Republicans achieve major legislative priorities as session comes to an end

Eliminating income tax
An April 21 House vote gave final approval to a top GOP priority — asking voters to repeal the state income tax. House Joint Resolutions 173 and 174 ask voters to decide in November whether the state should phase out the tax. If voters agree, Missouri would be the first state since Alaska in 1980 to eliminate personal income tax.
Voters are being asked to approve phasing out individual income tax, based on revenue growth and other related questions, by 2032. To make up for what has accounted for over half of the state’s general revenue in most years, the legislature would be allowed to raise sales and other taxes that are currently capped.
Republican proponents say eliminating income tax provides Missourians a choice in how they pay their taxes. They argue that the change would keep Missouri fiscally competitive with the other states that don’t tax income as well as spurring economic growth.
Democrats argue that the change will place Missouri under a regressive tax structure that raises taxes on working-class taxpayers.

State spending
The House and Senate approved a $50.7 billion state budget, their only constitutionally required action, after weeks of negotiations over education funding, workforce development and public safety spending.
House Budget Committee Chair Dirk Deaton, R-Seneca, said lawmakers prioritized education and workforce development while balancing long-term fiscal concerns.
The budget bills allocate $48.7 billion for state operations and $2 billion for construction and building maintenance.
“It’s a budget that starts to take a critical look at making sure that the Missouri state government (is) living within its means, just like Missouri citizens have to do around a kitchen table,” Deaton said.
The hottest debate and closest votes on funding bills came during consideration of Missouri’s public school foundation formula.
Democrats argued the budget relied on uncertain projected revenues, including money tied to future lottery and sports betting proceeds, rather than fully funding the formula through general revenue.
Republican leaders said the overall amount allocated to K-12 education remained consistent and said the budget reflected realistic revenue expectations. But many House Republicans voted against the funding proposal, which passed with only two votes to spare.
Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, said it was the first time in nine years the foundation formula had not been fully funded by the legislature.
“Disappointed is the word that comes to mind right now on how this all went down,” Nurrenbern said. “I know we can do better, and I hope, moving forward, there will be a different person at the helm of the House budget, and I hope that person will lead with more integrity.”
Gov. Mike Kehoe’s staff is reviewing the 16 spending bills — the only ones for which Kehoe is allowed to veto specific items.

Criminal and juvenile justice
A public safety package focused on juvenile crime and sentencing reforms became one of the legislature’s most debated measures before passing and being signed into law on April 7.
Senate Bill 888 expands access to juvenile records, creates a statewide juvenile criminal history database and broadens the circumstances under which juveniles can be certified as adults.
The legislation also changes parole eligibility calculations and includes sentencing reforms lawmakers said were intended to create more consistency in Missouri’s criminal justice system.
However, after Kehoe signed the original bill, it was returned to correct multiple errors tied to implementation timelines amid concerns that they could create gaps in criminal sentencing.
Democrats criticized the legislature for moving too quickly on such a large package, arguing the need for later corrections highlighted concerns about rushed legislation.
“I hope that we can recognize not just how important it is to do our jobs efficiently, we need to do our jobs effectively,” Nurrenbern said during debate on the fixes.

Banning antisemitism in schools
A law that will ban discriminatory and antisemitic speech in schools takes effect Aug. 28. HB 2061, introduced by Rep. George Hruza, R-St. Louis, originally focused on antisemitism in schools following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
The law defines antisemitism according to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition and adds that antisemitism should be addressed “in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race.” The law requires schools to create site-specific antisemitism policies
Many Democrats expressed concern that this legislation would only prioritize protecting one group of students from hate speech. They also said it makes it difficult for educators to have open discussions about current events without being accused of being antisemitic.
During floor debate, several senators also said they felt the bill only protected one group of students. Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, offered an amendment that expanded the bill text to acknowledge all discrimination, and the House agreed to that change.

Hemp faces new regulation
Legislation limiting the sale of intoxicating hemp-based products passed and was signed into law after being blocked for several years.
HB 2641, sponsored by Rep. Dave Hinman, R-O’Fallon, makes hemp-derived products classified and regulated the same as marijuana, in line with federal regulations scheduled to take effect in November. Opponents suggested the federal regulations might be changed and the state had no need to step in now.
Under the law, any product containing .3% or more tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, by weight is considered to have intoxicating potential, and is classified as marijuana.
Opponents warned the law will ban the sale of countless hemp-based products that are widely available in the state, prevalent in gas stations and convenience stores.
Supporters of hemp product manufacturers complained that they will have to submit to the strict oversight and regulation that comes with sale in licensed dispensaries, handing a competitive advantage to those already licensed to sell marijuana.

