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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Missouri News Network coverage this week included coverage of the proposed elimination of state income tax, several bills related to driving privileges and car registration and some bills impacting education.
If you have thoughts or questions, contact Fred Anklam at anklamf@missouri.edu.
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FRIDAY
Legislators react to state income tax overhaul
By Anika Austvold and Kennedy Voss, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Lawmakers staked out familiar stances Thursday on the effort to eliminate the state’s income tax after the Senate’s late-night approval.
House Joint Resolution 173 & 174, passed after limited discussion early Thursday, would expand transaction-based taxes in order to eliminate income tax over time.
Senate changes will have to be addressed by the House, which can either accept them or request further negotiations with the Senate.
Majority Floor Leader Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, said the legislation is intended to provide tax relief and strengthen Missouri’s economy.
“Eliminating the individual income tax represents the largest middle-class tax cut in state’s history,” Luetkemeyer said.
If finally approved by the legislature, the change would have to be approved by voters in November.
Luetkemeyer said this legislation aims to help Missouri keep up with other states in competition for jobs, residents and investment.
“Missouri needs tax reform to retain and attract small businesses, to keep families here in Missouri and grow our economy,” he said.
The sponsor of the resolution, Sen. Curtis Trent, R-Republic, explained the legislation includes protections intended to maintain revenue levels and protect local governments.
“There are numerous guardrails in the legislation to ensure this is a revenue neutral measure when fully implemented and it’s not a tax increase on the people of Missouri,” Trent said.
Trent also noted that local governments would have options to adjust tax rates after required rollbacks.
“They can either lower the overall sales tax rates, they can lower real residential property tax rates, lower personal property tax rates, or in cities that have an earnings tax, they may use that money to reduce their or eliminate their earnings tax,” he said.
Despite members of his party abstaining from debating the resolution on the floor, Minority Floor Leader, Sen. Doug Beck, D-Affton, said the plan could increase costs for many residents and shift the burden of taxation.
“The people hit the hardest are retirees, senior citizens and disabled,” said Beck. “They may pay no income tax now but will pay higher sales taxes.”
Those opposed to the legislation included Republican Sens. Joe Nicola, R-Grain Valley, Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, and Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield.
“I have no constituents, and I’m honest about this, not one that is talking about income tax and to phase it out,” Nicola said. “But I’ve heard hundreds on property tax before ... and that’s been my priority.”
He emphasized property tax reform had been identified as a priority by the Republican caucus but had not yet been addressed, and with only four weeks left in the session, the probability of that happening is dwindling.
“We’re now gonna take all kinds of time, legislative time, debating, arguing and trying to figure this whole thing out. I just don’t think it’s good,” Nicola said.
Nicola also raised concerns about expanding taxes to services.
“If you look at the bill, it’s kind of across the board … you can start taxing whatever,” he said.
House Minority Leader Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, said she was surprised at the lack of opposition from Democrats in the Senate.
“I was surprised that we didn’t see more robust opposition or serious filibuster effort from the Senate Democrats,” Aune said.
“I don’t pretend to know what negotiations look like behind closed doors ... but one thing I can say is that I can’t imagine a scenario in which I would sit down on the largest proposal to raise taxes for Missourians.”
Aune also spoke about how the bill authorized a vote that would go on the ballot in November instead of eliminating income tax through statute, which Republicans would likely be able to accomplish due to their supermajority.
“They’re asking for voter approval because they absolutely intend on raising our taxes,” Aune said. “I want to make sure that is what Missourians hear, because that is exactly what is happening.”
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House passes bills with one month left in session
By Kennedy Voss and KJ Drazen, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Bills addressing issues ranging from commercial driver’s licenses to animal abuse passed the House on Thursday as the body entered its final month of work.
The bills that were voted on were being read for the third time, so there was not much debate as the third read is usually for final corrections or language adjustments.
Commercial driver’s license changes
House Bill 2741 will require those with commercial driver’s licenses to have sufficient English language proficiency to be allowed to drive their vehicles. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Caton, R-Blue Springs, imposes new requirements that CDL holders would need to meet.
Applicants will have to speak English well enough to:
Failure to meet these standards would result in a Class D misdemeanor on the first offense, a Class B for the second and a Class D felony offense for the third or subsequent offenses. Companies that carry motor vehicles would be fined $3,000 for every offense if one of their drivers fails this exam.
Supporters say that this bill will help improve safety on Missouri roads. In February, in St. Louis, there was an incident where a truck driver was found driving on the wrong side of the road.
Authorities stated this man was not under influence of alcohol or drugs but could not understand English or read road signs.
Supporters also worry about trucks that transport dangerous chemicals.
“It is very difficult for these companies to operate safely regarding hazardous material loads,” Caton said. “That is my biggest concern.”
Opponents, like Rep. Eric Woods, D-Kansas City, worried that this bill discriminates against those who cannot speak English.
“What I continue to struggle with is the idea of creating a criminal offense around someone’s ability to speak a language, which is really subjective,” Woods said.
The bill passed 104-22, with 22 members voting “present.” One of those, Rep. David Tyson-Smith, D-Columbia, said he was concerned for the safety of his constituents but felt that the bill language needed to be tightened.
“If you’re talking with somebody, who makes the determination on how well you’re speaking English,” Smith asked. “For example, someone could just have an accent and they’re speaking fine, but someone might not be able to understand them.”
There is no language in the bill outlining the kind of test that a driver would need to pass.
Animal abuse penalties
House Bill 2436, sponsored by Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, R-Savannah, passed on a 88-54 vote. This bill would change laws involving offenses with animal abuse.
It makes filing a false report on someone for animal abuse a Class C misdemeanor.
The consequences for starving an animal would increase to a Class E felony.
The bill also changes how torture and mutilation offenses are handled. Currently, it has to be proven that the person did these acts while conscious. This bill would remove that language.
There are modifications to offenses regarding animal neglect so that if a person fails to provide control that leads to:
Law enforcement dogs are an exception. If they bite or injure someone in their line of work, their handlers will be exempt from these punishments.
The bill would change the process of how impoundments are dealt with. If one’s animal is impounded and wants it returned, a bond must be paid within 72 hours of the deposition hearing. The amount paid must be enough to cover basic care and boarding for the animal while the case is ongoing.
This was a point of disagreement for Rep. Will Jobe, D-Independence, who expressed concern with the fact that the system would be altered in a way that would cost people more money and make it harder to get their animals returned to them.
Limiting website accessibility lawsuits
Senate Bill 907 passed with a 148-0 vote. Sponsored by Sen. Brad Hudson, R-Cape Fair, it is meant to put a stop to excessive lawsuits on website accessibility.
If a business receives an alleged website access violation, it shall be granted 90 days to correct it before further action is taken, under the bill.
It would also allow for the defendant to notify the plaintiff if the violation has been fixed before the 90-day period concludes.
Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson, decried what he called “an enrichment scheme designed to bully businesses into fear and submission.”
“We all want those with disabilities to have access, but the process of getting there must be fair to our small businesses as well,” Seitz said.
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Bill offers path to driver license reinstatement using speed devices
By Chase Pray, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Additional provisions related to regaining driving privileges would be implemented under a bill being considered in the House.
House Bill 3317 would allow drivers whose licenses were revoked due to point accumulation, with at least 40% of those points being from speeding offenses, to apply to have their license reinstated if they install a certified intelligent speed assistance device in their vehicle.
The Department of Revenue would oversee this reinstatement process and require proof that an ISA device is installed on every vehicle an applicant operates. These drivers would also be required to keep the device in their vehicle for a minimum of one year.
ISA devices use GPS data to monitor vehicle speeds and can prevent vehicles from exceeding posted limits.
Bill sponsor Sherri Gallick, R-Belton, said at a hearing Wednesday that she believes this technology gives an alternative to drivers who would otherwise lose their licenses entirely.
“This (bill) allows them to continue driving for work, school and other essential needs,” she said. “For most Missourians, driving is not an option; it’s essential.”
Driving privileges would be revoked for one year if monitoring reports showed that the ISA device was tampered with, a person cannot prove devices were installed on all of their vehicles or if they were convicted of speeding while operating a vehicle not equipped with an ISA device.
Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, raised concerns about how well the ISA devices would actually work in scenarios where speed limits frequently change, noting that existing in-vehicle speed displays are not always consistent with posted signage.
“We have school zones that change from 55 miles an hour when school’s not in session to 25 miles an hour when school is (in session),” he said. “When it comes up on my dashboard, it sure doesn’t change right now.”
Supporters of the bill claim it would help prevent several dangerous driving behaviors. One of these supporters, Asia Dunmore, spoke about how her mother, Michelle, was killed in a 2023 hit-and-run accident while walking to a bus stop.
Dunmore said the driver later admitted she was speeding and was looking at her phone when the accident occurred. She emphasized that this legislation could prevent similar tragedies.
“This bill doesn’t punish responsible drivers,” she said. “It just sets clear boundaries for the habitual speeders that need to regain their driver’s licenses because the cost of not doing so is becoming too high.”
“My family is very aware of that,” she added. “My children should still have their grandmother. I should still have my mom.”
Multiple states are considering similar legislation, and Washington, Virginia and Washington D.C. have already implemented laws requiring high-risk drivers to install these devices in their vehicles.
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House committee hears bill to block foreign power in Missouri
By Sophia Gromowsky, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A bill preventing foreign and religious laws from being enforced in Missouri was heard by the Missouri House Government Efficiency Committee on Thursday.
The “No Foreign Laws Act” was voted through the Senate unanimously earlier this month.
The legislation prevents state courts and administrative agencies from applying foreign and religious laws that contradict federal or Missouri laws or violate a person’s fundamental rights.
There are exceptions for corporations that voluntarily subject themselves to foreign law in certain business dealings.
The act also prevents international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations and the World Economic Forum from exercising power within Missouri.
Senate Bill 977 was originally introduced with the title “No Shari’a Act," referring to the religious law of Islam.
“There is a legislative process for a reason. There are separation of powers for a reason. There is the Supremacy Clause out there for a reason,” bill sponsor Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, said.
“But yet, we still have legislators at the state, federal and local levels that are acquiescing and bending a knee, whether it’s to a foreign entity or third parties altogether, rather than utilizing the powers as they’re set out by our founders,” he said.
Schroer and other bill supporters pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a particular era where Missouri ran into issues with foreign laws being enforced, citing mask mandates and other pandemic-related precautions recommended by the World Health Organization.
“We saw during COVID-19 the way in which municipalities and counties across the state arbitrarily applied recommendations without utilizing the force of the legislative process within those bodies,” Rep. Darin Chappell, R–Rogersville, said. “It was oftentimes one individual declaring, ‘Thus it shall be.’”
Opponents of the bill called it unnecessary and worried that it could interfere with peoples’ ability to make private contracts and agreements.
“I’m concerned that we’re taking away people’s rights to actually decide for themselves how their own disputes among each other, in a private arbitration sense, would be settled,” Rep. Mark Boyko, D-Kirkwood, said.
Similar legislation has been proposed across the country at the state and federal levels.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his state’s version of the bill into law earlier this month, and Texas’ “American Laws for American Courts” law has been in effect since 2017.
The Missouri legislature voted in 2013 to pass a previous version of the bill, also called the “No Foreign Laws Act.” It was vetoed by former Gov. Jay Nixon, who said the bill was “seeking to solve a problem that does not exist,” according to reporting by St. Louis Beacon.
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House bill would mandate college and career readiness exams
By Sam Jackson, Missouri News Network
A bill that would mandate college and career readiness exams was heard Wednesday by the Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.
Rep. Josh Hurlbert, D-Smithville, is the sponsor of House Bill 3489. Hurlbert told the committee that his bill aims to increase access to workforce development assessments and will provide up to nine credit hours of college credit for demonstrating workplace skills as recommended by the American Council in Education.
The ACE programs would evaluate a student’s skills and are designed to help students access employment opportunities, including those in the military, nonprofits, companies and others. Companies such as Google, Jiffy Lube and Disney use its evaluations to recruit employees. The nine credit hours would go toward these learning evaluations.
WorkKeys is an ACT-development assessment that measures career-readiness skills in areas that apply math and workplace documents, and completion of a career readiness assessment. In this bill, WorkKeys or similar programs would be required for every student to graduate.
“I’m trying to highlight the importance of the WorkKeys assessment,” Hurlbert said. “But also maybe even more importantly, gather feedback on this bill and just this issue as we move forward to next year.”
Hurlbert said he understands there are just four more weeks in the sessions and wants to get feedback from other lawmakers to set it on the right track for next spring.
“This legislation is patterned off the Arkansas Credit Act that passed in 2023. Similar language also passed in Nebraska this spring, has made progress in Kansas and Tennessee legislatures as well,” Hurlbert said.
Missouri has not required students to take the SAT or ACT since the 2019-2020 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill would require schools to administer college readiness tests like the ACT or SAT.
Hurlbert said this bill will help students who do not plan on going into higher education after graduation and will give them prerequisites if they plan to get trade certifications or pursue alternate routes.
“It’s another pathway to get some of those prerecs out of the way,” Hulbert said.
John Idoux, the ACT’s director of government relations from Missouri, supported the bill, saying it elevates career readiness to the same level as college readiness throughout the schools. The ACT Workkeys was developed by ACT in 1993 to help businesses recruit employees with skills that match job requirements.
“At ACT, as you probably know, we’re best known for our college entrance exam, but our mission is much broader,” Idoux said. “We’re into helping all students succeed after high school. House Bill 3489 aligns with that guidance by allowing students to translate demonstrable workplace skills into meaningful progress toward a completed degree, creating a faster, more affordable path to a credential and ultimately a career.”
