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.
-----------------------------------------------------
Missouri News Network stories coverage this week includes House approval of child care tax credits, Senate approval of sweeping changes to utility regulation and one senator’s effort to get his colleagues to allow video streaming of floor action.
If you have thoughts or questions, contact Fred Anklam at anklamf@missouri.edu.
-----------------------------------------------------
THURSDAY
House passes bill making it easier for pregnant women to divorce
By Natanya Friedheim, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The House unanimously passed a bill Thursday preventing courts from using pregnancy status as a reason not to dissolve a marriage.
“It allows women to file for divorce and finalize, if they choose to, during the pregnancy,” Rep. Cecelie Williams, R-Dittmer, said on the House floor before the vote. “This also allows men, if their wife might be pregnant with someone else’s child, to also file for divorce.”
A long silence followed Williams’ comments. She smiled and put her hands up in a shrug.
“That’s about it,” she said. “That’s really what it does.”
Laughter and applause erupted from representatives in the chamber on both sides of the aisle. One lawmaker gave Williams a high-five.
In a speech Monday, Williams had made her personal story with domestic abuse a focal point in advocating for the measure’s passage. She said she was denied a divorce 20 years ago because she was pregnant.
Lawmakers gave her a standing ovation Monday after her speech and again on Thursday after the measure passed.
“I wanted to really bring to life what I had experienced,” Williams said at a news conference after the vote.
Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, introduced similar measures over the past two legislative sessions. When filing for divorce in Missouri, a woman must indicate on a court form whether she is pregnant, Aune said.
“It has been misconstrued, not only by court clerks but by lawyers and by judges,” Aune said of the form, to mean “if you’re pregnant then we can’t move forward, which is simply not the case.”
Courts can move forward, but the divorce is more complicated because it involves child support considerations before the birth. The bill specifies that pregnancy status, while still on the form, cannot prevent the court from dissolving the marriage.
“If someone wants to dissolve their marriage, the judge can’t say, ‘Well, you’re pregnant, sorry,’” Aune said.
Neither of Aune’s bills made it to a floor vote in the House, despite last year’s effort generating national media attention.
Elected last November, Williams began her freshman year this session. She came to the Capitol intending to file the measure.
Williams said for a time, she remained largely silent about her experience with abuse. Becoming a lawmaker changed that.
“It’s a very raw feeling, walking around and people knowing your story, that you’re a domestic abuse survivor,” she said.
Other lawmakers praised Williams for sharing her personal story in advocating for the bill.
“It takes a lot of courage,” Rep. Dave Griffith, R-Jefferson City, said on the House floor.
The House passed the bill with 155 members voting yes and no opposition. The measure was sent to the Senate for consideration after the vote.
-----------------------------------------------------
WEDNESDAY
'Outsider' Lt. Gov. David Wasinger is finding a home at the Capitol
By Sterling Sewell, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Lt. Gov. David Wasinger ran as a “conservative outsider” aiming to shake things up in the capital city.
In his first few weeks on the job, Wasinger has worked at developing friends and supporters in the Senate while setting public safety and government efficiency as his top priorities.
In the 2024 primary, Wasinger beat two experienced Republicans, Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, and former Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Sikeston. He went on to beat former Democratic Rep. Richard Brown for the position.
In one campaign ad he claimed to be the only “pro-Trump Republican” in the race. His campaign was aimed at challenging the Jefferson City establishment. He promised to deport immigrants who are undocumented and expressed interest in working with President Donald Trump’s administration in immigration enforcement.
To Wasinger, his election to statewide office with little political experience represents the desires of Missourians.
“Missourians want change similar to electing President Trump,” Wasinger said. “I think they want change in Washington, D.C., and I think they also want change in Jefferson City, and I’m here to bring that change.”
On a visit to his office, visitors can expect to see “Make America Great Again” hats and other Trump memorabilia. However, Wasinger’s affinity for Trump may not be the primary reason he is considered an “outsider.”
The lieutenant governor sits on multiple boards, is next in line for the governorship and perhaps most importantly acts as the president of the Senate, allowing him to preside over the chamber and break tie votes — not a frequent occurrence with a Republican supermajority.
