Capitol Report 5/29/2026

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 this week has several more stories about issues that received final approval by the legislature and a look at one Republican senator who went against party leadership and paid a price.

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

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'The Republican Party has changed': Sen. Lincoln Hough reflects on final session

By Sterling Sewell, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — The 2026 legislative session saw one Republican consistently advocate for the traditions of the Senate, often in opposition to his party.

Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, is term-limited. What he experienced in his final session is a window into the consequences for someone who veers from party loyalty, not unlike what has played out on the national stage.

During this spring’s session, the former Senate Appropriations Committee chair often found time to join Democrats during floor debate in what appeared to be filibusters, often against Republican bills.

“I always said that my life in public service or my life in politics would probably be pretty short,” Hough said. “Cause I’m just who I am.”

Pat Thomas, a longtime Republican staffer, was Hough’s Senate chief of staff for six years. She described Hough as having an independent streak, a dedication to the institution of the Senate and someone who holds to his own opinions.

“What rubs people wrong is that he does work both sides of the aisle — and always did,” Thomas said.

Hough has lamented the inability of some in his party to compromise with those across the aisle and to hear the other side out. Thomas said that Hough always tried to join floor debate when called on by senators of either party.

“We’re supposed to all be equals in this body,” Hough said. “We have quote ‘people in leadership,’ but when you walk out on the Senate floor, you are supposed to be equals.”

That sentiment has conflicted with what Hough described as an attitude of “do what you’re told to do and don’t ask any questions” in today’s Republican Party.

Hough said he believes his questioning of party leadership in 2025 caused him to lose his Senate Appropriations Committee seat and his role as committee chair, a powerful post leading that chamber’s approach to the state budget. Hough served on Senate or House budget committees every other year he was in the legislature.

Last fall’s special session saw the adoption of a gerrymandered congressional map and a resolution to make it more difficult for Missourians to change the state constitution. On both issues, Hough voted against successful Republican moves to halt debate, breaking with Senate tradition allowing infinite debate on the floor.

Hough had shown a willingness to make changing the Missouri Constitution more difficult. But once debate was halted, he voted against both measures. Twenty minutes later, Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina, removed him as appropriations chair and eventually from the committee.

O’Laughlin has said the change was to give another senator a chance to run the budget process and provide continuity because Hough’s term was ending.

With no committee role, Hough had a lot of free time to debate bills on the floor.

“What did Cindy expect?” Hough said. “What did she think I was going to do?” O’Laughlin declined to comment.

At times, Hough’s probing on budget particulars forced Senate leadership to admit they did not know the answers or that they had made mistakes.

When the Senate passed its version of the budget, Hough asked new appropriations chair Sen. Rusty Black, R-Chillicothe, whether he knew how much money it took to pay state employees for a month. Black did not.

Hough also butted heads with O’Laughlin during floor debate and voted with Democrats against a joint resolution to eliminate the income tax, a priority for Gov. Mike Kehoe and Republican leadership.

Hough does not regret his decision to vote against his party during the special session, even if it meant the loss of his position.

“I would do nothing differently,” he said.

State budget knowledge

Hough’s specialty is state budget history.

Adam Koenigsfeld, director of the Senate Appropriations staff, has been a nonpartisan staffer under nine Senate appropriations chairs. He described Hough as one of the best because of Hough’s respect for staff and his intuition.

This year has been challenging as federal COVID-19 funds are running dry, requiring state reserve funds to fill a roughly $2 billion deficit in the annual budget of roughly $50 billion.

Hough said many senators do not know what a tight budget looks like, having only experienced budgets inflated by federal money.

“I’ve been telling our members for years, this is not normal,” Hough said. “We will spend down those federal dollars and we will no longer have them, which is fine. But we just need to understand that.”

Hough has seen tight budgets. In fiscal year 2012, the first budget he worked on, the state faced uncertain revenue as a result of natural disasters and the elimination of the corporate franchise tax.

Hough also recalled how, in 2017, Gov. Jay Nixon’s final year in office, roughly $200 million in state funds was left over — roughly enough to pay the 54,000 state employees for two months.

At the end of April this year, the state’s general revenue fund balance was $2.9 billion.

“Gov. Nixon left us with two months (of pay),” Hough said. “That’s a tight budget. We have $3 billion in the bank.”

Hough said he wanted that $2.9 billion used for the foundation formula, the main source of public school funding. Instead, the final amount appropriated fell $190 million short of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s request.

