bills modifying vehicle registration and inspection standards were up for discussion during Tuesday’s House Government Efficiency Committee meeting.

House Bill 246, sponsored by Rep. Bob Bromley, R-Carl Junction, would modify the biennial vehicle registration option so the model year would not be taken into consideration. Bromley is also sponsoring House Bill 247, a proposition to establish a five-year motor vehicle registration option for vehicles that are less than 5 years old.

Under the bill, owners could opt for paying the annual fee for all five years upfront, instead of going back for vehicle registration yearly.

Rep. Christopher Warwick, R-Bolivar, and Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho, sponsored House Bills 424 and 799 respectively. These propositions are similar in content, both exempting biennial inspections for vehicles that have less than 150,000 miles or are from the year 2012 or newer.

Warwick and Baker agree these inspections have little correlation with accident rates in Missouri and are burdensome to small businesses. Federal investigators have found that mechanical component failures only account for 2% of accidents, while 94% are driver error, Warwick said.

Baker argued that the inspections occurring right now in Missouri are rarely thorough and having a state worker qualified to perform these reviews strain the resources of small businesses.

“We are allowing the state of Missouri to mandate a private business to perform a service for much less than the cost of what they would charge for that otherwise,” Baker said. “I believe that’s wrong.”

The price for a vehicle inspection is $12, a stipulation in both bills would allow donations of a dollar to several different charities as a part of that cost. There are currently 13 states that have no law requiring safety inspections for motor vehicles.

There was no public testimony given on the proposals.

-----------------------------------------------------

Missouri lawmakers renew push to limit tax increases

By Hannah L. Graves, Missouri News Network 

Three bills and a proposed constitutional amendment, mainly aimed at limiting state and local governments’ ability to create or raise taxes without voter approval, were discussed during the Missouri House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee meeting Monday evening.

Committee members voiced concerns about revenue loss throughout the hearing. According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, property taxes, which were the main type of tax being discussed, constitute the sole source of local district revenue outside grants and similar aid.

Some of the legislation included measures that would allow voters to increase local tax levies to prevent revenue loss.

House Joint Resolution 4 is a proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution, which would create a property tax increase cap at 2% annually or the same as the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less, according to the resolution.

The resolution’s sponsor, Rep. Jeff Coleman, R-Grain Valley, gave an impassioned opening testimony in favor of the measure, appealing on behalf of constituents who he said are “being taxed out of their homes.”

Coleman’s Jackson County counterpart, Rep. Kemp Strickler, D-Lee’s Summit, echoed Coleman’s concerns, saying he’s “heard the same pains across the board, Democrat, Republican or Independent,” to which Coleman nodded in agreement.

Boone County Assessor Kenny Mohr testified for informational purposes, saying the legislation could cause inequities between renters and homeowners as the language in the bill only applies to homeowners, despite protection for renters against increased cost referrals being a repeated point in Coleman’s testimony.

House Bill 660, a bill that would change several aspects of local taxes, also received a hearing Monday. The bill requires new local tax ordinances to be passed by a two-thirds majority rather than a simple majority and allowing voters to approve and maintain local tax ceilings. The legislation would allow voters to adjust their tax rates if property values fall to ensure there is no revenue loss.

The committee also heard opposing motor vehicle assessment bills, HB 816 and HB 349. HB 349 would modify assessment language to make “true value” equal to and no higher than the trade in value published in the National Automobile Dealers’ Association Official Used Car Guide, whereas HB 816 would allow assessors to use other guides like Kelley Blue Book.

-----------------------------------------------------

TUESDAY

Kehoe lays out family-oriented agenda in inaugural State of the State

By Shane LaGesse, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Kehoe greeted Missourians with his first State of the State address Tuesday, highlighting public safety, child care and education.

The governor also assured the Missouri General Assembly that he plans to eliminate the personal state income tax incrementally over the coming years.

“Missourians can spend their money a whole lot better than the government, and I hope you will work with me to help Missouri families secure a better future for themselves ... a future with no income taxes,” Kehoe said.

On education, Kehoe proposed a $200 million increase to the Foundation Formula, which determines the number of state funds a district receives by weighing student attendance, regional purchasing power and how much local tax money the district receives.

But Kehoe urged the legislature to rewrite the formula and has established the School Funding Modernization Task Force to review best funding practices.

“We must modernize the way we fund education, while recognizing high performing schools and ensuring lower performing schools have a plan to do better,” Kehoe said.