No elected office experience
Wasinger is the first lieutenant governor since Mel Carnahan took the position in 1989 to have never been a member of the Missouri Senate. He is the first lieutenant governor since William S. Morris, who served from 1969 to 1973, to never have held any office in the Missouri General Assembly.
Prior to being sworn in on Jan. 13, Wasinger had never held elected office. But he has held public office as a member of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, appointed by then-Gov. Matt Blunt in 2005 and serving until 2011.
It was during his time on the Board of Curators that he met a political ally, Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville. At the time, Luetkemeyer served as the student representative to the Board of Curators. Today the two have maintained a partnership.
“Frankly, he’s just a friend,” Wasinger said. “There’s a great line of communication between Sen. Luetkemeyer and our office.”
Luetkemeyer, who serves as the Majority Floor Leader, echoed Wasinger, saying that the two share a commitment to advancing conservative priorities.
Despite being a self-titled outsider, Wasinger said that he has a good relationship with Republican leadership in the Senate.
“I think the state of Missouri has a good leadership team,” Wasinger said.
Wasinger made a career as a St. Louis attorney after the 2008 financial crisis by winning $18 billion for his clients in fraud cases, according to his website. Wasinger blames Wall Street and the Washington, D.C. establishment for the 2008 crisis and said that his legal battles against Wall Street would inform his work in Jefferson City.
“I have a history of taking on lobbyists and special interests,” Wasinger said. “I think the lobbyists and special interests are out for their own interests and not the interests of those on Main Street.”
During his race, Wasinger loaned his campaign $2.6 million and acted as the primary financier for the campaign. Other contributions to Wasinger’s campaign came from various private citizens as well as corporate and worker’s Political Action Committees. While campaigning as an outsider, Wasinger found support from one key establishment GOP donor group.
Before his death in 2019, Stan Herzog was a businessman and major donor to the Republican Party. Various businesses and political organizations connected to Herzog have donated millions to Republican campaigns for more than a decade.
MO Alliance for Freedom Grave River PAC and American Democracy Alliance Ridgely PAC, which both have ties to Herzog, donated the maximum allowable amount to Wasinger’s campaign. Additionally, three executives from Herzog companies donated the maximum allowable amount as well.
The American Democracy Alliance Ridgely PAC also donated to the campaigns of Gov. Mike Kehoe, Attorney General Andrew Bailey, state Treasurer Vivek Malek and the campaigns of five former Missouri House members who won election to the Senate last fall.
Wasinger’s 2024 race for lieutenant governor was not his first run for elected office. In 2018, he ran unsuccessfully for state auditor, losing in the primary to Saundra McDowell. The role of the state auditor is to ensure efficient use of taxpayer money after being approved for spending. Wasinger has made government efficiency a priority for his office, particularly in procedure and in the budget.
Chris Walker, the director of policy and communications for Wasinger, said that the lieutenant governor has been in ongoing conversations with senators about ways to improve the legislative process. Walker noted that Wasinger has questioned work-from-home policies and the specifics of Senate rules and procedures.
Oversight of the budget is not generally under the purview of the lieutenant governor’s office, but Wasinger said that he will make recommendations for changes to the budget.
“As this budget process evolves over the next couple of months I think you are going to see some changes being voiced by this office, or at least changes we think should be brought about,” Wasinger said.
The lieutenant governor is required to sit on many boards, including the Missouri Arts Council and Missouri Housing Development Commission. Wasinger’s interest in efficiency is something Missourians should expect to see expressed in these boards.
“The lieutenant governor is approaching each board and commission he’s a part of with the same mindset,” Walker said. “We want to ensure that Missouri taxpayer money is being spent efficiently and in line with Missouri values.”
One of the boards that Wasinger sits on is the Missouri Tourism Commission. Wasinger said that getting crime under control was a key issue for tourism to grow in the state.
“Part of my job is tourism,” Wasinger said. “So, we can’t have tourism unless people from out of state feel like they’re safe coming into St. Louis, Columbia, Joplin, Kansas City.”