Without a budget committee to lead, Hough wrote his own budget this year. It would have coupled funds meant for Capitol renovations with additional general revenue to fully fund the foundation formula.

When the leadership budget was considered in the Senate, Hough proposed increasing funding from general revenue for education. His amendment was voted down 10-20, with all other Republicans rejecting it.

During each year that Hough was appropriations chair, the foundation formula had been fully funded.

“People talk about economic development, they talk about all these other incentive programs,” Hough said. “You know what the greatest incentive program in the entire world is? Educating people.”

Hough worries that the state could be in trouble due to what he described as “anemic” general revenue growth. Hough voted in 2025 to exempt capital gains from income taxes, a move estimated to cost the state $430 million in general revenue this year and $340 million annually.

“I don’t think there’s some silver bullet that all of a sudden is going to change the (general revenue) dynamic in this state,” Hough said. “But I do think a sure-fire way to mess that up or expedite a problem is to do something that we don’t really know what the outcome is going to be, right?”

Hough voted against the resolution asking voters to eliminate the individual income tax and allow the legislature to increase sales taxes to make up the lost revenue. The resolution aims to end income tax by 2032. Individual income tax is the largest share of general revenue, accounting for $9.17 billion in collections in fiscal year 2025.

“I did that (vote against) because no one has been able to articulate a real plan,” Hough said.

Hough is skeptical of relying on sales tax revenue to fund state operations. While Hough said income tax revenue can be predicted for budget planning, he is less confident that sales tax revenue will be consistent, as he believes consumer spending is less predictable.

“You can’t really tell me we’re going to raise sales tax on X, Y and Z by 5% and it’s going to dollar-for-dollar offset the income tax,” Hough said.

In a 2022 special session, Hough sponsored an income tax cut backed by Parson that became law. That plan has lowered the top income tax rate from 5.3% to 4.7%. Its goal is to lower the tax rate to 4.5% at an estimated cost of $764 million annually.

Hough said he felt the Parson income tax cuts were handled more responsibly than this year’s proposal.

“I would argue that if the policies that we’ve been operating under for the last let’s say two decades — since we Republicans have been in power — if they’re not working, then we need to look at that, right?” Hough said, reflecting on the pace of general revenue.

A changing Republican Party

“The Republican Party has changed,” Hough said.

Hough said that asking questions about motions brought by fellow Republicans was seen as problematic within his party. He added that differences of opinion and cooperation across the aisle have been discouraged by Republican leadership.

“I try to tell my kids that having different opinions is a good thing,” Hough said. “Being different than someone else is a strength. You’re different than your best friend at school. That doesn’t mean he or she is wrong or you’re wrong. You guys are just different.”

Nonetheless, Hough describes himself as a Republican. To him, that means letting people make decisions for themselves, not telling private businesses what they can and can’t do and being fiscally responsible.

On social issues, Hough has a conservative record. During the 2025 regular session, Hough voted against removing the state’s statutory ban on same-sex marriage. While same-sex marriage is legal due to a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, both the Missouri Constitution and state statute still ban it.

Hough voted in 2024 to block Medicaid funding for abortion providers. In 2019, Hough voted to enact Missouri’s abortion trigger law, which banned abortion except for medical emergencies once Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

But at the end of the 2025 session, Hough voted unsuccessfully against halting debate on bills repealing voter-approved sick leave and abortion protections.

Reflecting on working for former U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, Hough said Blunt promoted the importance of compromise. Former U.S. Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, who endorsed Hough’s unsuccessful 2024 run for lieutenant governor, was also a role model.

Hough recounted a story told by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, after Bond died. Cleaver recalled that when he was first elected, Bond, a Republican, held a party welcoming him to Washington.

“That’s what I want from my leaders,” Hough said. “You can see someone as a human and as an advocate for the things that they care about and as a believer in their community and you can throw him a reception ... That’s what I wish we had in politics today. And we don’t.”

Hough sees deliberation as an important trait of good governance. To symbolize this, this year he wrote many amendments by hand. He taped a peacock feather to a pen and later used feather quills. Hough said many of his fellow Senators do not know how to write their own bills, relying on Senate research staff to write proposed laws.

“Everyone seems to be in a very big hurry these days,” he said. “Our attention span is 12 seconds and we’re scrolling off to the next thing. So, I started this year trying to bring back some historical perspective to the chamber.”