Kehoe also said he supports school choice and asked the legislators to pass an open enrollment law, which would allow children to attend any public school.

Democrats, who remained seated for most of the address, joined Republicans in a standing ovation as the governor announced his plans to prioritize early childhood care and development.

Kehoe said he plans to charge the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Childhood to completely rewrite child care regulations to make them easier to understand and navigate.

The governor also proposed $10 million to offer grant funding opportunities between employers, community partners and the child care industry to make more child care slots available for Missouri families.

Kehoe assured child care providers who partner with the state that his administration is committed to making timely payments.

The governor said fighting crime is a priority for his administration and laid out his plans to reduce crime in the state through his Safer Missouri initiative — including six executive orders he signed his first day in office targeting crime.

Kehoe proposes spending $10 million to assist local communities who prioritize public safety through the newly formed Blue Shield program, as well as boosting funding for the existing Missouri Blue Scholarship program.

“Our administration will be relentless in our pursuit to make Missouri a place where it’s easier to be a cop than a criminal,” Kehoe said.

The governor urged the passage of a comprehensive crime bill to increase penalties for crimes like violent rioting and to crack down on stunt driving and street racing, and increased oversight of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

However, Rep. Ashley Aune, House Democratic Minority Leader, said she believes that General Assembly efforts should be redirected toward gun violence.

“Unfortunately, the governor’s agenda puts too much emphasis on what happens after crime is committed and counting on preventing that crime from ever getting worse,” Aune said. “Their tough-on-crime talk will never lead to action that reduces crime.”

The governor also noted the fentanyl crisis in Missouri, proposing harsher penalties for fentanyl dealers and wastewater testing in schools to identify areas of high use.

Kehoe also expressed his support for President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, alluding to a relationship between the distribution of drugs and immigrants.

“Every state is truly a border state. Missouri will work with President Trump to crack down on illegal immigration and the deadly drugs and criminals that have flooded through our borders,” Kehoe said.

Kehoe said he recommended $50 million in general revenue funding to bolster the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program, which provides Missouri parents with funding for tuition.

The governor also focused on career and technical education, promising $15 million in new funding to address equipment, space and operational needs of career and technical centers across the state.

Kehoe proposed a statewide retention pay increase for state employees, with a 1% increase for every two years of service to the state, capped at 20 years of service.

The governor also assured legislators that his administration will not support DEI programs in the state government.

Kehoe proposed a statewide version of the federal Department of Government Efficiency that would invite industry experts to assist in reorganizing state agencies.

Kehoe also touched on Amendment 3, which protects reproductive rights, asking the General Assembly to support alternatives to abortion, like support for Pregnancy Resources Centers, with $4 million in additional funding.

“Regardless of how you voted on Amendment 3, Missouri has so much more to offer to women,” Kehoe said. “Let’s work together to support Missouri women so abortion doesn’t even have to be considered.”

Kehoe’s support for alternative abortion options were not met with enthusiasm from the House Democrats.

“Crisis pregnancy centers prey on vulnerable women,” Aune said. “They use religion to do so and it does not solve the problem. It’s very disappointing.”

Kehoe proposed an additional $10 million funding for Missouri Veterans Homes.

Kehoe noted several investments in the Missouri State Fair, as well as funding to expand Missouri’s meat and poultry inspection and production capacity.

The governor also highlighted that Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina, is the first woman president pro tempore of the Missouri Senate.

Throughout his speech, Kehoe repeated the importance of staying humble and remembering where he came from.

“I promise I will never ‘forget my roots,’ and I will work with you in this building, just as I have for years,” Kehoe said as he concluded his speech.

Kat Ramkumar and Scout Hudson contributed to this story.

-----------------------------------------------------

Kehoe's first budget projects slight increase from current year

By Hannah L. Graves and Olivia Maillet, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — The total budget being proposed by Gov. Mike Kehoe for fiscal year 2026 is $52.8 billion, with major priorities including public safety and economic development.

The state budget proposal includes a total of $3.99 billion in discretionary funds.

Kehoe’s administration highlighted that the budget leaves the state with the same $1.5 billion surplus left last year by former Gov. Mike Parson.

Individual income tax continues to be the largest source of revenue for the state at 58.5% of the state’s total $13.6 billion in general revenue.

Fiscal year 2025 saw a 0.6% decrease in revenue collections compared to the previous year while fiscal year 2026 is expected to see a 1.6% increase in collections.

