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This week...

Busy Week on the Missouri House Floor

The Missouri House of Representatives had a productive week, giving final approval of 17 bills:

• - Changes provisions governing early childhood education programs.
• - Prohibits public institutions of higher learning from discriminating against a religious student association or denying a religious student association any benefit available to any other student association.
• - Support for students attending institutions of higher education.
• - Modifies the deadline for filing a declaration of candidacy.
• - Modifies provisions relating to human trafficking ().
• - Modifies provisions governing solid waste disposal area permits ().
• - Appropriates money for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and National Guard to deploy troops to the southern border ().
• - Modifies powers of the state auditor ().
• - Relating to roadway signs ().
• - Establishes the "Building Permit Reform Act."
• - Modifies provisions related to the virtual school program.
• - Modifies provisions relating to the licensing of persons performing funeral-related services.
• - Modifies provisions relating to the "Waterways and Ports Trust Fund."
• - Prohibits local governments from requiring private property owners to accept certain types of income ().
• - Modifies provisions relating to the board of trustees for the Missouri Local Government Employees' Retirement System (LAGERS). 
• - Modifies provisions relating to public funding of abortion facilities and affiliates and provisions relating to MO HealthNet providers ().
• - Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Missouri to require Jackson County to have an elected county assessor instead of an unelected assessment department ().

Legislative Movement in the Senate

The Senate gave final approval to nine bills this week. The bills now head to the House chamber:

• - Modifies provisions relation to the State Treasurer.
• - Modifies provisions relating to public safety.
• - Modifies a property tax credit for certain seniors ().
• - Modifies provisions relating to business investment incentives.
• - Modifies provisions relating to landlord-tenant actions, including eviction proceeding moratoriums and filings for transfers of real property with outstanding collectible judgments.
• - Creates the Missouri Geospatial Advisory Council.
• - Modifies provisions relating to cotton trailers.
• - Modifies provisions relating to county officials.
• - Provides for the levying of certain costs and fees to support the salaries and benefits of sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys.

Hearings of Interest

Both chambers held public hearings on a number of bills this past week, including:

• Nuclear Security Building in Kansas City: Legislation to authorize a sales tax exemption for the construction of nuclear security enterprise in Kansas City was heard in both House and Senate committees this week. (, , and )
• "Taylor Swift Act": A bill that would allow non-consenting victims of sexually explicit digital deepfakes to pursue civil action was heard in the House Special Committee on Technology and Innovation on Tuesday. () .
• Local Tobacco Regulations: Legislation that specifies the state shall preempt any local laws or ordinances regulating the sale of tobacco, nicotine or vapor products was heard in the House Government Efficiency and Downsizing Committee on Wednesday. ()
• Residential Real Property Tax Reduction: A bill that would gradually reduce the assessment percentage of residential real property from 18% to 15% was heard in the Senate Economic Development and Tax Policy Committee on Monday. ()

Senate Committee Vote

• , sponsored by Senator Hough, was voted do pass on Thursday in the Senate Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children.

Budget Update

House Budget Chairman Cody Smith (R-Carthage) hopes to drop his committee substitute versions of the FY25 budget bills next week. The following week is spring break (March 14-18). Upon legislators' returns from break, the House intends to debate the budget bills on the House floor (week of March 25).

Candidate Filing Watch 

Since candidate filing for the 2024 elections opened last week, over 400 individuals have filed to run for public office this fall. However, there are still a handful of folks of interest who have not yet filed:

• Sen. Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia), the term-limited President Pro Tem of the Missouri Senate, formally launched his campaign for Secretary of State back in November but has not yet filed.
• State Treasurer Vivek Malek (R-Wildwood) who was appointed by Governor Parson in January 2023, has not yet filed for re-election.
• Rep. Justin Hicks (R-Lake St. Louis), who is serving his first term in the Missouri House, was rumored to be entertaining a run for Congress to replace retiring Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, has not yet filed.
• Mike Hamra (D-Springfield), a Democrat businessman from Springfield, announced his gubernatorial campaign back in October. He has not yet filed to run for election.
• Rep. Paula Brown (D-Hazelwood) has not yet filed to run for a fourth and final term in the Missouri House of Representatives.

The candidate filing period for the 2024 elections opened on Tuesday, February 27 and will remain open through Tuesday, March 26. See the full list of candidates .

Dates of Interest

Monday, March 18 - Friday, March 22: Spring Break

Tuesday, March 26: Candidate filing closes

Monday, April 1: Easter Break (no session)

Friday, May 10: Constitutional deadline to pass balanced budget for FY25

Friday, May 17: Last Day of Session

Wednesday, September 11: Veto Session