Hough’s attention to traditions can be seen in his Senate office. He had the room restored to how it would have looked originally, adding firefighters’ helmets and taxidermied birds to make the space his.

Who is Lincoln Hough?

Hough is a first-generation cattle rancher, a father of two boys and has worked for the Springfield Farm Bureau and sat on the Greene County Commission.

Former staffer Thomas attributes Hough’s seeming independent streak to his work as a cattle rancher, a trait seen in most farmers and ranchers. This independence kept staff on their toes.

“He can forge his own path, which sometimes makes things in these jobs a little difficult,” Thomas said. “You had to be ready to pivot, cause he is pretty fast and moving on to different things.”

Hough’s independence and willingness to work with both sides of the aisle also could be attributed to his district, which Thomas said is similar to Columbia because of its universities and hospitals. The politics of his district is something Hough acknowledges has informed his style of governance.

“Southwest Missouri is a very red area of the state. Springfield is not. Springfield is a purple community,” Hough said. “I’ve always described Springfield as an educated group of people who are thoughtful and deliberate ... So, I like having that independence about the community that I’ve represented.”

Hough’s independence is not always looked on fondly. He has been referred to as the “eleventh Democrat” because of his willingness to join Democrats during debate.

“I think they see somebody who goes out and stops debate or causes trouble or does whatever,” Thomas said. “I’m not sure they see the side that checks in on his colleagues.”

Thomas noted that Hough’s sense of independence often made him a sought-after voice.

One important group to the senator is first responders. In 2021, Hough championed a bill signed by Parson creating a state fund for firefighters battling cancer. In 2023, he saw Parson sign another of his bills allowing first responders to claim workers’ compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder. Hough said he still gets supportive messages regarding the bills.

“You have to keep those things in mind because this place will make you go insane otherwise, right?” Hough said. “You go down there and fight with everybody on the floor all the time and you just want to jump off a bridge. But then you come back up to your office and you’ve got half a dozen notes from people from around the state saying, ‘What you did for us matters.’”

A legacy of work

Hough’s impact on Missourians will be felt at least through 2030, when construction of the Improve I-70 project is set to be complete. The $2.8 billion project aims to improve and add a third lane to the 200 miles of Interstate 70 between Wentzville and Blue Springs.

“I don’t want the credit now,” Hough said regarding the construction. “I’ll take the credit later.”

Hough recalled the initial $900 million proposal from Parson in 2023 to improve three major intersections along I-70. Hough proposed improving the whole thing. He also pushed for improvements to U.S. Route 67 and other projects. In 2024, Hough was considered for the position of director of the Department of Transportation but was not selected.

Hough plans to work on his ranch and looks forward to spending time away from groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings and long days at the Capitol.

“The people back at home that keep me grounded are generally my family,” Hough said. “It’s usually my little brother that says, ‘You remember the building was there before you got there, and it’ll be there after you leave.’ I’m like, yeah, that’s a good perspective.”

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House bill broadens access to disabled placards

By Erin Hynes, Missouri News Network

A bill making disabled placards more easily accessible for Missourians passed both chambers and now awaits the final step — the governor's signature — before becoming law.

House Bill 1827, sponsored by Rep. Terri Violet, R-St. Peters, allows occupational therapists to authorize disabled placards and license plates. It also increases the time limit on disabled placards from four to eight years before it must be renewed.

As of April 24, this bill has been truly agreed to and finally passed, meaning it awaits Gov. Mike Kehoe’s signature.

If signed, an additional 7,000 health care professionals will be allowed to authorize disabled placards.

With the changes to this bill, Violet said in a Senate committee hearing that the process of obtaining a disabled placard will be smoother, and barriers will be removed for patients with mobility impairments across the state.

The benefits of this bill can be seen in communities across Missouri, including Columbia, where the community can be made more accessible to those who otherwise might not feel comfortable engaging in their community.

The passage of this bill could make things like shopping in downtown Columbia, attending a movie at RagTag or eating a meal at one of Columbia’s many restaurants more attainable for residents with mobility impairments.

Accessibility in downtown Columbia

With the passage of this bill, disabled placards and license plates will last longer and become more easily accessible for Columbia residents in need of a placard. Those holding placards will be able to renew for longer terms when the current one expires. 

Ken Rice, a board member of the city of Columbia disability commission, feels the passage of this bill would be a “big win” for the disabled community in Columbia.

