The Week of April 6, 2026 |
On the Floor This week, the following bills were discussed on the Senate floor:
The Senate granted first round approval to the following legislation:
The Senate third read and passed the following bills this week:
Bills and Committees Senator May’s Legislation: This week, I was proud to present vital public health legislation to the Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee regarding alternatives to opioid prescriptions. Senate Bill 1024 would require medical practitioners to consult with a patient about the risks of taking opioids and the alternatives to opioids before an initial opioid prescription. This legislation would promote safer clinical practices by reducing unnecessary exposure to opioids. It does not exclude opioids from being prescribed or prevent appropriate care for patients in necessary circumstances but allows for safer pain management by strengthening standards about opioid prescriptions.
Our country has seen the devastating effects of opioid addiction. We must promote interventions before exposure to help mitigate addiction issues, and I believe that effort begins at the point of care. Ultimately, this bill is about ensuring patient safety and providing a consistent approach across providers.
Judiciary Committee: The committee heard several bills this week:
Commerce Committee: The committee heard House Bill 2395, which would modify provisions relating to sewage disposal.
Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee: The committee heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 21, which encourages all Missouri citizens to engage in appropriate patriotic programs and events in observance of Show-Me America 250 on July 4th, 2026, and throughout the year.
Other News Governor signs three bills relating to court system into law On April 7, the governor signed three bills into law that could send more juvenile offenders to adult prison, impose higher mandatory minimums for criminal offenses, clarify that pregnancy is not a legal ground for delaying divorce proceedings and crack down on sexual offenses against children. Lawmakers passed all three measures last month. They will each take effect Aug. 28.
The most controversial of the trio is Senate Bill 888, which critics decry as a return to the so-called “tough on crime” policies popular in the 1980s and 1990s that states ultimately abandoned because they resulted in mass incarceration while failing to reduce crime. The bill’s official fiscal estimate anticipates it could cost taxpayers approximately $870 million, mostly for the potential costs of constructing, staffing and operating a new state prison.
Senate Bill 888 erodes the legal wall separating the reform and rehabilitation focused juvenile justice system from the punishment-based adult criminal justice system. This allows more kids to be tried as an adult for more offenses. It also requires minimum prison terms for low-level felonies that, at present, typically result in probation for first-time offenders.
In contrast to SB 888, the other bills the governor signed cleared the Legislature without any dissenting votes. One, House Bill 2273, is an omnibus measure containing several provisions to combat child sex trafficking and increase penalties for sex offenses against minors.
The other, House Bill 1908 & 2337, simply states that “pregnancy status shall not prevent the court from entering a judgment of dissolution of marriage or legal separation.” Although current state law doesn’t require judges to delay divorce proceedings due to pregnancy, some do so anyway because of its implications on child support and custody issues.
House panel approves eliminating Nonpartisan Court Plan The House General Laws Committee voted 8-6 to advance a proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate Missouri’s nonpartisan system for selecting appellate judges and instead grant the governor the power to appoint whomever he wants to the bench, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
The Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan has been in place since 1940 and has survived numerous attempts over the decades to dismantle it. The last attempt to amend the Missouri Constitution to weaken the nonpartisan plan was in 2012, but voters destroyed the measure with an astounding 76% voting against it, delivering what likely is the most lopsided defeat of a statewide ballot measure in state history.
Under the plan, the seven-member Appellate Judicial Commission interviews candidates to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court or state Court of Appeals, then submits three finalists to the governor, who must appoint one of them or forfeit the appointment to the commission. The commission consists of the chief justice of the Supreme Court, three gubernatorial appointees of the governor and three attorneys elected by members of the Missouri Bar.
With this system, which a majority of other states have adopted in some form, the governor has a say in the process but doesn’t control it. As a result, appellate judges tend to be insulated from partisan influence.
Under House Joint Resolution 153, however, the governor would have total discretion on who to appoint, just as the president currently does at the federal level. If the Senate also approves HJR 153, it would go on the Nov. 3 ballot for voter consideration.
House resurrects rejected virtual education bill The House voted 94-48 on April 8 to resurrect a bill expanding virtual education programs for adults without a high school diploma. The action came just six days after the chamber overwhelmingly rejected it on lopsided vote of 55-95.
While the original vote to defeat House Bill 3239 was bipartisan, the do-over was largely party-line with most members of the majority caucus in support and just one member of the minority caucus in favor. The bill’s $4 million price tag appears to have played a role in its initial failure, raising concerns about increasing unbudgeted costs when lawmakers are planning to underfund K-12 public schools in next year’s state budget by $190 million less than the minimum funding level called for by state law. HB 3239 now advances to the Senate.
House moves to reinstate presidential preference primary The Missouri House of Representatives on April 9 advanced legislation to the Senate to restore the state’s presidential preference primary starting with the 2028 election cycle. The bill passed 116-23, with one lawmaker voting “present.”
The General Assembly did away with Missouri’s state-run primary in 2022. During the 2024 election cycle, the Missouri Republican Party reverted to the sparsely attended caucus system both parties used prior to 2000, while the Missouri Democratic Party conducted a mail-in primary. Neither method worked particularly well, and leaders of both state parties have urged lawmakers to restore the state-run primary.
Under House Bill 2387, the presidential primary would be held on the first Tuesday in March. To address concerns that preference primaries are just “beauty contests,” HB 2387 would bind the state’s political parties to distributing their delegates in accordance with each candidate’s share of the primary vote.
Net general revenue up slightly three quarters into FY 2026 Net state general revenue collections increased just 0.7% through the first three quarters of the 2026 fiscal year compared to the same period in FY 2025, going from $9.18 billion last year to $9.25 billion this year, according to data the Missouri Division of Budget and Planning released April 2. Net collections had been up 1.7% through the first eight months of the fiscal year.
Net collections during March 2026 declined 1.7% compared to those for March 2025, going from $878.9 million last year to $864.3 million this year. A 32.2% decrease in corporate income and franchise tax collections contributed to the month’s revenue slowdown.
The original consensus revenue estimate on which the FY 2026 state budget was based anticipated a 1.6% net general revenue increase over the course of the fiscal year, which started July 1 and runs through June 30. However, due to legislation the governor signed into law last year eliminating income taxes on the sale of stocks and investment property, that estimate was revised downward in December so that the state now anticipates a 2.1% decline in general revenue for the fiscal year.
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Thank you for your interest in the legislative process. I look forward to hearing from you on the issues that are important to you this legislative session. If there is anything my office can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 573-751-3599. |