One of the largest allocations of funds, listed under the economic development category, was $161.5 million to child care for low-income families.

On background, budget officials say the reason this allocation is listed under economic development was the idea that as businesses thrive and need more workers, it will improve recruitment of employees by providing potential employees with child care.

The administration is proposing a public employee pay increase of 1% for every two years of continual employment. The effort is designed to help retain state employees.

The budget also allocates $4 billion for K-12 education, including charter schools. These funds include $200 million in new funding for the public school foundation formula, which is $300 million short of the requested amount from public school districts.

The budget proposes a 1.5% total increase in spending for all four-year public universities, community colleges and state technical colleges, at a cost of $16.8 million.

Kehoe’s administration is calling on the legislature to reform the existing foundation formula for public education. In the past, the Missouri school funding foundation formula was based on the weighted average daily attendance and reflected the regional wage ratios. This formula is used by the Missouri government when deciding how much of the budget should be provided for education. The formula has been used since the 2006-07 school year.

The new administration projects allocating $220.6 million for Medicaid services — $149 million to the treatment and support for developmental disabilities and $71.6 million to behavioral health residential and in-home support needs. MO HealthNet, Missouri’s Medicaid program, is jointly funded by the federal government. President Donald Trump’s administration ordered a federal freeze on all public grants Monday, but budget officials say it is too soon to see if it will be reflected in the budget, and how.

The budget also introduced a $4 million allocation for “alternatives to abortion” which is a “greater than 50% increase to current funding,” for the existing program while behavioral health crisis centers saw a $2 million allocation.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in Kansas City, and Kehoe’s administration will allocate $40.5 million to security measures, transportation and tourism efforts.

Missouri has previously allocated $50 million and $2 million for parking upgrades. Kansas provided $10 million last year in funds and will supply $18 million this year. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to generate $695 million for the Missouri economy, according to former senator John Rizzo, who helped pass the legislation.

This year, Kehoe’s administration is introducing a partnership with the Missouri State Fair; the goal is for the fair to eventually pay off the Missouri government’s $4.2 million bond using its new livestock facilities to generate revenue.

The livestock facilities, to be built this year, will maximize the potential of the new arena. The new arena for the Missouri State Fair is anticipated to be completed in 2026.

Fiscal year 2026 begins July 1. The legislature will take Kehoe’s recommendations as it prepares appropriations bills for the year.

-----------------------------------------------------

Debate over Roundup bill focuses on herbicide's safety

By Natanya Friedheim, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — Another year, another battle between Bayer and lawyers who represent clients suing the German pharmaceutical and chemical conglomerate.

Bayer produces Roundup, a weed-killing herbicide used in farming. The company has spent at least $10 billion defending itself against lawsuits from people who claim glyphosate, a chemical used in Roundup, caused their non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Plaintiffs argue Bayer failed to warn them of Roundup’s dangers; the company contends glyphosate is not carcinogenic.

The fight moved from Missouri courtrooms to the Capitol last year thanks to an unsuccessful bill opponents say would shield Bayer from lawsuits. Two new bills introduced this year revive last years’ efforts.

Roundup’s label has a pesticide warning approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill declares the existing label “sufficient to satisfy any requirement for a warning label regarding cancer under any other provision of current law,” strengthening Bayer’s position in court.

Roundup goes through a rigorous approval process with the EPA, and without the bill, ongoing litigation would threaten farmers’ access to it, said Rep. Dane Diehl, R-Butler. Diehl introduced HB 544, one of this year’s measures.

Last year’s measure died at the end of the legislative session after an unlikely alliance between opponents and the Missouri Freedom Caucus halted its progress.

A separate bill, SB 14, is moving through the Senate this year. The substance of the bills are the same as last year’s measure.

Disagreements over whether glyphosate is carcinogenic dominated a House Agriculture Committee hearing on the bill Tuesday morning. Opponents presented research supporting the cancer-causing claim, while the bill’s proponents presented research supporting the opposite claim.

“State law claims, like failure to warn, are really the only way to hold these companies accountable,” said Matt Clement, a Jefferson City attorney who successfully sued Bayer on behalf of three clients.

Representatives for the Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and the Missouri Agribusiness Association testified in support of the measure.

“Glyphosate is the foundation of American agriculture,” Liza Lockwood, a toxicologist who leads medical affairs at Bayer’s crop science division, said in an interview after testifying at the committee. The inexpensive chemical kills weeds but spares plants engineered to resist it. Over the last five decades, it enabled no-till agriculture and increased crop yields.