Idoux said essential and soft skills are what employees focus on, and this bill will help students evaluate them.
“College and career writing, these should never be an either-or choice,” Idoux said. “This bill is designed to ensure students in the career and technical education pathway have access to the same opportunities and assessments as college-bound peers.”
Chance Hepola, the director of government affairs at the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also supported the bill. He said the bill would allow students to assess their skills for apprenticeships and military jobs.
“We actually did a Gallup survey not too long ago in conjunction with the Missouri Chamber, and we found only about 44% of Missouri businesses are satisfied with the state’s availability of skilled and trained workers,” Hepola said.
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THURSDAY
Single gendered spaces, film production incentives lead House floor debate
By Erin Hynes and Maggie Stewart, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The use of multi-person occupancy restrooms aligning with one’s gender and tax credits for media production were among the bills discussed on the House floor on Wednesday.
The majority of the floor debate was centered on House Bill 2536, titled “Women’s protection” and sponsored by Rep. Becky Laubinger, R-Park Hills.
Laubinger’s bill requires that public entities, including public schools, higher education institutions, public buildings and correctional facilities, label multi-occupancy restrooms, changing areas and sleeping quarters exclusively for male or female use.
In the bill, these areas are split based on biological sex, not based on a person’s chosen gender.
Laubinger said the bill is not about targeting individuals who do not identify by the gender they were assigned at birth, but about creating safe environments for women.
Rep. John Martin, R-Columbia, said restroom use was “a very clear issue” in Boone County.
Martin said a constituent who previously sent their daughter to a public school in his district called his office, concerned about the safety of their daughter. As Martin described, “a biological male that was a substitute teacher that day was in a dress.” Martin said the mother was concerned about whether there was a policy for staff restrooms. Martin added that the school district did not have a clear policy.
Rep. Wick Thomas, D-Kansas City, the only openly transgender representative, went through various lines of the bill on the floor, pointing out places where they felt the bill lacked clarity.
Thomas shared the financial implications they believe the bill would have on universities and sports facilities, which may need to restructure locker rooms and bathrooms.
Additionally, Thomas said the bill does not talk about who would be responsible for enforcing these requirements and how enforcement could look, which they described as “dangerous.”
“There’s no good enforcement mechanism,” Thomas said in reference to the bill. “This is going to be used to hurt women; we see that already in other places.”
Throughout the debate, Democrats and Republicans raised voices during the heated debate in the chamber and called points of order on speakers from each side of the aisle.
In the end, HB 2536 was perfected with amendments on Wednesday.
Film credits
Earlier in the session, the House floor heard House bills 2142 and 2058, sponsored by Rep. Colin Wellenkamp, R-St. Charles. The bill string would modify the Show MO Act, originally established in 2023, to attract more film production to the state.
The bill’s goal, Wellenkamp said, is to increase revenue and job opportunities in Missouri.
Wellenkamp shared that in the last year, the film industry in the state generated $40.7 million in revenue, up $10 million from 2024.
“As I just shared with the stats, it’s done wonderfully; however, we could do even better,” Wellenkamp said. “We could be even more competitive of a state in this industry.”
Rep. Michael Burton, D-Lakeshire, said filmmaking has started migrating into other states, as Los Angeles and California production costs become too high.
“If we keep our productions coming here, then our kids, our young professionals, they have a reason to stay and cultivate the industry,” Burton said.
The initial Show MO Act is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2029. An amendment to the bill passed Wednesday would push back the sunset to 2035.
As of April 6, the Missouri Film Office has $6.5 million in tax credit funds allocated to film production and $6.8 million for television series production. Under Wellenkamp’s bill, the two funds would be combined under one $16 million tax credit cap, with the hope of making it easier for productions to acquire the credit.
Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, R-Savannah, opposed the bill.
“Tax credits are problematic at best, they’re terrible at worst,” he said.
Van Schoiack also mentioned the Netflix television series Ozark, which he believes negatively portrays people from the Ozarks. Van Schoiack said the film industry is not “the kind of exposure we need frankly.”
The bill also allows taxpayers in qualified productions to carry over unused credits for up to five tax periods.
Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, said these tax credits work when bringing film studios to Missouri. Over 30 states, including Arkansas and Illinois, have production incentives in place.
“They’re hiring electricians, painters, drivers, carpenters, this is good for Missouri, it’s what we need,” Smith said.
The bill was ultimately perfected with amendments.
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Senate bill would allow MU Health Care to expand ownership in rural areas
By Eric Hughes, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A Senate bill heard Wednesday could allow MU Health Care to own and help operate medical facilities in rural areas of Missouri.
Senate Bill 1602 is sponsored by Sen. Kurtis Gregory, R-Marshall. It echoes House Bill 3170, which passed through two House committees but currently is not on a House calendar for consideration.
Gregory’s bill would exempt MU Health Care from antitrust laws and authorize it to purchase, sell, lease or be otherwise involved in the ownership of hospitals and health care facilities in 25 counties in mid-Missouri.
Gregory said at the hearing before the Senate General Laws Committee that he filed the bill in response to the growing crisis facing hospitals across Missouri. He said 20 hospitals have closed over the past decade with 10 of them in rural areas.
“Nearly half of Missouri’s remaining rural hospitals are now financially vulnerable, and many are actively seeking partners to maintain access to care,” Gregory said.
Opposition to the bill came from concerns about MU Health Care’s potential antitrust immunity and lack of choice in health care providers across the state.
“When a hospital in central Missouri (struggles financially, they) can hopefully partner with Mizzou Health Care, be acquired by private equity or close altogether,” Gregory said. “The last of which is an option that is not gonna be the best at all … because the more that close down, the further you are from having access to care at critical moments.”
Jorgen Schlemeier, representing the Jefferson City Medical Group, applauded MU Health Care for wanting to help keep health care in rural areas but spoke against the bill because it includes Boone and Cole counties.
“Boone County and Cole County currently have multiple hospital systems operating in them, and we believe it is critical for multiple hospitals to thrive,” Schlemeier said. “I believe that the legislation exempting them from antitrust is somewhat more narrowly tailored to Cole and Boone County, with the other 23 counties somewhat as window dressing.”
CEO of MU Health Care Ric Ransom argued the Missouri health care system is already facing limited choices without a monopoly.
“As you look at choice, access, cost increases, the reasons that have nothing to do with a legislative monopoly, there’s less choice in central Missouri,” he said. “There are challenges with access, and costs have increased.”
Bill Hellebusch, CEO of Hermann Area District Hospital, agreed with Ransom and said that the hospital is constantly looking for good partners to help serve the area.
Hellebusch said that over the past three years, MU Health Care has provided 24/7 emergency care to Hermann Area District Hospital and has been critical to operations. He said that on one instance, MU Health Care helped assist with a trolley incident that caused 34 injuries.
