Another year, another session of the Missouri Legislature has come to an end – and in typical dramatic Senate fashion.

The upper chamber adjourned two days early – leaving plenty of unfinished business on the table.

The early adjournment was due to Senate Republicans choosing to use an untraditional and contentious weapon to end negotiations and force a vote on two major priorities – a repeal of voter-approved paid sick leave requirements and a ballot measure to ask voters to ban most abortions.

In the Senate, the longstanding tradition has been to let Senators take a stand on legislation for as long as they want and hopefully reach a compromise between the supporting and opposing sides. But with Friday’s deadline approaching, Republicans decided to take home wins on abortion and paid sick leave requirements and hit the road.

Meanwhile, the Missouri House of Representatives came to work Thursday. They were limited on what they could do because Senators have to give their blessing to many of the lingering proposals. The House could only approve bills that needed a final vote and they could not make any changes to them because the Senate was not in session to vote.

The Missouri Legislature managed to pass 39 bills this year. Of those, 16 are spending bills and 23 are related to policy.

SB 22 : The GOP priority bill already signed into law by Gov. Mike Kehoe is one that would restrict the court’s role of rewriting election ballot wording written by lawmakers. Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, sponsored the bill.

Missouri courts have altered wording on proposed statute and constitutional changes that they deem unfair, misleading, or confusing. Senate Bill 22 gives more power to the Missouri secretary of state before the courts can make changes. The legislation also lets the Missouri attorney general appeal preliminary injunctions when they are used to put a state law on hold.

The bill has prompted a lawsuit by activist Sean Nicholson. The lawsuit contends that the legislature’s passage of an emergency clause to make the bill effective immediately is not an emergency.

SB 68 : The Missouri Legislature passed a wide-ranging school safety bill. The legislation would ban students from using their cellphones during school hours, including mealtimes, time between classes, and study halls. Exceptions would be for students who need a cellphone due to specific educational or health needs.

The package also contains requirements for schools to have response plans for armed intruders, natural disasters, and medical emergencies. It would require schools to have doors with anti-intruder locks and bullet-resistant window film in new construction by 2029 – if the state provides the funding.

The bill includes measures to remove lead from drinking water in schools where it’s present. Another piece of the plan would require schools to request assessments during enrollment to determine if students are demonstrating behaviors that put them at risk of endangering themselves or others.

It heads to the governor for a decision.

HB 594 : Missouri is one signature away from having new tax cuts. The state legislature has given its blessing to a wide-ranging tax cut package that would eliminate the state tax on capital gains, which involves profits for things like stocks, bonds, and real estate. The plan, sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins, R-Bowling Green, would wipe out the 4.7% state tax on the sale of real estate and agricultural property.

It would toss out the state sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products. A longtime pursuit that made it on the package would increase the property tax credit and income limits for low-income seniors and people with disabilities who qualify for the “Circuit Breaker” program.

HB 737 : The wide-ranging child welfare bill would ban child marriage and void nondisclosure agreements in childhood sexual abuse cases.

The plan would make it illegal for anyone under 18 years old to marry, instead of current law allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to get married to anyone under 21, if a parent approves.

Another section of the measure blocks the state from seizing foster children’s benefits to help pay for their care. Missouri currently seizes benefits, such as Social Security, VA, and pension funds, from foster children whose parents have died. The bill would only allow the state to use those benefits for “unmet needs” beyond what the state is obligated or agrees to cover, such as tuition and tutoring.

The legislation awaits a decision by Gov. Kehoe.

HB 121 : Missouri is on the verge of adding more rescue boxes for parents to anonymously drop-off their newborns. The state legislature has passed a bill that would create a state matching fund to put more of these temperature-controlled cradles at designated drop-off sites, such as Missouri fire stations. They have a bassinet inside and immediately notify emergency responders when a baby has been placed in it.

Current Missouri law allows parents to give up their newborns, up to 45 days of age, at a designated drop-off location without the fear of prosecution. Under Rep. Jim Murphy’s proposed law, it would change the surrendered baby age limit from 45 to 90 days.

The proposal would also create a fund to help pay for adoption expenses, post-adoption needs, promoting adoption, and intervention measures to keep children out of foster care.

HB 121 awaits a decision by the governor.

HB 495 : The anti-crime package would form a state board to watch over the St. Louis Police Department. Rep. Brad Christ, R-St. Louis, sponsored the plan that will boost penalties against organized crime groups ransacking retail and grocery stores. It requires law enforcement to report the immigration status of suspects arrested for certain crimes, as well as bans street racing and stunt driving.

Gov. Mike Kehoe has signed this bill into law and St. Louis Alderwoman Megan Green is suing the state, challenging the provisions to require the city to fund the police department with 25% of the city’s revenue.

HB 516 : A bill on its way to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe would expand access to testing for radioactive contamination. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Mark Matthiesen, R-O’Fallon, would remove the $150,000 annual cap on how much money the Department of Natural Resources can spend on investigating potential radioactive sites. It would also remove the requirement that a local government must first request an investigation – instead, Natural Resources would be able to select sites to be examined. Also, the department would be able to seek a warrant to investigate contamination on government-owned property and would have to ask permission to examine private property.

SB 3 : On this final day of the legislative session, the Missouri House passed a bill that would increase some service fees at license offices. They have not had fee increases since 2019 and inflation has eaten up their overhead and profits.