Ari Filip, an Arkansas-based toxicologist, expressed fear the continued litigation could lead to labeling products as cancer-causing when science does not support the claim.

“Things that are genuinely toxic get drowned out by accusations of numerous substances that are nontoxic,” he said.

The bill’s proponents argue farmers would be reluctant to use the chemical for fear of litigation, and the litigation detracts from Bayer’s research and development efforts.

Lawsuits began a decade ago after the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, classified the chemical as potentially carcinogenic to humans, a label it also gives to red meat.

The EPA says there is “no evidence” glyphosate causes cancer.

Bayer contributed $136,000 to Missouri political action committees in 2024 and 2025, according to data from the state ethics commission. Another $26,551 came from people who wrote Bayer, Bayer US LLC, or Bayer Crop Science as their employer.

-----------------------------------------------------

DESE commissioner sees little DEI presence in her agency

By Molly Gibbs, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger assured senators Tuesday that the only DEI initiative at her agency is a diversity and inclusion committee.

Eslinger, making annual testimony on the state of education in Missouri to the Senate Committee on Education, was questioned about diversity, equity and inclusion policies by committee Vice Chair Sen. Brad Hudson, R-Cape Fair. Last year, Hudson handled HB 2619, which aimed to stop state funding from being used to create diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

So-called DEI programs have become a lightning rod for criticism by Republicans at the state and national level.

Other than the term “equity” being used throughout policies, Eslinger told Hudson the only DEI initiative at DESE is a diversity and inclusion committee.

“It is all across most state agencies, and it is a committee that is supposed to be respectful and value each other, but they do use the terms DEI in some of their work,” Eslinger said. “We are addressing that.”

Hudson continued his line of questioning by asking Eslinger to state her position on DEI as commissioner.

“I never ever want to be told who to hire because of a quota. I want quality people doing the job I ask them to do,” she said.

Reflecting another point of national discussion, Sen. Nick Schroer, R-O’Fallon, asked what it would look like for DESE if the Trump administration follows through on threats to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and replace federal funding with block grants.

Eslinger said she would like Missouri to have a seat at the table and indicated she has taken steps to make that happen.

“It’s two layers: One, get to the table with the U.S. Department of (Education); two, you got to have feedback and input as you write those block grants,” Eslinger said.

Eslinger also provided an update on child care subsidy applications and payments, which have been backlogged since the launch of a new Child Care Data System in December 2023.

The calculator for child care subsidies is fixed, Eslinger said, and the backlog is about 70% cleared. DESE is still working through the remaining cases, which Eslinger predicts will be cleared in February.

Issues confronting the state-operated Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled were also discussed.

“They really struggle with staffing, retaining and recruiting really quality teachers and staff to these jobs, and these are our students who need it the most,” Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, said of these schools.

Eslinger agreed that MSSD do not provide “quality” opportunities for teachers and staff. She said she was aware of the issue and acknowledged that DESE needs to do better when it comes to MSSD.

“We have facilities that are not up to speed. We have a real issue of serving that population of kids,” Eslinger said.

She pointed to the structure of MSSD, which makes it harder to get new facilities and be connected to the communities they are located in.

-----------------------------------------------------

MONDAY

House bill would regulate gambling machines

By Sterling Sewell, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — A bill heard by the Missouri House Committee on Emerging Issues on Monday could see the establishment of a regulatory system on video gambling machines.

The machines, formally known as “no-chance” machines, have spread across the state in convenience stores and gas stations. They operate within a legal gray zone with no explicit laws legalizing or prohibiting them.

“I think that what we owe all of the businesses in the state of Missouri is regulatory certainty as to what exactly is authorized by the law, what exactly is not authorized by the law,” Rep. Bill Hardwick, R-Dixon, the bill’s sponsor, said during testimony.

The machines are called “no-chance” because they do not use a random number generator to determine outcome, instead there are a fixed number of outcomes that rotate. Often, customers using these machines can preview the outcome.

Hardwick’s bill would prohibit any new “no-chance” machines in the state. The bill would also create a pathway for owners of “no-chance” machines to replace their current machines with new regulated machines, known as Video Lottery Terminals.

These terminals would be required to function with a random outcome, track play history and be connected to a centralized computer system developed by the state lottery commission, along with other regulations on function.