“Honestly, without that level of support, I’m not sure how we would have treated and taken care of all those patients that came through our doors that day,” he said.
Lisa Leathers, president of the Missouri Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, opposed the bill because of potential side effects that would affect surgery centers.
She said that Missouri surgery centers are required to have a standing transfer agreement with a nearby hospital or for each operator at the center to have admitting privilege, but the regulations don’t require a hospital to honor them.
“If this bill passes, specifically with its provisions for antitrust immunity, surgery centers in mid-Missouri would become entirely dependent upon the goodwill of a single entity, MU Health Care, to keep their doors open,” she said.
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Missouri Senators endorse Trump’s lawyer in judicial confirmation hearing
By Fletcher Mantooth, Missouri News Network
WASHINGTON — Justin Smith, the Missouri lawyer who is representing President Donald Trump in his effort to overturn an $88 million settlement for sexual harassment and defamation, won praise from his home state senators Wednesday during his confirmation hearing for a lifetime appointment to the federal appellate bench.
Smith is a 2010 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law. If confirmed, Smith would serve on the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which hears appeals from federal courts in seven Midwestern states, including Missouri.
Smith is currently Trump’s lawyer on an appeal that asks the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a judgment the president has been ordered to pay to E. Jean Carroll. Carroll is a magazine columnist who alleges that Trump sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s and then defamed her in denying the charges. The justices have not yet decided whether to take the case.
Trump nominated Smith in February, following a trend of the president tapping members of his personal legal team into top federal positions. Interim Attorney General Todd Blanche led Trump’s defense team in a trial over hush money payments to former porn star Stormy Daniels, and Solicitor General D. John Sauer represented Trump in a case where he claimed that broad presidential immunity shielded him from prosecution for wrongdoing. Smith works for the St. Louis law firm Sauer founded.
“Justin Smith is one of the finest lawyers I’ve ever worked with in my entire life,” said U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., who introduced Smith at the hearing alongside U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. Both senators are former Missouri attorney generals. Smith served as Schmitt’s chief of staff and first assistant during his time as attorney general.
“On a personal level, Justin’s the kind of person we want around when the stakes are high,” Schmitt said. “He is calm, he’s thoughtful, he does not posture, he does not cut corners, he listens carefully, he thinks rigorously, and he speaks with precision.”
Schmitt vouched for Smith’s skill as a lawyer and character during the hearing.
Hawley called Smith “a man of utmost integrity” and “the most kind-hearted, compassionate man you’ll ever meet.”
Democrats are concerned that, like many Trump nominees before him, Smith would not outright acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential
election. Smith would only say that Congress certified Joe Biden as president, which while factually true, does not answer the question the senators asked: if Joe Biden won the election.
The answer also avoids contradicting Trump.
Trump insists he was cheated out of victory in the 2020 race despite dozens of court rulings that found otherwise. Democrats on the committee took Smith’s answer as a sign of his loyalty to the president, creating a lack of independence.
“The reason why we continue to engage in these political gymnastics is a question about whether or not you can ever say no to Donald Trump, when it comes to future service, and this makes me concerned,” said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
Democrats also raised concerns about Smith’s ties to a large network of conservative dark money groups. Smith did not dispute his ties with the groups, but he said he was not affiliated with some of the organizations and that a clerical error had listed his home address in three of the organizations.
Smith said that he holds an originalist legal philosophy, and he will interpret the Constitution based on how he believes the people of the time would have understood it. This philosophy is common among conservative judges like Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will likely vote on whether to send Smith’s nomination to the full Senate next week.
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Bill would allow breweries, distilleries to ship directly to residents
By Kavya Ramesh, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A House bill would expand which alcoholic beverages can be shipped directly to residents, a move supporters say would level the playing field for local breweries and distilleries.
House Bill 3093 would expand Missouri’s existing wine direct-shipping law to include beer and spirits. Supporters say it allows small manufacturers to participate in a system already in place.
Opponents argue it could open the door to out-of-state competition and enforcement challenges.
Rep. Nick Kimball, D-St. Louis, said the legislation does not create a new system but it extends an existing one.
“This bill allows the local distillers, spirits and breweries to enter into the same direct consumer shipping process that our local wineries are currently afforded,” Kimball said. “The state and federal laws, none of that would change.”
Under current law, wineries are allowed to ship up to two cases of wine per month to any person for personal use and not for resale. HB 3093 would allow licensed manufacturers to ship limited amounts of distilled and undistilled alcohol directly to Missouri residents who are 21 and older.
Kimball framed the proposal as an economic fairness issue for small producers.
“The bill is ultimately about fairness for our mom-and-pop shops in each of our districts that are currently cut out of the market,” he said. “This is not an anti-Anheuser Busch bill.”
Kimball emphasized that wholesalers would remain the primary distribution channel.
“It does not break the three-tiered system,” Kimball said. “Wholesaling will still be the primary distribution center because there are volume caps on this.”
When lawmakers raised concerns about minors accessing shipments, Kimball pointed to the safeguards already used for wine deliveries.
“You have to knock on the door, you have to get a signature, you have to show your ID,” he said. “It’s not like Uber Eats or Grubhub where they might just drop it off on your door.”
Greg Pope, president of the Missouri Craft Distillers Guild and a Branson-based distiller and brewer, echoed Kimball’s argument that the bill is about parity.
“This bill is just seeking parity,” Pope said. “Wine has been operating with direct-to-consumer shipment capabilities for more than 30 years. The distilling industry and the beer brewing industry has been segregated from being able to enjoy this freedom.”
Pope argued that the distinction between alcohol types lacks logic.
“Beer, wine and spirit are all ethanol and water,” he said. “Why I can legally mail ethanol and water if I call it wine, but I’m prohibited from mailing ethanol and water if I call it beer or spirit just lacks any value of common sense.”
He pointed to the scale of existing wine shipments in Missouri.
“In 2025, Federal Express did 5.3 million wine case deliveries inside the state of Missouri,” Pope said. “But I can’t engage in that element of commerce.”
Reading from a shipping label, Pope emphasized the strict delivery requirements: “This package contains alcohol in bolded print. Adult signature required. ID check. Recipient must be at least 21 years of age.”
“If I’m licensed to conduct commerce inside the state, but I’ve been prohibited from conducting commerce inside the state, it just doesn’t make sense,” he said.
Chelsea Crucitti, a lobbyist with the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of America, argued that expanding direct shipping could unintentionally hurt local businesses.
“You can’t create a law allowing distillers to ship intrastate without allowing all the other distillers in the country to ship in,” Crucitti said. “This opens up consumers to order from all of those distillers, including places like Texas and Kentucky and Tennessee, known for their spirits.”
She warned that local retailers could lose business to large, out-of-state producers capable of running national shipping programs.
