The Mood at the Capitol

The general assembly had quite a busy schedule this last week. With everything from honoring Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, Justice Mary R. Russell, as Stateswoman of the Year on Tuesday, a “Taste of the Bootheel’ reception on Wednesday night, the State of the Judiciary address, and so many competing lobby days that the Capitol building was packed to the brim with people the legislature was very preoccupied this week. It did not stop both chambers from getting quite a lot of work done however. Legislative priorities are finally moving out of their original chambers and have started having hearings on the other side of the building.  

criminal justice

Death Penalty Judicial Loophole 

HB953 by Representative Bishop Davidson (R-130) was heard in the House Economic Development Committee on Tuesday. This bill closes the judicial loophole by requiring a unanimous jury verdict to sentence someone to death. The bill also includes provisions related to automatic expungement of certain crimes. We would like to thank everyone who testified in support of this legislation. We had a fantastic turnout which showed how important this issue is. We will continue to follow this bill which is scheduled to be voted out of committee on this coming Tuesday, March 4th. 

SB225 by Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman was voted out of committee on this last Tuesday. While we were highly confident that the bill would pass out the committee, we were pleasantly surprised that it passed by a unanimous vote. This is a fantastic indicator that the issue has become less divisive and is receiving bi-partisan support. Our discussions with legislators who have previously been obstacles regarding the loophole issue have also yielded great results as their concerns were alleviated. We are remaining optimistic that this bill will have some time on the Senate floor for debate and we can hopefully get the bill to the House quickly. 

Truth in Sentencing - Extended Mandatory Minimums

The House and Senate have both had hearings on bills that would increase mandatory minimums in Missouri. The main supporter of the bills is the Sheriff's association. They argue the current sentencing rules mean people don't serve time after a conviction when they should. Opposing the bill are a long list of criminal justice reform organizations. We are hopeful we will be able to stop the bills and instead look at the probation and parole process more thoroughly with the Governor's Parole Taskforce under Executive Order 25-07.

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Housing Preemption

Several local governments in Missouri have passed ordinances that try to protect the rights of tenants. These include things such as preempting eviction moratoriums, protection for people using vouchers or rental assistance, and even building codes. The Missouri NAACP opposes these bills because they silence the voices of the voters who elected the local government that is passing the ordinances. Additionally, many of the ordinances being preempted are designed to prevent discrimination and make up for the legacy of redlining in our major metropolitan areas. There will be hearings on some of these bills in the coming week.

3/3/25 1:00 PM Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions, Senate Lounge

• HB595 - Rep. Chris Brown (R) - Prohibits local governments from requiring private property owners to accept Section 8 vouchers

3/4/25 8:00 AM Senate-General Laws, SCR 1

• SB507 - Sen. Nick Schroer (R) - Provides that counties and cities shall not enact, maintain, or enforce certain ordinances relating to landlords and tenants

Lead in School Drinking Water

In a piece of positive news, the legislature is once again considering bills that would mandate testing and remediation of lead in school drinking water. The harm lead can cause to developing brains is well documented, but many of our K-12 school buildings are older and plagued with out-dated plumbing. Finding and remediating high lead levels will be a huge step toward a healthier and better educated community. The House Bill, HB995, was heard last week and will be voted out of House Committee today.

Opportunity Race and Justice

DEI Restrictions

Two bills that would eliminate provisions requiring training on anti-discrimination laws are up for hearings this week. One of the HB742, has already been voted out of one chamber. These bills undermine the provisions of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Missouri Human Rights Act. The purpose is clear, the sponsors want to remove protections for black and brown people as well as make it possible for employers to cultivate segregated workplaces and businesses.

3/3/25 2:00 PM Senate-Government Efficiency, SCR 2

• HB742 - Rep. Ben Baker (R) - Prohibits state departments from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives

3/5/25 8:00 AM Senate-Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence, Senate Lounge

• SB506 - Sen. Nick Schroer (R) - Amends Supreme Court Rule 15.05 relating to continuing legal education requirements for lawyers



Political power

Initiative Petition Restrictions

Despite the best efforts of the Senate Democratic Caucus, SB22 was third read and passed the Senate this last Thursday. The bill had changed substantially from its original version. The biggest changes made it so ballot titles and summaries can be re-written up to 3 times by the Secretary of State before a Circuit Court Judge can rewrite the summary if found to be misleading or unfair. Obviously, this still creates a partisan delay tactic to hinder or fully stop ballot initiatives or to force misleading ballot language to the polls and make challenges more difficult. The bill also creates conditions for filing appeals, allows the attorney general to appeal injunctions, and includes an emergency clause that would allow the attorney general to appeal ANY injunction ordered by the courts even before the passage of this bill. The only positive change in the bill is that while the ballot title or summary is being challenged, signatures can still be gathered and they won’t be invalidated if the title or summary is changed. This alone does not save the bill and it must still be drastically changed or simply defeated. MOVPC’s position remains unchanged: we stand vehemently opposed to the erosion of our system of checks and balances and we remain opposed to this bill. The bill still has a long way to go through the process so there is still a lot of work to be done.

This afternoon, a major hearing is taking place in the Senate Local Government Committee. The list of bills is below. All of these bills would require a concurrent majority for passage of a Constitutional Amendment. This is a direct attack on majority rule in Missouri. It is one of our top issues, and we are working on it with a large number of coalition table members.

3/3/25 1:00 PM Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions, Senate Lounge

• SJR10 - Sen. Mike Moon (R) - Modifies provisions relating to the process for adopting constitutional amendments
• SJR11 - Sen. Jason Bean (R) - Modifies provisions relating to initiative petitions
• SJR30 - Sen. Ben Brown (R) - Modifies process for proposing and approving constitutional amendments
• SJR47 - Sen. Jill Carter (R) - Modifies provisions relating to constitutional amendments

Voter Registration Restrictions

SB62 (Brown-26) is on the Formal Perfection Calendar in the Senate, meaning it is potentially up for floor debate as early as Monday. This bill requires documentary proof of US citizenship in order to register to vote. It also contains provisions requiring the clerks of the circuit courts in Missouri to report any non-citizens to the Secretary of State through the jury selection poll. This bill is another example of the anti-immigrant rhetoric that has become pervasive in our society. After several meetings with the bill sponsor and our partners in the Association of County Clerks we are working diligently to draft language that everyone can agree on. We are expecting that, as this bill continues to change and evolve, it won’t have too much time for a floor debate immediately but we remain ready to oppose this bill in its current form. Please keep an eye out for any action alerts regarding this legislation if it comes to floor for debate. The ask will be that you reach out to your Senator and ask them to vote no on SB62.

Education

Discriminatory Student Organizations

Last week the full Senate debated a bill, SB160, which would allow student organizations that have discriminatory stances to get full recognition of the college or university, including student government fees. The debate was fruitful and resulted in a new provision being added that would allow the college or university to take action against an organization that infringes on the rights of other students or which causes a disruption on campus. The companion bill, HB875, was voted out of the House. The sponsor said on the floor that he supported the Senate making the same change to his bill. The amendment is absolutely necessary to prevent a re-segregation of campuses.

Tracking Lists

Criminal Justice

Health and the Environment

Opportunity, Race and Justice

Political Power

Education Innovation

*These lists are continually updated and improved. If you have questions, please contact Sharon Geuea Jones at sharon@jonesadvocacy.com.