Wasinger’s office has voiced support for key provisions of Senate Bill 52. Some of the bill’s provisions would put the St. Louis Police Department under the jurisdiction of the state, increase the severity of numerous charges and require law enforcement agencies to submit information on the immigration status of offenders.
“The lieutenant governor wants to see the reputation and morale of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department restored in the wake of the Ferguson riots and the ‘defund the police’ movement,” Walker said.
The last legislative session saw infighting between Republican leadership and far-right members of the party in the Freedom Caucus, who lost committee chairmanships and even parking positions. This session has seen less struggle among Republicans.
When speaking with Missourinet, Freedom Caucus leader Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, said that the Freedom Caucus and Republican leadership’s priorities are closely aligned.
Similarly, Wasinger’s top priorities, public safety and efficiency, seem to be aligned with leadership.
The number one priority for the Senate Republican Caucus Leadership this year is public safety, according to a news release from leadership. Republican leadership also has taken a focus to government efficiency, creating a new Senate Government Efficiency Committee.
“I’m not afraid to take on issues that are difficult,” Wasinger said. “I’m not afraid to take on the establishment in Jeff City.”
-----------------------------------------------------
Chief Justice focuses on juvenile detention, mental health in annual address
By Jake Marszewski, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Chief Justice Mary Russell outlined the status of Missouri’s courts to legislators Wednesday, giving an hour-by-hour “day in the life” of the state’s justice system in her annual State of the Judiciary address.
Russell, who has served as chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court since 2023 and served previously from 2013 to 2015, spoke on her goal to visit all 46 judicial circuits in Missouri and tell their story. So far, she said, she has visited 36.
“Today, I want to tell you the rest of the story — how the daily activities of our courts matter to the lives of everyday people in all of your communities, large and small,” Russell said.
Russell’s experience visiting each circuit highlighted key issues she saw in Missouri’s judicial system: juvenile justice and mental health.
On her visits, she said she took note of the need to accommodate a rising number of juveniles in detention.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you this year to increase bed capacity in two central Missouri detention centers, while increasing our security and mental health services and maintaining our juvenile detention staff throughout our state,” Russell said.
In last year’s address, Russell emphasized mental health issues in the justice system. To continue addressing these issues, she recommended expanding the state’s treatment court divisions by adding mental health courts.
“Over three decades, our treatment courts have built a track record of success, helping people stay out of our criminal justice system and find new beginnings as both loving members of their families and productive community citizens,” Russell said.
For Russell, expanding pretrial services is another key to helping Missouri’s courts. Funding was approved for these services last year.
“Pretrial services involve more than just assessment and supervision,” Russell said. “They also connect nonviolent defendants with community resources to help them find housing, jobs or transportation.”
Russell said connecting defendants with these resources saves counties money and ensures public safety, while also making it more likely that defendants will actually show up in court.
Other issues Russell took note of in her travels include funding to restore the courts’ data systems and raising compensation for jurors.
Court staff were frequently highlighted in Russell’s address. She said that their everyday work greatly impacts their communities, and that the 3,400 judicial employees across the state are “one large court family.”
“I hope these examples show you how vital our courts our to your constituents,” Russell said. “Most of the work that we do does not generate headlines or go viral on social media, but the ordinary duties create extraordinary results for citizens across our state.”
The State of the Judiciary address was held at a joint session of the Missouri General Assembly in the House chamber, with 29 members of the Senate and several executive officers in the audience.
-----------------------------------------------------
Senate committee hears legislation to reverse Amendment 3
By Fletcher Mantooth, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A Senate committee Wednesday heard testimony on legislation that would roll back the protections for abortion set by Amendment 3 and block gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
Similar legislation was heard in the House earlier this month.
The legislation, Senate Joint Resolution 33, was authored by Sen. Adam Schnelting, R-St. Charles, and aims to put abortion rights back on the ballot in November 2026. Schnelting and other proponents of the bill argue that the language and advertising for Amendment 3 was misleading, which deceived many voters.
“The intent of the SJR is to present the voters with another choice that I believe is more in keeping with their values,” Schnelting said.
Similarly to when a joint resolution was heard in the House, opponents argued that voters did, in fact, know what they voted for.