“Local distillers and retailers are losing those sales to out-of-state companies, usually the large guys that can afford a shipping program,” she said.
Crucitti also raised concerns about enforcement and underage access.
“What we’re doing is replacing that trained cashier who has that training with a truck driver,” she said. “If it falls in the wrong hands, it’s lethal.”
Some lawmakers pushed back, noting that the bill mirrors the existing wine system and questioning whether there is evidence of widespread enforcement failures.
Kimball maintained that the framework is already in place.
“The enforcement exists here for wine,” he said. “We’re just tagging beer and spirits into that.”
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Educators speak out against reading retention bill
By Hailey Sanford, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The Senate Education Committee saw pushback from educators on a House bill that would require third grade students who test below grade level to repeat the year.
House Bill 2872 is sponsored by Rep. Cathy Jo Loy, R-Carthage, and would establish the Missouri Reading Screener, which is a literacy-based reading assessment. Students in first through third grade would take this assessment three times a school year.
Students who test below grade level would be placed on a reading success plan, and if they remained below grade level by the end of third grade, they would have to repeat third grade.
There are some exceptions to being retained in third grade:
Loy said at a hearing Tuesday that about 40% of students read below grade level.
“When used early and paired with strong intervention, retention helps students catch up. So again, retention is not the strategy, literacy is; retention is just trying to stop the bleed of children who are not reading,” Loy said.
The bill passed 131-10 in the House, but many people testified against the bill at the Senate hearing.
Troy Lentz, the superintendent of the Mexico School District, explained that a similar law in Mississippi has not shown long-term benefits of mandatory retention. This bill has been in place since 2014.
Many of the opponents of the bill brought up Senate Bill 681, which was passed in 2022. This bill included required reading assessments and reading plans. It also required teachers to attend professional development programs where they would learn the science of reading and place a heavy emphasis on phonics.
Those speaking against HB 2872 said there was not enough time since the passage of SB 681 to see the effect on literacy. Brittany Woods Middle School Assistant Principal Christina Sneed said that they need a minimum of three years to see the effects. SB 681 was first implemented in the 2023-24 school year.
“We have been doing everything possible to implement Senate Bill 681, and we’ve been seeing great gains with student confidence, student engagement, parent engagement, making sure that they understand how best to advocate for their students to make sure that they are developing reading skills,” Sneed said. “We need time to make it work.”
There were also concerns about removing the parental decision on retention. Currently, parents have to agree to hold their child back.
“God gave those kids to them. They didn’t give them to me, and I think that’s really a parent’s choice, and sometimes it’s the best choice,” said Craig Carson, the assistant superintendent of Ozark schools.
Education Committee Chair Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, spoke about his daughter who has dyslexia and was held back.
“You continue to hurl onto them more advanced everything when they’re already struggling at the past grade level, it’s only a recipe for disaster,” Brattin said. “We held my daughter back, and yeah, it sucked at the time. But it’s been the best thing we’ve ever done for my daughter.”
Brandi Turner, the superintendent of Taneyville School District, said retention harms students by increasing high school dropout rates, negatively affecting long-term academic achievement, lowering engagement and motivation and creating lasting social and emotional effects.
“Retention does not address the root cause of reading difficulties. It simply delays progression without guaranteeing improved outcomes,” Turner said.
Sneed said that reading plans have a more targeted approach than holding a child back. She explained that the student would receive the same instruction as before, rather than focusing on the problems the student has with reading.
Loy said the bill would place a strong emphasis on screening and intervention. She said it is better to graduate 18-year-olds who can read rather than 17-year-olds who can’t.
“It’s a simple goal: helping Missouri children become confident readers so that education becomes full of possibilities,” Loy said.
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WEDNESDAY
Law brings renewed focus to human trafficking
By Faith Jacoby, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — One of the first bills signed into law this year by Gov. Mike Kehoe takes aim at human trafficking and seeks to provide “protection of children and vulnerable persons” in Missouri.
The state of Missouri is ranked 12th in the nation for the number of human trafficking cases opened based on tips to the national hotline, said Heather Luebbert, commercial motor vehicle program manager with the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Though human trafficking is an issue all throughout the country, Missouri is unique in its large roadway system.
“We actually have the seventh largest transportation system in the U.S.,” Luebbert said. “So we have a lot of highways that intersect us, being in the Midwest and being that roadway connection to the rest of the country”
Both the House and Senate took action throughout the legislative session to combat the issue. The law signed by the governor raises the penalties for certain trafficking crimes, establishes a crime of grooming minors and creates mandatory training and education programs for first responders. The law combines House bills 2273, 1946, 1814 and 2551.
The bill establishes the Statewide Council Against Adult Trafficking and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, which will meet quarterly within the attorney general’s Ooffice, and the Committee on Sex and Human Trafficking Training, composed of eight members that must annually evaluate and establish guidelines for required sex and human trafficking training.
As far as training for MoDOT goes, Luebbert feels confident in the state’s awareness and efforts to combat human trafficking.
“We feel like we’re well poised in positions because we are statewide,” Luebbert said. “And due to the nature of the transportation element and the types of environments that we are around and go into, we are poised in such a way that if we can train our employees to identify it and feel comfortable to make that call, we can help in that fight as well.”
The law mandates that the Department of Health and Senior Services require each emergency medical technician, including paramedics, to complete certain hours of sex and human trafficking training as part of ongoing education requirements for relicensure every five years.
Diana Haines, director of anti-trafficking operations for the attorney general’s office, oversees the development and implementation of the Attorney General’s statewide strategies to combat human trafficking.
“Ongoing efforts include training sessions for law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim advocates to enhance their skills in victim identification and recovery, human trafficking operations, and investigations of illicit message businesses,” Haines said.
The law also changes what constitutes a victim of the offense of nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images.
Loretta Schouten, operations manager at the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition, said that step one in taking action against human trafficking is believing it exists everywhere.
“You have to understand it’s everywhere in our country,” Schouten said. “It’s in rural Missouri, it’s in Columbia, it’s in big cities and small towns. It is everywhere, no community is isolated.”
Schouten also highlighted the need for people to report any suspicious or unnatural behavior, no matter how small it may seem.
“If you see something and you have that feeling of like, ‘it doesn’t look right, it doesn’t feel right, I wonder what’s going on there,’ oh my gosh, make a phone call,” Schouten said.
Under the law, employees and owners of lodging establishments would also be required to complete annual human trafficking awareness training.
Leubbert emphasized the importance of growing awareness and being able to recognize human trafficking.
“I think one of the things that I’ve been focused on this past year is just making sure that people understand that trafficking exists because there’s a demand for it,” Luebbert said.
“The goods that we purchase that might be created through forced labor creates that demand, the commercial sex industry creates that demand’ she said. “So, just our awareness and normalization of this activity is really going to be what can change the outcome at the end of the day.”