“They’ll be able to immediately talk to the occupational therapist, which there are over 7,000 of them, I believe, that would immediately give permission to have that placard,” Ken Rice said. “So I think it’s going to be a much better situation for everybody involved.”

According to the city of Columbia’s 2025 budgetary analysis, there are 100 accessible parking spaces across the nearly 1,700 on-street parking spots in downtown Columbia.

According to Americans with Disabilities Act laws, there is a minimum number of accessible spaces required, depending on how many total parking spaces a storefront or restaurant has. These laws apply to street parking, any of the six parking garages and individual parking lots.

ADA law states that for a parking lot or facility with over 1,000 parking spaces, 20 spaces must be accessible, as well as one more for every additional 100 spaces. For smaller lots between 26 and 50 spaces, only two accessible parking spaces are required.

Despite the larger number of accessible spaces available, issues can still arise among placard and plate users downtown.

Rebecca Rice, a Columbia resident who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 15 years ago, mentioned that the incline of some sidewalks and roads downtown can make it harder to get out of her vehicle. She also mentioned in her experience there is always a lack of open, accessible parking spots downtown.

Rebecca Rice occasionally uses a cane to help her walk, especially in the wintertime when ice and slick spots can make it harder to maintain balance.

She gave the example of Pickleman’s on East Broadway, which only has two accessible parking spaces. If full, Rebecca must park as far as a few blocks away from Pickleman’s.

“I don’t want to have to park all the way down the street and then have to go blocks to get to the location I want to go to.”

Ken Rice mentioned that downtown Columbia has work that needs to be done to become more accessible for all residents.

“It is not a disabled-friendly town at this point,” Ken Rice said. “And I know the city is working diligently to fix that, but there’s still more to be done.”

Obtaining a disabled placard or plate

Rebecca and Ken Rice have lived in three states — South Carolina, Michigan and Missouri — and felt that among the three, Missouri has been the easiest to obtain a placard.

The two felt that Missouri better anticipated Rebecca’s needs than the other states had previously, making it a “smooth transaction.”

According to Missouri statute 301.142, a person who qualifies will be provided a disabled plate for their car after providing the required documents. The statute states that there is no additional fee for a disabled plate, unless one opts to personalize it. An applicant is also eligible to get a removable disabled placard to hang from a vehicle window.

To apply for a temporary or permanent disabled license plate or placard in Missouri, one must complete two forms and submit them to any Missouri license office or send them by mail.

A permanent disabled placard is free and a temporary placard costs $2 to obtain and $2 to renew.

An applicant must complete a two-page form, form 2769, asking for personal information and certification that you meet the criteria, which can be accessed on the Missouri Department of Revenue website.

Alongside that form, one must submit a completed and signed Physician’s Statement for Disabled Plates or Placards, also known as form 1776.

Form 1776 can be signed by an optometrist, physical therapist, physician assistant, licensed physician, podiatrist, chiropractor or advanced practice registered nurse.

On the form, a medical professional must select one or more disability that apply to the applicant, once again certifying the need for a placard.

If Kehoe signs HB 1827, occupational therapists will be added to the list of the other professionals authorized to fill out Form 1776.

Disabled placards are a vital tool for many Columbia residents who otherwise would have more difficulty going places where parking can be far from the final destination.

Reactions from occupational therapists 

The Missouri Occupational Therapists Association posted support for HB 1827 and similar bills on its website under its 2026 legislative priorities.

“Please support this effort to: eliminate redundant appointments and delays in obtaining necessary parking accommodations, reduce healthcare costs (and) improve access for patients with disabilities,” the website states.

On Jan. 29, occupational therapist Maria Lindbergh testified in a House committee meeting on how her work could better help her patients with HB 1827.

In her testimony, which was shared in MOTA's 2026 legislative priorities, Lindbergh shared an experience where she knew after working with a patient that a temporary license placard was needed to safely continue tasks like grocery shopping.

“I knew that reducing the walking distance from the parking lot would significantly improve her safety and independence,” Lindbergh said to the committee.

Lindbergh said she recommended her patient obtain a temporary disabled placard but could not authorize it herself. Instead, the patient was sent to an additional physician appointment.

“Had I been authorized to complete that certification, I could have done so efficiently, appropriately and without added cost or delay,” Lindbergh said.

The Missouri Occupational Therapists Association points to this bill as a recognition of the expertise occupational therapists have in evaluating functional mobility limitations for those in need.