“This General Assembly went way too far when it came to restricting Missourians’ medical care period,” Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Clay County, said. “And that’s what this initiative petition was about. That was the moment that we saw them across the state. And so, it’s so frustrating to me that here we are spending very valuable time of the General Assembly to undo the will of the voters.”
No justification was provided for the language in the bill regarding gender-affirming care for minors, and it was rarely mentioned during the hearing. Opponents of Amendment 3 last year raised concerns that it would open the door for medical treatment for transgender minors.
If passed into law by voters, all forms of gender-affirming care, including hormone replacement therapy and puberty blockers, would be banned for minors. A state law that bans those practices expires in August 2027, although there are efforts to remove that deadline.
The other item heard was SJR 8, authored by Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove. If passed, the resolution would ask voters next year to define a person as “every human being with a unique DNA code regardless of age, including every in utero human child at every stage of biological development from the moment of conception until birth.” Voters also would be asked to outlaw abortions without exceptions.
Speaking to the committee, Moon likened abortion to murder, and took the stance that abortion should be banned entirely and that there should not be exceptions made for cases of rape or miscarriage.
Moon, as well as others testifying in support, argued that life begins at conception and that all abortion, regardless of circumstance, is morally wrong.
“That’s what the Senate Joint Resolution seeks to do,” Moon said. “Allow us to enshrine in our constitution that even those who are developing in the womb are worth of the protection of laws that exist in our state.”
Many of those testifying in support of the resolution were pastors or representatives of religious organizations, who argued that the nation is founded on Christian principles and because of that abortion should be illegal.
“The question must be asked, what has God said?” said Noah Benz, a member of Church of the Word in St. Louis. “And so God is clear: what everybody else has testified, that all children are made in the image of God at the moment of fertilization, despite how they were conceived.”
Nurrenbern pointed out that the bill would be difficult to enforce, noting that it would be difficult to differentiate abortions from the natural occurrence of miscarriages.
“I’m very concerned of what we would do to target women, to criminalize women, to perhaps associate a Class A felony to a woman who something happened to her as by no choice of her own,” Nurrenbern said. “That is my fear.”
-----------------------------------------------------
Disability Rights Legislative Day calls Missouri to action
By Kat Ramkumar, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Around 500 Missourians with disabilities and their loved ones gathered at the Capitol to garner support for disability rights on Wednesday.
This is the 24th year that disability-based activist organizations and coalitions have come together to rally for better transportation, health care access, employment opportunities and increased wages for direct support professionals.
Leigh Anne Haun, director of policy advocacy at Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council, helped organize the event. She said she believes it is important for lawmakers to build relationships with constituents who have disabilities.
“Disability barriers are a nonpartisan issue. It’s an access and support issue, which has an outcome,” Haun said. “Each year, I hope to see increased connections with members and their representatives.”
Gov. Mike Kehoe and State Treasurer Vivek Malek spoke at a rally hosted by the groups.
“We have elected officials who very much want to work with you to make sure Missouri is the place to be,” Kehoe said.
In January, Kehoe outlined around $129.8 million in his $53.7 billion budget for the Department of Mental Health to eliminate waiting lists for developmental disabilities and behavioral health services.
Lori Burch, the CFO of United Cerebral Palsy Heartland, wants better support for both her clients and her staff.
“Over the last year, there’s been a waiting list for clients to actually get a Medicaid waiver and when they don’t, they’re stuck and home, isolated and depressed,” Burch said. “We’re also asking for a 1.6% wage increase.”
Medicaid pays direct support professional members around $17 an hour. UCP Heartland pays employees around $20 an hour, so that wage gap is currently being filled with funds from donors, Burch said.
Tia Henry, a direct support professional who serves as a house manager, and client Tashawna Walker were at the rally to advocate for equal access.
“Missouri needs to do a better job of listening to people with disabilities and pay workers better,” Walker said. “It starts with fixing potholes. Transportation has been an issue and it’s hard for people to come in for help.”
Anna Montaldo, the founder of CP Life, a social media disability awareness brand, said the rally is a way to speak up.