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Physical education bill undergoes changes
By Hailey Sanford, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A House bill focused on increasing physical education has been altered significantly since its formation, and the sponsor foresees many more changes.
House Bill 2748’s original goal was to increase physical education for public and charter school students, K-12, to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity daily.
Rep. Bishop Davidson, R-Republic, is the bill’s sponsor and has adjusted it to only encompass students in grades K-5, with the requirement reduced to 30 minutes of moderate physical activity and 20 minutes of recess daily.
This rearranges the current requirement of 150 minutes of physical activity for elementary students. Davidson said having physical activity daily would aid in learning and behavior for students.
The Senate Education Committee heard the bill on Tuesday. It passed the House by an 82-65 vote.
Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, is the committee chair, and he spoke in favor of the bill and expanding physical education requirements for elementary-aged children.
“I think this is something that’s extremely important, especially for little boys. Boys are more active; they have to have movements,” Brattin said, “and we’ve structured our education to where they have to sit in desks and be quiet, and be good little boys, when we’re created to be more active.”
Davidson said that children being physically active used to be a big part of personal and cultural lifestyles, but this is no longer the case.
Davidson spoke on the impact of social media and cellphones on physical activity. He said there are “a lot of negative influences there, so this is an effort to try and reverse some of that and educate back to healthy living that actually produces the learning outcomes that we’d like to see.”
Sen. Mike Henderson, R-Desloge, voiced concerns about implementation because of time and space constraints.
“We’ve got to be careful how many focuses we keep trying to give (teachers) without packaging it together to make sure it all works, instead of saying, ‘Here, go forth and fix this,’” Henderson said.
Davidson said that increasing physical activity would aid students in their learning.
He spoke about a study where a student with dyslexia was able to read 20% more following physical activity.
Otto Fajen testified on behalf of the Missouri National Education Association, and while he sees the benefits of increased physical activity, he doesn’t think this bill addresses everything.
“We just believe that this needs to be a part of a broader effort to bring back the opportunity for elementary education to really be designed well to work with children,” Fajen said.
“They are not young adults, and we need to treat them as children and figure out how the school day can be designed for an elementary-aged kid that supports their development, that supports their functioning and supports their learning,” he said.
In its current form, the bill still includes middle and high school students. Davidson said that he intends to focus it entirely on elementary students through a committee substitute that would remove children past fifth grade.
Kyna Iman, on behalf of the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education, and Bill Gamble, for the Missouri Association for Career and Technical Education, spoke against including high schoolers in the bill because it would interfere with their studies and electives.
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State personhood legislation reflects national effort
By Margaret Stewart, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Earlier this session, the Senate Emerging Issues Committee heard a bill restricting abortion from conception.
The “personhood” bill would outlaw all abortion within the state including cases such as incest and rape.
By recognizing an embryo or fetus as a person, the “person” would be subject to all human rights protected by the Constitution such as due process laws.
Despite the Republican-dominated legislature, the bill has had one committee hearing but no further action. That is frequently a signal this late in the session that it is considered unlikely to pass.
A similar bill, HR 722, has been introduced in the U.S. Congress. It is almost identical to bills from 2023 and 2024.
Ten states including Georgia, Idaho, North Dakota and Texas have introduced similar “personhood” bills this year without success.
Pushes at the state level to abolish abortion are in step with the national legislation.
Unlike the proposed state legislation, the national bill would not prosecute “any woman for the death of her unborn child.”
The federal bill is sponsored by Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo, who is from Springfield.
State Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, is sponsoring a bill and two resolutions, SB 951, SJR 71 and SJR 72, that would completely restrict abortion, undoing what voters approved in 2024.
Moon said “it’s really not my intent to prosecute a woman,” despite the language of SB 951 in which any persons accused of committing abortions would be subject to legal justice processes.
Interest groups in favor of protecting reproductive freedom say the spike in proposed legislation criminalizing abortion can be traced back to the Trump administration.
The GOP’s Project 2025 declares its protection of human rights “from conception to natural death.”
The Right to Freedom Initiative, which is the new Amendment 3 voters will address this fall, would eliminate reproductive rights from the Missouri Constitution. In 2024, voters approved an Amendment 3 that legalized abortion until fetal viability within Missouri.
Moon said “people have spoken so you can’t change their will, but yet that’s what we do every session,” when asked about why the public should vote again.
In the House, Rep. Burt Whaley, R-Clever, is sponsoring identical personhood bills, HJR 109 and HB 1682.
Although the legislation is not economic, Moon said if the state were to have passed the amendment in 2024, there would have been “another 15 million babies. So we would have over 100 million people on the tax rolls.”
The bill would not prevent “back-alley coat hanger abortions,” but “the laws can be a teacher, a backup” to prevent abortion across the state, Moon said.
On Feb. 18, Abolitionists Rising visited the Capitol in support of the bills.
Wes Scroggins, executive director of Abolish Abortion Missouri, returned to testify in favor of SJR 72.
“It’s time. It’s time to stop,” Scroggins said. He said the bill would also seek to prosecute anyone “involved in the murder” of an unborn child, including the mother, doctors and abortion clinic staff.
Scroggins said the bill should go “to the people” to be voted on despite the previous vote held in 2024.
“We ought to give kids a chance,” Moon said, and use the “same logic that crime scenes, law enforcement use” when considering a person to be anyone with “unique DNA.”
Opponent Kay Park from League of Women Voters of Missouri testified that the bill would also apply “criminal prosecution for miscarriages” and it “contradicts science, medicine and constitutional rights. Even a bacteria has a unique DNA.”
Another witness in support, Jeremy Jacobs from Bound for Life, compared the abortion of “the preborn” to slavery.
“The Bible is very clear, bloodshed stains a land” and the state of Missouri will be subject to “judgments of the Lord,” Jacobs said.
Supporters of abortion rights complain the new legislation would present health concerns for women with complications during birth and could lead to unnecessary criminal punishment.
Sen. Patty Lewis, D-Kansas City, said in a statement that “this SJR is wrong, it is dangerous, and it should never become law.”
Lewis noted that voters already “enshrined reproductive rights — including the right to an abortion” in 2024.
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Bill seeks to create school peace officers
By Xavier Asher, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A House committee is considering a bill that would establish a training program for new school peace officers.
Senate Bill 905, proposed by Sen. David Gregory, R-St. Louis, would introduce the Missouri Ranger training program to place more peace officers in schools.
Gregory argued at a House Emerging Issues Committee hearing Monday that the kinds of security forces currently present in schools aren’t suited to properly respond to active shooter threats. He believes that the presence of rigorously trained Missouri Rangers could help keep schools safer.
Those trained and certified as rangers would carry firearms, be granted limited arrest powers and be tasked with responding to violent crises that occur on school grounds.
Schools will be given the option to hire rangers and modify their powers accordingly.