The bill also seeks to place limitations on who can manufacture and operate these new terminals through a licensing system and provides a mechanism for funding of the Missouri State Highway Patrol to impose these regulations.

Legislation on video gambling machines is not new to the assembly. Two pieces of legislation aimed at legalizing video gambling machines were proposed in 2023 by then-senator Denny Hoskins, and Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis.

Hoskins’ bill married the legalization of the machines with the legalization of sports wagering. When his bill did not pass, Hoskins filibustered two bills which would have legalized sports betting separate of the machines.

If passed, the bill would allow the State Lottery Commission to require game manufacturers, distributors, operators and retailers to pay an initial nonrefundable license fee for the first year. The license would then be renewed at a lower cost every five years. The money acquired through these licenses would go into the State Lottery Fund.

Additionally, operators and retailers must each pay half of a $1,000 annual fee for each Video Lottery Terminal in service. Two hundred dollars of each $1,000 would go into the State Lottery Fund. The remainder would go toward funding enforcement of the regulations, the Missouri Veterans Commission and the local municipalities the machines operate in.

The bill would also require operators to pay roughly a third of the revenue made from the machines to the State Lottery Commission. The commission would use this money to cover administrative costs. It would give 10% of the revenue generated by the machines within a municipality or county to the general revenue of that county. Any further money would be put in the State Lottery Fund.

The State Lottery Fund is earmarked for use in public education. In the 2024 financial year, lottery proceeds toward the Missouri Department of Higher Education were $95 million and proceeds toward the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education were $432 million.

During the hearing, several members of the committee questioned a section of the bill which would remove any current regulations on video gambling machines by counties or municipalities. The counties and municipalities would also have to wait one year before being able to add any other regulations on the machines.

Hardwick said that any current laws restricting video gambling machines would not apply to Video Lottery Terminals because the new machines do not exist and current regulations should not apply to them.

-----------------------------------------------------

Senate bill attempts again to undermine federal gun laws

By Scout Hudson, Missouri News Network 

JEFFERSON CITY — Senate Bill 23, the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” returned to the Missouri General Assembly on Monday after being deemed unconstitutional last year.

Proposed by Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, the bill would allow the state to avoid enforcing federal gun regulation.

If enacted, authorities could not legally enforce federal gun regulations if they were incongruent with state law.

Any state or local law enforcement agency found enforcing federal gun policies would be subject to a $50,000 penalty per employee.

A first attempt to impose the restrictions was passed by the Missouri legislature and took effect in August 2021. It similarly limited the federal government’s ability to track and regulate firearms and allowed states to nullify federal policy.

Support for the original law was mixed among conservatives, with many keystone institutions, including the National Rifle Association, refusing to back the bill. Law enforcement officers across the state raised concerns about the limits the bill placed on their ability to counter violent crime and drug trafficking.

O’Fallon Police Chief Philip Dupuis resigned over the bill in June 2021, explaining in a statement that it would prohibit officers from seizing weapons in emergency situations.

Once the law took effect, law enforcement agencies retreated from their federal reporting capacities. The Kansas City Police Department began to limit federal access to their investigative resources. The Columbia Police Department withdrew from a national database cataloging weapons recovered from crime scenes.

In February 2022, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit alleging that the law obstructed cooperation between federal and state governments in combating crime.

In the aftermath of the shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis in October 2022, an investigation revealed that the parents of the gunman asked law enforcement to remove the firearm that was ultimately used in the shooting from their home.

At the time, the shooter was prohibited from owning a firearm under federal law but could own one under state law. Officers felt they were unable to act due to the law’s restrictions.

Six months after the DOJ’s suit, the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court’s ruling of the bill as unconstitutional.

The court cited the Constitution’s supremacy clause, which prioritizes federal law above state law.

Proponents challenge this interruption and argue that firearm regulation is an overstep by the federal government.

Brattin told the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee at Monday’s hearing on the bill that the new version is a “reshuffling” of the bill to put it in accordance with the parameters of the Eighth Court’s ruling. The new version presents updated language in the bill’s statement of purpose and removes explicit references to federal agencies, centering the bill instead on state and local offices.

“This isn’t coming and reinventing the wheel,” Brattin said. “This is just clarifying and making it in line with what the Eighth Courts have done.”

Aaron Dorr, a member of the Missouri Firearms Coalition and staunch advocate of the original law, emphasized that the bill was still necessary under the Trump administration regardless of its pro-gun platform.

