The Mood at the Capitol

The legislature started very slowly, but more than made up for it last week. Every committee received bills and began scheduling committee hearings. There are lots of theories about why this is the case, but both the House and the Senate went from limited activity to a full schedule overnight. This means that there could be bills on the floor for debate very soon.

Education

A bill that would allow discrimination on college campuses was introduced again this year. HB875 is scheduled for a hearing on Monday at 4:30pm. The bill would allow state resources to be spent on student groups that include discriminatory criteria in their membership and leadership requirements. The bill is often portrayed as a religious freedom issue, but the truth is much darker. We argue every year that religion cannot be an excuse for discrimination in public accommodations.

voting rights

Initiative Petition Restrictions

In the Senate Elections committee on Monday at 2:00pm they will be hearing SB 22 by Senator Rick Brattin. This bill is another attempt to restrict the people’s ability to directly influence their government but in a less apparent way. This bill makes it so that misleading ballot summaries adopted by the general assembly, usually through Joint Resolutions, cannot be re-written by courts if found to be misleading. They would only be re-written by the general assembly if they are in session and if not, it will be by the Secretary of State. In this case they are taking the power of correcting ballot summaries away from the impartial judicial system and placing it in the hands of the partisan legislature and executive branch. This is another attempt to give the legislature more power by taking it away from the courts and ultimately the people. We vehemently oppose this bill and will be testifying against it. Please contact Denise Lieberman or Connor Luebbert if you would like to come and testify. 

Poll Worker Protections

In the same Senate Elections Committee hearing on Monday, they will be hearing SB 84 by Senator Jamie Burger. This is the poll workers protection bill that we have been advocating for. As a reminder, the bill creates the crime of tampering with an elected official and creates penalties for harassing, threatening, doxxing, etc. This bill expands the scope of protections to last all year-round and include immediate family members. We are very happy to support these efforts and will be testifying strongly in favor of these protections. Please contact Denise Lieberman or Connor Luebbert if you would like to come and testify. 

criminal justice

Clean Slate / Expungement

There is a hearing this week on one of the automatic expungement bills, SB19. The bill is usually opposed by the Office of State Courts Administrators as being too big of a burden to ramp up as quickly as it requires. We have talked in the past about trying to find a compromise with them, or a dedicated funding source so they can hire the necessary staff. The bill is spearheaded by Empower Missouri; so I try to follow their lead as much as possible.

Other Issues

There were hearings last week on bills to remove local control from the City of St. Louis’ police department, HB495 and SB52. One of the bills also included language that would make it easier to charge people with “rioting” and increase the penalty to a felony even for the first offense. NAACP Criminal Justice Committee Chair James Robnett testified against these bills for both reasons.

Discrimination

There was a hearing last week on a bill, HB742 that would prohibit state funds from being spent on any DEI program, initiative, or training. This is not the first time we’ve seen the bill. It directly conflicts with a number of other state and federal laws. It is unclear how the sponsors and supporters think the bill will be implemented, but it is clear their goal is to make sure no one has to hear any statement of inclusivity that makes them feel guilty or in any way negative. The hearing was cut short and heard on a different day than the committee normally meets. The bill will likely be voted out of committee on Monday night. 

Senator Patty Lewis introduced a bill that would roll back many of the changes to the Missouri Human Rights Act from 2017. The bill, SB608, may or may not get a hearing this year. However, it is good to see people continuing to push back against the return to segregation.

HEARINGS

Tracking List

https://govwatch.net/report/aXrLkmnWp7



*This list is continually updated and improved. If you have questions, please contact Sharon Geuea Jones at sharon@jonesadvocacy.com.