To help recruit and retain workers, Sen. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffaloe, wants a $3 increase for learner’s permits, driver’s licenses, lien notices, vehicle registrations, renewals, and title transfers.

The measure heads to the governor for a decision.

SB 160 : Missouri lawmakers passed ‘Danny’s Law,’ a bill that is designed to crack down on hazing on college campuses. Senate Bill 160 is named for former University of Missouri-Columbia student Danny Santulli, who suffered permanent brain damage while forced to binge drink during a fraternity party in 2021.

The bill defines hazing as “knowingly, actively, and not under duress” forcing someone to engage in activities that could be harmful or fatal. It also shields people from being convicted of hazing if they were the first person to call 911 or campus security, provided information, and stayed on the scene until first responders arrived.

The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Brad Hudson, R-Cape Fair, awaits a decision by the governor.

HB 595 : Legislation that could limit public assistance for renters in Missouri is now up Gov. Kehoe. The bill would ban cities from requiring landlords to accept federal housing vouchers – known as Section 8 vouchers – as payment from their tenants instead of money. Kansas City passed an ordinance last year requiring landlords to accept the vouchers, but it’s been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

SB 4 : Missouri lawmakers approved the bill that will change the way in which utility rates are set. It will give utility companies the authority to use a so-called “future test year” model for setting rates based on projected costs. It will also let private electric companies regulated by the Missouri Public Service Commission seek rate increases for construction work in progress on new natural gas-generating plants.

Other provisions in the legislation require Missouri utility companies to wait 72 hours before disconnecting a customer’s service for nonpayment when the temperature is expected to fall below 32 degrees or soar above 95 degrees.

Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s Summit, sponsored SB 4. Gov. Kehoe has already signed the proposal into law.

Package to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. In a last-minute move, the House added changes on Tuesday to a Senate bill about endorsement deals for high school athletes. The additions to the bill would have paid up to half the cost of new and improved stadiums for the teams.

The Chiefs plan to announce next month whether they will stay in Missouri or go. Kansas has been trying to recruit both teams to move there.

Gov. Mike Kehoe could call a special session to urge lawmakers to pass a bill.

HB 19 : The $513 million spending bill was killed at the last minute by state House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton, R-Noel. The proposal included a variety of upgrades around the state for roads, bridges, airports, hospitals, railroad crossings, water systems, and ports.

HB 269 : A childcare tax credit package sponsored by Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph. The plan would have provided tax breaks to childcare providers, donors to daycares, and businesses who help to cover the childcare costs of their employees. It was in response to Missouri’s critical shortage of high-quality, affordable childcare access. Shields has sponsored the bill for three years.

HB 243 : A bill that would let pregnant women finalize their divorce. Rep. Cecelie Williams, R-Dittmer, proposed to update state law so that it no longer takes pregnancy status into consideration when a court is asked to dissolve a marriage or grant a legal separation.

Williams, who just finished her first year in the legislature, made the bill her top priority. The story hits close to home for Willliams, a domestic abuse survivor who tried to get a divorce 20 years ago while pregnant. Her legislation received unanimous support in the House, but like many bills, died as a result of a traffic jam of proposals in the Senate.

HB 1175 : The Second Amendment Preservation Act would have expanded gun rights. Rep. Bill Hardwick, R-Dixon, sponsored the proposal that would have banned Missouri law enforcement agencies from enforcing federal gun regulations. If they do, they would have faced stiff penalties – $50,000 per occurrence.

The Second Amendment Preservation Act was the second attempt to make this a law. The state legislature passed an earlier version in 2021.

The Eight Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis unanimously ruled in 2024 that SAPA violates the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause, which says federal law takes precedence over any conflicting state law.

HB 177 : Current Missouri law does not provide hearing aids or cochlear implants to low-income adults on Medicaid. Rep. Cameron Parker, R-Campbell, proposed to have the state cover the cost of the hearing devices for adults receiving the government healthcare. Parker sponsored similar legislation last year which could help participants return to the workforce, protect them from falls, and improve their mental health.

HB 970 : The bill would have created regulations for video lottery machines. The machines are often found in gas stations, truck stops, bars, restaurants, VFW halls, and American Legion buildings.

Rep. Bill Hardwick, R-Dixon, proposed to let cities and county commissions decide whether they want to allow the machines. It would have capped the number of video lottery machines to eight per location.

HB 971 : In Missouri, it is not illegal to put a GPS tracking device on someone’s vehicle to secretly monitor where they are going. Reps. Cecelie Williams, R-Dittmer, Kemp Strickler, D-Lee’s Summit, and Bill Irwin, R-Lee’s Summit, wanted to change this.

Their legislation would have made it a crime to place GPS devices, such as Apple AirTags, on vehicles to track people without their permission. Their bill would have created the offense of unlawful tracking of a vehicle, with the punishment being a misdemeanor. Repeat offenses would have been a felony.

Exceptions would have included for criminal investigations, a parent or guardian who wants to monitor their child driving the vehicle without them, “vulnerable adults” with disabilities, rental car companies, or if the vehicle is being repossessed.

HB 807 : The so-called “eHarmony for Babies” bill would have put the personal information of pregnant Missouri women in a database for those considering an abortion. Rep. Phil Amato, R-Arnold, the bill sponsor, said the registry would be voluntary. His plan would also have created a new division to manage the database, legal services, adoption and social work, contracting, among other things.