Dorr also emphasized that the new version had been updated to reflect the concerns of police.

Lewis County Sheriff David Parrish rebutted Dorr’s claim: “This type of legislation will create major obstacles for our officers and deputies throughout the state.”

Columbia resident Kristin Bowen testified in opposition backed by the Missouri chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

She cited Missouri’s ranking as one of the states with the highest rate of firearm-related deaths. She also referenced the growing rate of suicide via firearm and gun-related homicides in the state.

“It’s a priority for me,” said Sen. Travis Fitzwater, a Republican from Holts Summit and chairman of The Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety. “This committee will probably take action on (the bill) quickly.”

The Supreme Court was asked to conduct a procedural review of the 2021 law but declined. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has submitted a second request for the bill to be reviewed.

A decision on whether the bill will be reviewed is expected in six to eight weeks.

-----------------------------------------------------

Illegal immigration bills spark heated debate in Senate hearing

By Mary McCue Bell, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — Two bills addressing those in the country illegally were discussed Monday at a Senate hearing. One imposes penalties and another allows Missouri to assist other states in securing the southern border.

Senate Bill 58, sponsored by Sen. Jill Carter, R-Granby, allows Gov. Mike Kehoe to assist other states through an interstate compact in securing the U.S.-Mexico border.

“This isn’t just a border crisis; it’s a humanitarian crisis, a health crisis and a national security crisis,” Carter said.

She cited worries about minors being exploited and how Missouri families suffer from the “ripple effects” of this crisis. The fentanyl epidemic, drug trafficking and even tuberculosis rates make it not just a problem, but morally imperative to address, she said.

Sen. Barbara Washington, D-Kansas City, a member of the Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety, said that she is from one of the most diverse communities in America and was concerned about defining “aliens.”

“All of my residents, all of my refugees, are aliens,” Washington said. “This would allow for them to be removed after all the trauma that they’ve been through in life because this is not well defined.”

“We got our own issues in Missouri, and this ain’t our number one issue,” Washington added, to which Carter agreed. Washington wanted specific statistics on crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Missouri.

The conversation became heated when race was brought in as a defining concern, such as racial profiling and civil rights.

“I’m Black, and when my hair is curly ... I look Mexican, so I’m scared to wear my natural hair now because of what’s going on,” Washington said.

Robert Shockey, the executive director of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association, was asked how many crimes have been committed in St. Louis by illegal immigrants. He was unable to give an exact number.

Ben Molina, chair of the Hispanic Leaders Group of Greater St. Louis, an advocacy organization, said these bills divert valuable resources from Missourians.

“Those are federal responsibilities, not state ones,” Molina said. “Missouri’s tax dollars should not be used to fund redundant initiatives that serve to further vilify individuals who are often paying hardships, seeking safety and looking for opportunities to contribute to our communities.”

David Parrish, on behalf of Missouri Sheriffs United, contended that this legislation would give law enforcement another tool to help assist federal partners or anyone who may be in the state illegally. A concern is that federal agencies may not be able to help in a very timely manner, so some illegal immigrants are left to commit further crimes, said Newton County Sheriff Matt Stewart.

“I think that in law enforcement, the last thing we want to do is to encroach upon someone’s civil rights who’s here legally,” Parrish said.

Sen. David Gregory, R-Chesterfield, said that his Senate Bill 72 creates a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program at the state level.

Under the statute, a new program would train bounty hunters only for the affection of a warrant arrest, Gregory said. Washington’s worry dates back to the origin of bounty hunters, who were paid to bring slaves back to their masters, she said.

Rabbi Ze’ev Smason, chairman of the Coalition for Jewish Values in Missouri, voiced his support for the bill, citing security concerns, public resource constraints and pursuing justice.

Kristie Hilgedick, a resident of rural Missouri, cited concerns about a loss of population, eventually leading to potential ghost towns.

“In the last census, 50 counties lost population, and that’s true for those counties going back decades,” Hilgedick said. “The best thing that could happen in New Madrid County is that a Pakistani ophthalmologist would move there and treat old people’s glaucoma.”

Tori Schafer, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, estimated that multiple lawsuits would come from this bill’s passing. The crux of that legal argument is that the enforcement of immigration policy is a federal purview under ICE, she said. If states create their own criminal statutes, it directly conflicts with the federal government.

The projected cost of the bill is $5 million, but Gregory argues it is less.