To serve as a ranger, applicants must go through the same bias training and background check processes that police officers do, and complete Peace Officer Standards and Training Program training.
Missouri Rangers would also have to complete new, increased physical fitness tests and other increased training created by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission .
“It’s just another license, but a very heightened license,” Gregory said.
“You have to be in physical fitness superior to a Marine,” Gregory added. “Once you pass that fitness test, we then put the rangers through pretty serious training modeled after U.S. Air Marshals.”
Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs, D-St. Louis, agreed that the state needed to do more to prevent mass shootings, but didn’t think that the Missouri Ranger program would be necessary. Fuchs proposed that the funds for this program be reappropriated towards mental health programs that work to deter students from carrying out armed attacks on schools.
“I do not like the idea of more armed forces in our schools creating militarized environments,” she said. “I would like us to be focusing on the mental health piece and how come people feel like they want to harm other folks.”
However, Rep. Wendy L. Hausmann, R-St. Peters, a former substitute teacher, said that even with current armed protection, she felt like a “sitting duck” during active shooter drills.
“As I’m hiding these children in this practice, all I can think in my head is that if someone walks through that door, there’s nothing I can do,” Hausmann said of a training she received as a substitute teacher.
Rep. Tiffany Price, D-Kansas City, was worried about the potential for negative interactions between rangers and students of color in her district.
She expressed concern that the bias training rangers would receive might not be sufficient, but Gregory assured her that the training would be the same as the training police receive.
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TUESDAY
MSHSAA oversight, critical minerals pass Senate
By Jackson Cooper and Eric Hughes, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The Senate kicked off its week with a busy Monday, passing several bills and filibustering on a bill to ban teachers from aiding a student’s gender transition.
High school sports oversight
Senate Bill 863 was passed by the Senate on Monday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jason Bean, R-Holcomb, would establish an appeals oversight commission for high school sports.
The bill would create the Interscholastic Athletic Oversight Commission, to be comprised of five members appointed by the governor. The proposed commission would make final appeals decisions on student transfer eligibility and game disputes.
When initially presented in committee in January, SB 863 was much broader in scope, proposing that the commission would have more oversight over the entire Missouri State High School Activities Association.
Bean introduced a substitute version of the bill on the floor last week, simplifying the language and drastically reducing the commission’s responsibilities.
He said this was done after dialogue with MSHSAA, which opposed the initial bill in committee hearings.
Voting on the floor proceeded largely on party lines, advancing 20-8. The bill will now move to the House.
Critical minerals
Senate Bill 1553, aimed at boosting the production of critical raw materials in Missouri, was also moved on from the Senate.
It is sponsored by Sen. Kurtis Gregory, R-Marshall, and would establish guidelines for the Department of Economic Development to issue tax credits to raw material projects in the state. Critical raw materials are the subject of ever-increasing geopolitical importance, and efforts at both the state and federal levels have attempted to reduce reliance on imports in recent years.
Cobalt, nickel, yttrium, samarium and dysprosium are some of the elements focused on in the bill, Gregory said.
These materials are necessary components in technologies such as rechargeable batteries, aerospace alloys, LED lights and high-performance magnets.
The bill passed with support from Republicans and Democrats, by a margin of 19-9, with all nine dissenters being Republicans.
The bill’s next stop is the House, which must approve the bill before it can go to the governor’s desk.
Transitioning students
The Senate was brought to a standstill by a filibuster when Sen. Joe Nicola, R-Grain Valley, brought up Senate Bill 1085 for initial approval.
His bill would prohibit public school staff members from recognizing students as a gender other than their biological sex during social gender transition. The bill would also prohibit staff from encouraging students to withhold information from their parents or withhold information regarding the student’s emotional or mental health themselves.
The bill states that a staff member will notify the parents of a student within 24 hours if they request to be referred to as a different gender. This includes asking to be referred to by pronouns that don’t match the student’s biological sex, using a nickname, using bathrooms or locker rooms designated for the opposite biological sex or participating in a school team or event designated for the opposite biological sex.
“Parents should not be the last to know when a school is asked to take steps related to a child’s social transition,” Nicola said. “Transparency is not optional. It is part of the school’s duty. It creates clear rules, so everyone knows the standard.”
Nicola said that the bill is titled “Sage Law,” referring to Sage Blair, who Nicola said ran away from home and was sex trafficked and raped after being encouraged by school officials to socially transition into being a male. President Donald Trump recently recounted the story in his February State of the Union address.
Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, and Sen. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, held the floor for about 25 minutes before Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, introduced an amendment that would replace “the social transition of minors in public schools” in the bill with “discriminatory practices.”
“It’s going to be really important to focus on the fact that we should maintain a state that does not allow anyone to be discriminated against, especially because of how they identify, their gender, their race, their sexual orientation, their preference ability,” Williams said.
Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, opposed the amendment, saying it went beyond the scope of the original bill. After a decision could not be reached on the amendment, the bill was placed aside for debate to continue later.
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Bill restricting how insurers can use driving data sparks debate
By Chase Pray, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A bill restricting how automobile insurance companies could collect and use drivers’ telematics data was heard in the House Insurance Committee on Monday.
Insurers would be required to obtain written consent before accessing or purchasing this data. This data includes, but is not limited to, information regarding speed, braking patterns and seat belt usage.
Insurers would also be prohibited from increasing premiums and denying or canceling coverage if a driver refuses to provide their personal data.
House Bill 2324, sponsored by Rep. Bill Lucas, R-DeSoto, said the bill is intended to protect Missourians’ personal freedoms and privacy as vehicle technology becomes more advanced.
“This bill is about individual personal freedom and the freedom from unreasonable intrusion into your life,” Lucas said. “... Missourians should have control over their personal driving data and not unknowingly be subjected to data collection or sharing practices.”
Lucas argued that if companies such as OnStar, a subsidiary of General Motors, can collect and potentially sell data to insurers, this information could then be used to unknowingly raise premiums based on drivers’ habits. This practice could potentially violate the Fourth Amendment, Lucas said.
Rep. Steve Butz, D-St. Louis, questioned whether limiting access to this data could undermine insurance programs that reward safe drivers.
“I’m in full support of telematics,” he said. “It is the way that punishes the bad drivers and rewards the good drivers. That is the absolute facts of the case.”
He also argued that driving behaviors already aren’t fully private.
“When you’re speeding (over) 18 miles an hour, you’re braking hard or when you’re lane changing, it’s publicly observed, and this is just a way to measure it,” he said.
Hampton Williams, a representative from the Missouri Insurance Coalition, argued the bill would prevent insurers from offering safe driver programs that can significantly reduce premiums.
“Reporting nationally shows that these discount programs offer anywhere between 20% to 40% off on annual premiums for drivers, and so eliminating this program would impact ultimately what any individual’s premiums are,” he said. “These programs are voluntary (and) you’re not required to join them.”
