This week...
èapp House Debates First Bills of 2025 Session, Senate Floor Activity Slows
The èapp House gave preliminary approval to a few bills this week. The following bills will now move to the Senate for consideration:
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(benefits for foster children)
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, (authorizes an income tax deduction for capital gains)
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(local government ordinances for rental properties)
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(èapp Religious Freedom Protection Act).
The Senate Chamber was busier this week. As anticipated, legislation that would relinquish control of the St. Louis Police to the state was stalled by Senator Karla May (D-St. Louis) for nearly 4 hours Tuesday afternoon. The bill () was ultimately laid over and is likely to be brought up for debate at a later time. The Senate also spent time debating, but ultimately did not take a vote, on (summary statements for ballot measures) and (offense of tampering with an elected official).
The Senate did however vote on and gave preliminary approval to the following bills, which now move to the House for consideration:
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(Tax credits)
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(Class actions)
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(Income tax deduction for certain National Guard duties)
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(Income tax deduction for certain survivor benefits)
This Week’s Committee Hearings
A quick run down of some of the bills that received public hearings this week:
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Workers Compensation Reforms -
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Class Action Lawsuits -
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Tobacco Products Preemptions -
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Utility Site Relocation Costs -
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Agricultural Tax Credits -
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Design-Build Contracts - , , and
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Tax Incentives for Advanced Manufacturing -
FY 2026 Operating Budget Update
Despite the winter storm pushing the House into a technical session on Wednesday, Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton (R-Noel) and his committee members refused to let the weather derail the budget process. This week, the heard presentations from various state departments including: the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (HB 2), the Department of Conservation (HB 6), the Department of Commerce and Insurance (HB 7), the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (HB 7), the Department of Economic Development (HB 7), the Department of Social Services—MO HealthNet (HB 11), as well as the Office of the Secretary of State (HB 12), the Office of the Attorney General (HB 12), the Office of the Governor (HB 12), the Judiciary (HB 12), the Office of the Public Defender (HB 12), and the General Assembly (HB 12). The House Budget Committee has set a target date of February 28th to complete the process of walking through all state agency budgets.
Meanwhile, the heard agency presentations from the following: the Office of Administration (HB 5), Employee Benefits (HB 5), Department of Natural Resources (HB 6), Department of Conservation (HB 7), Department of Economic Development (HB 7), the Office of State Public Defenders (HB 12), the Office of the Attorney General (HB 12), Statewide Real Estate (HB 13), Reappropriations (HB 17), Maintenance and Repair (HB 18), Construction Renovation (HB 19), and ARPA (HB 20).
AG Bailey Files Suit Against Starbucks for Racial and Sex Based Discrimination
On Tuesday, èapp Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit against Starbucks for violating federal and state laws prohibiting race discrimination. The lawsuit asserts that Starbucks enforces race-and-sex-based hiring practices, unlawfully segregates employees, and provides exclusive training and employment benefits to select groups in violation of anti-discrimination laws.
Attorney General Bailey’s lawsuit asserts that “with Starbucks’ discriminatory patterns, practices, and policies, èapp’s consumers are required to pay higher prices and wait longer for goods and services that could be provided for less had Starbucks employed the most qualified workers, regardless of their race, color, sex, or national origin.”
In his lawsuit, Attorney General Bailey is seeking an order compelling Starbucks to immediately cease its discriminatory patterns and practices. to read the full press release.
Upcoming Hearings of Interest
The House and are scheduled to meet several times next week to vote out almost 25 bills (a House Rules Committee is the last committee a bill must go through on the House side to make it to the House floor for floor debate). The House will also hold public hearings on legislation relating to property taxes (, , , and ), motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle franchisors (), and elections (, , and ).
The Senate will hold public hearings on a number of issues, including: Prior authorization of health care services (), tax credits for certain K-12 education expenses ( and ), insurance coverage of alternatives to opioids (), and sales tax exemptions for certain broadband equipment ().
2025 General Assembly Dates of Interest
Last Day to File Legislation - Saturday, March 1
Spring Break - No Session: March 17 - March 21
Easter Break - No Session: Monday, April 21
Last Day to Pass the Budget: Friday, May 9
Last Day of Session: Friday, May 16
Veto Session: Wednesday, September 10
Reviewed 2025-02-17