“I’m disabled, and I’m here fighting for my personal rights,” Montaldo said. “It’s important for Medicaid to stay.”
Mark Satterwhite, adviser with People First Boone County, said this year his organization hosted the most self-advocates in a long time.
“The playing field has never been level for people with disabilities. This is an opportunity for them to meet with their legislatures and put a face to the need for support,” Satterwhite said.
“Every year, we carry forward the message that we belong,” he said. “We are here. We are human beings who deserve to participate in all aspects of community life.”
-----------------------------------------------------
TUESDAY
Effort to drop capital gains tax quickly passed by Senate committee
By Molly Gibbs, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A bill that would eliminate state taxes on capital gains was heard and quickly passed Tuesday by the Senate General Laws Committee.
House Bills 594 and 508, sponsored by Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Bowling Green, are the same as Senate Bill 46 sponsored by committee Chair Sen. Curtis Trent, R-Springfield.
Both bills allow a taxpayer to “deduct 100% of all income reported as a capital gain for federal income tax purposes,” according to bill summaries.
If passed, the elimination of the tax is estimated to reduce the general revenue fund by about $335 million in the first year. For later years, there is a projected loss of about $233 million.
The bill passed the House less than two weeks ago on Feb. 13. Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, asked Trent about the speed at which the House version of the legislation was being moved through the Senate.
“As the handler of the Senate bill, I certainly love my own bill, but love the underlying policy even more,” Trent said. “We just want to have as many options as possible as we try to think through this policy.”
Passing the House bill without amendments is a faster way for final approval than moving the Senate bill. That process would then have to undergo hearings and votes in the House. Adoption of amendments would cause additional delays for more votes.
Trent initially held up a vote on the bill until a third Republican committee member was present so it could pass on a 3-2 vote.
At a Missouri Press Association luncheon in January, Gov. Mike Kehoe said eliminating the capital gains tax was his top tax priority for this year.
Legislators have a number of tax cut bills under consideration at a time when state revenue projections are flat. There is also little understanding of the scope of potential spending cuts by the federal government under the Trump administration. Federal funds make up almost half of the state’s annual revenue.
-----------------------------------------------------
Missouri House approves child care tax credit bill
By Natanya Friedheim, Missouri News Network
A bill to create three new child care tax credits received initial approval by the Missouri House on Tuesday. A similar measure received bipartisan support last year but fell victim to Republican infighting in the Senate.
The measure would help employers foot the bill for their employees’ child care costs and encourage existing providers to grow their capacity. Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph, said three-fourths of Missouri’s 115 counties are considered “child care deserts.”
“We have a child care crisis in our state. We’re all familiar with it,” Shields, who sponsored the bill, said on the House floor Tuesday. “We hear from our business leaders across the state that they have trouble recruiting and retaining employees because the lack of child care.”
The bill creates three tax credits. Under the first, people or businesses who donate to child care centers would receive a tax credit worth 75% of their donation. The donor cannot personally benefit from the contribution; for example, a parent cannot make a donation and expect lower tuition.
The second is for businesses that help pay for their employees’ child care costs or create child care programs for their employee’s children.
The third allows child care providers to claim a tax credit worth up to 30% of expenses related to construction projects. The credit also grants tax relief equal to the provider’s employer withholding tax, which applies to providers with at least three employees who work at least 10 hours per week and have been employed for at least three months.
A number of business groups have voiced support for the measure, including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.
“Without child care, Missouri’s economy cannot grow,” Shields said.
The credits cannot be transferred to another person or entity and cannot reduce a citizen’s tax burden below zero, meaning the credits cannot be used to add to a tax refund. The measures proposed this year would expire in 2026 without reapproval by the legislature due to a “sunset” provision included in the bill. Parents would not be able to claim tax credits for child care tuition under any of the proposed credits.
Rep. Sherri Gallick, R-Belton, spoke about her own experience as a single parent while voicing her support for the bill.
“My career took a backseat because I didn’t have adequate child care,” she said.
Earlier, the bill passed unanimously out of the House Economic Development Committee. Three of 10 members of the rules committee, all Republicans, voted against its passage, and it faced additional Republican opposition on the floor.
