|
Legislative Column for the Week of April 13, 2026 |
This week, the Missouri Senate continued its work on both legislation and the state budget as we move deeper into the final stretch of session. One of the most significant developments came Wednesday, when the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to pass House Bills 2002 through 2013, the core operating budget bills for fiscal year 2027. Those measures cover funding for state departments and services across Missouri, and voting them out of committee prepares up to take up the budget bills on the floor of the Senate in the coming weeks.
The Senate floor was also active this week. On Wednesday evening, House Joint Resolution 173 & 174, a proposed constitutional amendment, was passed by the Senate after adoption of a Senate substitute. It now returns to the Missouri House of Representatives for further action, marking one more check before it can be delivered to the voters this fall. House Joint Resolution 173 & 174 defines how the Legislature can eliminate Missouri’s income tax while protecting funding for schools, updates our state tax code to the modern age, and frames how Missouri can remain competitive in the midwest for workforce attraction and economic development. While the Legislature would later define how the specifics of these tax reforms would be implemented, Missouri voters get to decide at the polls in November to approve these measures.
On Thursday, I had the pleasure of visiting with some Savannah FFA members as they visited the Capitol while between events for the Missouri FFA convention. Congratulations to all the recipients of state FFA degrees, and those participating in contests this week.
As always, it is an honor to represent the people of the 12th Senate District. With budget work intensifying and several bills continuing to move through the process, I will keep working to support responsible legislation and a state budget that reflects Missouri’s values and priorities.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is 573-751-1415, my email is rusty.black@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is ### |