Bills concerning children
Kehoe signed HB 2273 into law on May 5. Sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, the law increases penalties for child sex trafficking.
The bill allows people to file for damages caused by child sex trafficking within 20 years of the plaintiff turning 21, or within three years of finding out injuries were caused by child sex trafficking.
The bill also includes a clause about grooming, where people more than four years older than a minor knowingly act in such a way that “is intended to prepare, condition or manipulate such minor to engage in sexual conduct, a sexual performance or a commercial sex act.”
“By signing this legislation into law, we’re sending a clear message: if you harm a child, you will face the consequences,” Kehoe said on April 7.
For the fourth year in a row, Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph, was disappointed in efforts to create child care tax credits.
HB 2409 would have allowed people to receive 75% of donations to child care providers back on their tax returns. The goal of the bill is to expand the amount of money flowing into child care locations.
According to Child Care Aware of Missouri, as of September 2025, 73 of Missouri’s 114 counties are child care deserts, where there is only one opening for every three children.
The bill, which has had bipartisan support in the House, failed again to gain Senate approval. This is Shields last term and was her final chance to enact the credits.

Sex offender registry
Senate Bill 982, sponsored by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, was signed into law on May 6.
The bill restores the tier system for Missouri’s sex offender registry.
Tier I covers less severe sex offenses, including sexual misconduct, sexual abuse of someone 18 or older, sex with an animal, sexual conduct with a vulnerable person, promoting pornography for minors, possession of child pornography among others.
Tier II includes enticement of a child, grooming, patronizing prostitution, sexual exploitation of a minor, the threat of or actual dissemination of nonconsensual sexual images and others.
Tier III holds the most severe crimes, including rape, sodomy, child molestation, sex trafficking of a minor, first or second-degree kidnapping of a minor and incest involving minors.
The bill also allows a path for removal from the registry. Tier I offenders would be able to petition for removal after 10 years on the registry, Tier II offenders after 25 years and Tier III offenders would never be eligible for removal.
This bill addressed a 2023 Missouri Supreme Court decision that resulted in narrow or nonexistent paths to removal for certain offenders. The decision said that if an offense was at the federal level, sex offenders could not be removed from the Missouri registry.
“I just have this sneaky concern that people are still not going to be able to get off,” said Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, during floor debate.
Rep. Jeff Myers, R-Warrenton, explained that this legislation complies with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, which is the federal standard for sex offender registries.

MSHSAA athletics appeals changes
With legislators proposing a dramatic change in administration of high school sports and other activities, a compromise was worked out to handle appeals of decisions involving sports.
SB 863, sponsored by Sen. Jason Bean, R-Holcomb, creates a board of directors appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate to hear appeals made by “statewide activities associations.”
That Interscholastic Athletic Oversight Commission will hear appeals of Missouri State High School Activities Association decisions on athlete eligibility after transferring, contest results and contest procedures.
“This bill makes the process more transparent. Let’s focus on the kids,” said Bean, whose original bill envisioned complete state supervision of high school activities. The change was negotiated with MSHSAA officials who supported the final version.

Divorce if pregnant
Kehoe signed House Bill 1908 into law on April 7. Sponsored by Rep. Cecelie Williams, R-Dittmer, this law means that judges are no longer allowed to prevent a divorce or legal separation if one party is pregnant.
“If we are serious about protecting life, we must also be serious about protecting vulnerable women and mothers,” Kehoe said. Dittmer’s emotional testimony over two years about her inability to divorce from an abusive relationship because of her pregnancy earned the legislation widespread support.

Bills that died
While over 60 bills were truly agreed to and passed, many died in committees or on the chamber floor.
Efforts to put legal guardrails on use of artificial intelligence failed in the waning days of the session.
SB 1012, sponsored by Sen. Joe Nicola, R-Grain Valley, combined sections of numerous bills concerning AI and made it through the Senate on a 20-10 vote before being killed in a House committee.
This bill focused on establishing that AI systems are not sentient, and any harm caused by AI falls under the responsibility of the user.
“AI is still a tool, it is not a person, it is not a licensed professional, it is not someone we can blame when something goes wrong,” Nicola said to the House’s Emerging Issues Committee.
Other provisions included requirements that any owner or operator using an AI system provide notice to the users, that chatbots provide references to suicide hotlines and that use in election campaigns be transparent include a disclaimer.
The Senate Select Committee on Gaming unanimously vetoed HB 2989 on May 6, ending efforts to provide “no chance” slot machines a legal operation avenue. The bill attempted to create a statewide regulation system for the type of lottery terminals often seen in gas stations and bars.
Property tax legislation made significant progress but ultimately failed to pass. SB 1066, sponsored by Ben Brown, R-Washington, intended among other things to implement tax siloing measures for property tax rollbacks, separating rollback calculations by property type.