Rep. Jamie Gragg, R-Ozark, said the credits would pit the school system in competition with day cares.
Rep. Terry Thompson, R-Lexington, spoke in support of the measure, offering fellow legislators information about tax credits and citing a bill he said he planned to propose.
This is the third year Shields has introduced tax credits for child care costs.
“Right now child care costs more than your freshman year at university,” Shields said at the end of the floor debate. The measure passed on a voice vote, so it is not clear how many members opposed it.
-----------------------------------------------------
MONDAY
Lights! Camera! Inaction: Missouri Senate reluctant to add live video feed
By Olivia Maillet, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — To see the Senate in action, Missourians must drive to the Capitol, climb three flights of stairs to the fourth floor and perch in the public gallery. Even then, many senators are still not within view.
Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, is trying to change that through a Senate resolution calling for live video streaming of the Senate. While the House has offered that service for 10 years, Senate leaders aren’t enchanted with the idea.
As of 2022, Missouri and North Carolina are the only states that do not video record their Senate floor proceedings, although both of their lower chambers do.
“That doesn’t matter to me,” said Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina, Senate president pro tem. “We already have audio, if people want to know what’s going on, they can listen to that; if they want to watch it they can come here. I think that’s efficient.”
The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have been livestreaming their proceedings for 48 and 39 years respectively. The Missouri House started posting video recordings of its proceedings in 2015, so if the Senate decides to go to with video, this transition would be similar to that of the federal government.
It would cost $183,000 to get a live feed up and running; Moon said that an alternative to this would be posting videos that the Senate already records during the sessions.
Moon sees resistance in “people he talks to,” but he wouldn’t give any specific names: “There’s still some reluctance but I’ll keep looking.”
Minority Floor Leader Sen. Doug Beck, D-St. Louis County, is surprisingly one person Moon could be alluding to.
“I’m afraid people will try to snip it and use it for political stuff,” Beck said. “If I was in the scene of someone else’s video, I’d have a problem with that.”
Although Beck is skeptical of the live video feed, he is willing to hear both sides of the argument. He said he is taking a “wait-and-see approach,” wanting to know what it would look like permission-wise.
Right now, if a senator wants to use photos or videos of proceedings, they must request permission from the rest of the Senate.
“I think there probably is some concern that someone might take it (the video feed) out of context,” Moon said. “It sounds reasonable to me. We still have some resistance — I’m working those channels to see if we can get some (votes).”
Moon hasn’t talked to the Freedom Caucus as a whole about backing his proposed resolution, but some members are okay with it.
Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, hasn’t specifically addressed his Freedom Caucus peers about the resolution, but said the topic has come up and has been agreeable to its conservative members.
“We need to step into the 21st century,” Brattin said. “If the United States Senate can do it, I think we, the state of Missouri, can do it.”
As for the concern that video feed could be doctored and edited, Brattin said that this could happen anyway with the videos already on the Senate website: “To fear that, I disagree with.”
Brattin said he believes that having a live video feed will show the transparency and accessibility of the legislative government, especially for people who don’t have the means to travel to a session but want to stay informed.
“It expands the capability for the public to be involved,” he said.
The past few weeks of bad weather across the state helped emphasize the difficulty for those following the Senate on its audio feed. Senators are referred to by their home county when recognized to speak. A listener who missed that moment may have no idea who is speaking.
The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 was the green light congressional committees needed to broadcast their proceedings. Although the U.S. Senate and House operate the congressional audio and video feeds, any credentialed member of the press gallery is free to broadcast the feed.
This is how the nonprofit Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN) was created, starting in 1979 for the House and 1986 for the Senate, and still runs today.
“It shouldn’t be that hard, let’s kick them in,” Moon said about dragging the Senate into the 21st century.
If the resolution is passed, it states that a live video feed of the Senate’s proceedings will be up and running no later than the first day of March. Moon predicts that if the proposed resolution is approved, it won’t be implemented until April.
Brattin said that if the Senate is apprehensive, it is because of the traditions of the Senate — he thinks that some of the “old school” senators may get in the way of approving the proposed resolution. However, Brattin said he is hopeful that when terms turn over in a few years, the public will be able to access live streams of proceedings.
