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This week...

Senate Passes First Bills of Session

The Senate passed their first bills of the 2025 session this week. The following pieces of legislation are now headed to the House:

• relating to county officials

• relating to local government financial statements. 

• relating to emergency medical services

• relating to cotton trailers

• relating to jails

Despite a number of Senators being out sick this week, the upper chamber also spent time debating , a large utilities bill, and , which repeals the sunset on political subdivisions' authority to utilize certain methods of construction. A group of Senate Democrats filibustered Senate Bill 10 after an amendment was successfully added to the bill to remove the expiration for the “SAFE ACT”, passed last year, which bans gender-affirming care for minors. Both bills were ultimately laid over and may be debated at another time.

Hearings of Interest

The legislature held public hearings on a variety of high profile legislative topics this past week:

• Overturn Amendment 3: The House Children and Families committee held a contentious hearing on legislation that would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to ban abortion in è��app. The proposal would allow exceptions for rape and incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy if the crime is reported to police. .

• Proposition A Implementation Delay: Several bills were heard in the House Commerce Committee that would delay the implementation of Proposition A (increases the minimum wage), passed by è��app voters in November. Specifically, the legislation seeks to delay the minimum wage increase set for January 1, 2026, and the provision requiring most employers to offer paid sick and family leave. .

• Video Lottery Gaming Terminals: The House Emerging Issues Committee approved a bill (by a vote of 8-5) to authorize video lottery games. Existing unregulated “gray” machines would have up to 18 months convert to regulated lottery games under the proposal. .

• Transgender Bills: Over 850 individuals submitted testimony on seven bills heard in the House Emerging Issues Committee relating to gender transitions, transgender student athletes, and gender designations on drivers licenses. .

Coming Up Next Week

House and Senate committees are scheduled to host public hearings on a variety of bills next week, including:

• Firearms and Public Safety: The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety committee will hear two bills relating to firearm regulations ( and )

• Prohibition of DEI in Public and Charter Schools ( and )

• Worker’s Compensation Reform ()

• Sales and Property Taxes: Several bills relating to sales and property tax exemptions and reductions will be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee and the Special Committee on Tax Reform (, , , , , and , among others)

Three utilities bills, tort-reform legislation, and a bill to relinquish control of St. Louis City police back to the state are among the topics that may be brought up for debate on the Senate floor next week. The House does not have any bills on their calendar slated for floor debate at this time.

FY 2026 Department Budget Presentations Continue

The was in full swing this week, successfully wrapping up several department presentations. The committee reviewed a range of departments, including the Department of Revenue (HB 4), MoDot (HB 4), Office of Administration (HB 5), Employee Benefits (HB 5), Department of Agriculture (HB 6), Department of Natural Resources (HB 6), National Guard (HB 8), Real Estate (HB 13), Reappropriations (HB 17), Maintenance and Repair (HB 18), Capital Improvements (HB 19), and ARPA (HB 20). These discussions are an essential component in the education of committee members as they gain insights regarding funding challenges and priorities, providing them with meaningful background for the committee mark-up process.

The is also making their way through agency budget overviews. The Senate Committee has a little more flexibility as they wait on the House version of the budget before they begin the formal process of building their version of the budget sometime after legislative spring break. The committee heard presentations (they convened on Tuesday and Wednesday) from the Department of Agriculture (HB 6), Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (HB 7), Department of Public Safety (HB 8), and Department of Corrections (HB 9).

January 2025 Revenues Show Decline

State Budget Director Dan Haug announced that the net general revenue collections for January 2025 saw a notable decline of 11.5 percent compared to January 2024. Specifically, the collections dropped from $1.45 billion last year to $1.29 billion this year, reflecting a significant decrease in revenue for the month.

Looking at the 2025 fiscal year-to-date, net general revenue collections have also decreased by 2.2 percent compared to the same period in 2024. This year, collections stand at $7.42 billion, down from $7.59 billion last year. These figures highlight a concerning trend in the state’s revenue intake, which may have implications for future budget planning and fiscal projections.

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