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Recipients oppose new 'MO Healthy SNAP' restrictions

By Sophia Gromowsky, Missouri News Network

Sib Wylds uses Sour Patch Kids to quickly raise their blood sugar levels when they drop too low as an effect of their diabetes. In five months, the candy will no longer be covered by food stamps under Missouri’s new Healthy SNAP initiative.

Wylds is one of over 614,000 Missourians who are currently enrolled in the state’s Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the Missouri Department of Social Services. This number includes 20% of all Missouri’s children, according to the Missouri Foundation for Health.

In October 2025, Missouri submitted a waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture requesting permission to remove certain junk foods from SNAP eligibility. It was approved in December, along with similar waivers from five other states.

When the changes go into effect in October, SNAP will no longer cover the purchase of candy, prepared desserts, soda and energy drinks.

Part of the justification for the new restrictions is to promote health by alleviating malnutrition, heart disease, obesity-associated cancers and diabetes or pre-diabetes, according to the form submitted to the USDA.

This aligns with proposals of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy hailed the waiver’s approval as a victory.

But some Missouri SNAP recipients have concerns about the changes going into effect.

“I can’t disagree with the sugar thing,” SNAP recipient Maryam Webster said. “But I also have severe reservations about any incursions on personal freedom by the government. There is nothing that disempowers an individual more than realizing that they have no choice.”

“They’re trying to make decisions for us because there’s this idea that because we’re poor we can’t take care of ourselves or make good decisions,” Wylds said.

Some Missouri lawmakers insist that the new restrictions will not remove choice from grocery shopping for low-income Missourians. Rep. Jamie Gragg, R-Ozark, is the sponsor of HB 2481, a bill that reiterates the SNAP-eligible food changes and passed the House in April.

During House floor debate on April 7, Gragg emphasized SNAP’s “original intent” as a supplementary assistance program, which is not intended to serve as the entire food budget for an individual or family.

“Take the supplement and use this to buy the nutritional portion of your food budget,” Gragg said. “And then, what you have from your budget, buy all the candy and soda pop you want. But the stuff that we’re giving you as help, use that to buy the nutritional portion.”

But for some on SNAP, an additional grocery budget does not exist.

Columbia resident and SNAP recipient Jennifer Layton is on a fixed income, receiving $1,000 a month from the government for disability. By the time she covers the costs of her housing, utilities, medical and other expenses, she says she typically has around $25 a month leftover. She used to place this money in emergency savings, but a recent $900 car repair will eat up any spare funds for the foreseeable future.

The $156 she receives monthly from SNAP is her sole grocery budget, an amount that she says makes it difficult to cover even the essentials.

“It is an insanely low amount of money we consider to be the poverty line in this country to begin with,” Layton said. “So the idea that this is supplemental is not understanding the reality of life underneath the poverty line. This is not supplemental. This is what I have to eat.”

Additionally, fresh foods such as produce and meat are typically more expensive than processed and packaged foods.

“It’s not about people making unhealthy choices because they’re on food stamps,” Layton said. “It is because our food system is broken that the unhealthy foods are cheaper than the healthy food.”

Each year, the USDA produces the Thrifty Food Plan, which analyzes current food prices, consumption patterns, dietary guidance and other factors to estimate the cost of a full healthy diet consisting of nutrient-dense, lower price food and beverage options. The sum they produce is used to set the maximum benefit allotment amount for SNAP.

As of March 2026, the estimated monthly cost of a healthy, balanced diet for a female between the ages of 51 to 70 is $231.70. For a male in the same age group, it is $276.10.

Wylds receives $139 in SNAP benefits per month. Maryam Webster receives $90.

“When you have $150 to last all month, you can’t buy healthy foods,” Layton said. “So many things are out of reach for me. My budget is so tight, I can’t use actual money on food. I have to save it for my housing funds and medical costs, so I am completely dependent on food stamps.”

Opponents of the new changes also worry that restricting the type of food that low income citizens are able to buy is government overreach and strips SNAP recipients of dignity.

Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, said in the April 7 House floor debates that he was concerned the government was acting as “big brother” and called the new restrictions “degrading.”

“Living food insecure is such a tenuous place to be,” Layton said. “Financial scarcity is an extremely, extremely heavy burden to carry. And you’re going to take away any moment of joy I might have with some food? How dare you.”