Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
The following is a legislative update from Clarkston Nelson, LLC concerning the Missouri General Assembly’s special legislative session. Use the information within to develop local coverage of issues important to your readers.
On Saturday, Governor Mike Kehoe signed into law Senate Bills 1, 3, and 4 after the recent special session he convened for disaster relief, property tax relief, economic development and business retention, and budget initiatives.
SB 1 appropriates $25 million in support to the Missouri Housing Development Commission to provide additional emergency aid to low-income households impacted by severe weather. It also allocates $100 million to the Department of Public Safety for disaster relief, and $50 million for the University of Missouri Cancer Research Reactor (MURR). SB 1 also provides non-general revenue funding for several other critical projects across the state.
SB 3 ensures Missouri remains competitive in retaining major sports teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals, while also delivering targeted tax relief for storm-impacted Missourians and supporting long-term economic growth. SB 3 authorizes the state to partner with the professional sports teams to help finance stadium construction through bond payments and one-time tax credits with built-in protections for taxpayers; creates a tax credit of up to $5,000 for home or renter insurance deductibles incurred due to severe weather damage in a declared disaster area in 2025; updates two different tax credit programs related to amateur sporting events in Missouri; and requires certain counties to ask voters whether to freeze or modestly cap real property tax increases for eligible homeowners.
SB 4 streamlines the delivery of disaster housing relief by allowing the immediate transfer of emergency aid to the Missouri Housing Development Commission when the Governor requests a presidential disaster declaration. SB 4 also expands existing program eligibility from 50 percent to 75 percent of median household income and removes administrative burdens and costs to expedite aid for Missouri families.