In response, Rep. David Casteel, R-High Ridge, raised concerns that built-in vehicle systems such as OnStar’s were previously scrutinized for collecting data regardless of whether drivers consented, subscribed to or engaged with them.
“I don’t feel entitled or obliged to help them to profit from my data,” he said. “So there should be a clear distinction from what they’re using in terms of … what’s inside of those trucks and cars.”
The bill is not currently scheduled for a vote.
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Senate committee passes bill for new statewide alert system
By Caroline Sweet, Mssouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — A Senate committee heard two bills Monday for a potential statewide alert system and children’s safety in school zones.
The Senate Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety voted unanimously to pass House Bill 1840, which would establish an alert system, similar to Amber or Silver alerts, for missing persons with certain disabilities. The committee also heard but didn’t vote on House Bill 2742, a bill that seeks to make penalties more severe for school bus stop arm violations.
Rep. Sherri Gallick, R-Belton, brought HB 1840 forward because of the death of a 4-year-old autistic child who wandered away from home. When the child went missing, an Amber Alert couldn’t be issued because it was clear he wasn’t kidnapped.
The Purple Alert System, introduced in Gallick’s bill, seeks to notify the public when an individual of any age with intellectual or developmental disabilities goes missing. The population it encompasses does not include individuals over 60 with Alzheimer’s or dementia and those with substance abuse-related disabilities.
The system would build off of Missouri’s existing alert system and is expected to be implemented next summer if passed. The bill previously included an emergency clause that would jumpstart system development, but Gallick said it had been removed.
“The House floor voted in favor of the emergency clause, 143 to 8,” said Danielle Rocha, a witness who testified in favor of the bill. “The sooner we can implement this law, the sooner we can intervene in elopement cases, and drive down the statistics of losing loved ones.”
House Bill 2742, sponsored by Rep. Mike Jones, R-Kansas City, would allow courts to impose harsher punishments for stop arm violations. These violations occur when a driver passes a stopped school bus with its sign out that is either loading or unloading students. The offense currently results in a Class A misdemeanor.
The bill would allow courts to impose a minimum fine of $500 for a driver’s first stop arm violation. Second and third violations would further increase fines and suspend the offender’s license for up to six months.
“(This bill) ensures the law is taken seriously so that children at the bus stop are protected,” Jones said.
Jones added that the Platte County School District near Kansas City has recorded a total of 163 stop arm violations since the school year began.
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House bill seeks to protect insured homeowners after disasters
By Hannah McDonough, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — The House Insurance Committee held a public hearing Monday for a bill that aims to help homeowners handle insurance claims during disasters.
House Bill 3328, introduced by Rep. David Casteel, R-High Ridge, would instate the “Missouri Disaster Mediation Act” and the “Missouri Stronger Homes Act,” along with other changes to home insurance.
“The bill is a comprehensive consumer-focused reform that prepares Missouri families in our insurance market for the next major disaster while encouraging stronger, more resilient homes,” Casteel said.
The Missouri Disaster Mediation Act would allow homeowners to meet with a mediator and their insurer if a dispute arises over insurance claims. The purpose of this is to settle any disagreements between homeowners and insurance companies over disaster claims filed by homeowners.
The insured homeowner would have to ask for mediation within a 60-day period after a claim is denied. If a homeowner claims damage due to a disaster, the insurer would be required to notify the homeowner of their right to mediation. The insured homeowner would need to submit a request, and the insurance company would be responsible for the expenses of hiring a mediator. The mediator would act independently of the insurer.
“The purpose of the mediation program is mainly for a faster, cheaper, less formal, nonadversarial discussion between the insurance company and the homeowner for their insurance disputes,” Steven Marion, legislative director for the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, said during his testimony in support of the bill.
The Missouri Stronger Homes Act would provide grant money to Missouri residents to retrofit their homes to withstand natural disasters.
Money to fund these upgrades would come from the Missouri Stronger Homes Fund, which would be annually funded by a $12 million transfer from the Insurance Dedicated Fund. This fund comes from fees paid by insurance companies to the Department of Commerce and Insurance “for the operation of insurance regulation,” Marion said.
Casteel said the fund would ensure “a stable, long-term funding source for strengthening owner-occupied homes before and after disasters.”
The bill raised questions from some committee members during the hearing over how the legislation could impact residents of St. Louis in light of a tornado that struck the city in May 2025.
Casteel believes the mediation program would highlight problems with claims or any other confusion that may have occurred after the St. Louis disaster.
The bill would also change provisions on public adjusters, but that portion of the bill is still being workshopped.
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Senate bill would replace 'antiquated' systems in vehicle registration
By Erin Hynes, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri is the only state that still uses horsepower to determine vehicle registration fees - a Senate bill aims to change that, along with a slew of fee increases and modernized processes.
Senate Bill 1632, sponsored by Sen. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo, aids in the motor vehicle and driver’s licensing system modernization currently underway in the Department of Revenue.
The omnibus bill was heard in the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee on Monday.
“The goal of Senate Bill 1632 is to update antiquated statutory provisions to allow for a more nimble, efficient motor vehicle and driver’s license system,” Crawford said.
The 101-page bill includes several provisions to upgrade licensing processes, including changes to delinquent registration, sales tax and registration fees.
Registration fees
The bill changes how state car registration fees are determined. Instead of using horsepower to determine the cost, car buyers would have a $25 flat fee.
Zach Wyatt, legislative director at the Missouri Department of Revenue, testified that this change improves the process currently in place.
“A lot of MSO’s — the document you get for new vehicles — do not state the horsepower, so it has become somewhat of an antiquated guessing game for our staff and the license offices,” Wyatt said.
The fiscal note states that removing the horsepower calculation for a flat fee would result in a $5,236,216 increase in collected registration funds.
Missouri law also allows the use of transferred plates and temporary permits with a $2 transfer fee. This bill increases the fee to $10.
According to the fiscal note, the Motor Vehicle Bureau processes 212,133 license plate transfers annually. By increasing the fee to $10, the department anticipates collecting $1,697,064 annually towards highway, city and county funds.
Delinquency fee
The delinquency fee for Missourians renewing their registration late will also increase from $5 to $25. For every month a car owner is late on renewal, they owe $25, with a cap of $200.
“That would provide more incentive to comply with registration debt deadlines,” Crawford said.
Of the almost 470,000 late renewal accounts in Missouri, the average time between the expiration date and renewal is three months. With that information, the Department of Revenue estimates this would bring an additional $32 million to the annual highway, city and county funds.
Sales tax
In the past two years, the Department of Revenue has seen an average of almost 350,000 motor vehicle sales to out-of-state individuals in Missouri.
If passed, this bill would allow a Missouri dealer to collect and remit state and local taxes for Missouri, regardless of what state the purchaser resides in.
This rule will also apply to boats and outboard motor vehicles.
Other changes
The bill includes several other provisions to further modernize the process.