-----------------------------------------------------
Senate passes sweeping utilities bill
By Shane LaGesse, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Senate passed a bill Monday revising key aspects of utility rates, including allowing utility companies to seek rate increases based on projected costs rather than actual costs.
The bill, which passed on a 22-11 vote, allows for companies to seek rate increases that include construction work in progress on natural gas units. It also allows for Missourians to opt out of using smart meters, among other provisions.
For utility companies, a test year is a 12-month period used to decide the future cost of service. Currently, Missouri utility companies use a historical test year that bases utility rates on expenses, investments and sales from a recent 12-month period to determine the future rates.
Senate Bill 4 gives gas, water and some sewage utility companies the option to use future test years, which would base rate requests on projected expenses and revenue. The Public Service Commission can stop a company from using future test years if it’s determined harmful to public interest, according to the bill.
The bill faced opposition from both Democrats and Republicans, who stalled the final vote for several hours to voice concerns that it was rushed through the legislature and would result in substantial utility rate increases.
“I haven’t found anybody that knows everything about this bill,” said Sen. Joe Nicola, R-Grain Valley, who voted against the bill. “I wish we’d have taken a little more time, maybe even had some town halls across the state and press conferences, so that we can explain to the people what the problem is.”
The Senate did not pass an emergency clause that would put the bill into immediate effect if it gains a final passage.
The bill now moves to the Missouri House for further debate.
-----------------------------------------------------
House Budget chair focused on keeping bills on track
By Sterling Sewell, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House opened public hearings for fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills Monday. Budget Committee Chair Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Seneca, said he is particularly focused on education and infrastructure.
Deaton said that despite poor weather, the House appears to be on schedule with the budget.
“We want to try to stay on schedule,” Deaton said. “We want to move as quickly as we can, while understanding that we’ve got to do a good job.”
One reason Deaton suggested for the early progress on the budget was the cooperation of his fellow committee members.
“We’re working really hard, and I do appreciate the committee, I think there’s been a lot of engagement and participation,” Deaton said.
Deaton left subcommittee chairs to conduct Monday’s hearing on topics their committee’s handle.
In addition to education and infrastructure, Deaton noted the importance of using taxpayer money efficiently.
“People always focus on what you’re spending money on,” Deaton said. “Just as important, if not more importantly, is when you don’t spend money. We’re making sure we’re conducting proper oversight and accountability with how our tax dollars are being spent.”
Education and infrastructure also drew the most attention during Monday’s hearing.
Noticeably absent in the discussion of education appropriations was underfunding in Gov. Mike Kehoe’s proposed budget. The foundation formula, which determines the amount of money necessary for education, was set to increase $500 million for 2025. Kehoe’s budget only appropriates a $200 million increase.
Matt Hudson, the executive dean of Career, Technical & Community Development at Ozark Technical Community College, spoke in favor of the budget. The governor made increased technical education a priority in his campaign, and that is reflected in a $2 million increase in funding for career and technical education over last year.
“We have long needed to inject funds into the ability to purchase equipment and training materials and curriculum for career and technical education in Missouri,” Hudson said.
Brian Millner, the president of the Missouri Association of Community Colleges, also supported the governor’s proposed budget because of an $8 million increase in funding for community colleges.
Jeff Glenn, the executive director for Missourians for Transportation Investment, supported other provisions of the appropriations bills which would provide $100 million for low-volume routes in the state.
Glenn, along with Dorothy Yeager, executive director of OATS Transit, criticized a cut of $5 million from a $10 million provision in last year’s budget which helps fund public transportation systems. OATS Transit is a nonprofit which provides public bus services in 87 primarily rural counties.
OATS Transit drew some criticism from Republican members of the committee. Rep. John Black, R-Marshfield, questioned whether OATS Transit was deserving of public transit funding. Black said the quality of transportation from OATS Transit was not adequate.
“My county commission has expressed concerns, my AAA has expressed concerns,” Black said. “So, again, it is hard for me to vote for an increase when the service in my area has not been what the people in my area need.”
-----------------------------------------------------
