State House wraps early on regular session
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) -
Missouri House lawmakers ended their regular session a day ahead of the deadline.
The House passed 11 bills on Thursday, limited to only those the state Senate had already passed. The upper chamber called it a year on Wednesday after Republican leaders broke a Democratic filibuster on bills dealing with abortion and labor issues, both of which voters decided in 2024.
Among the bills passed and now heading to Gov. Mike Kehoe's desk are rules surrounding campaign donations made by foreign nationals. SB 152 gives the attorney general the power to investigate claims of such illegal donations to campaign committees in the state. The House passed it with a 94-47 vote, the closest one of the day.
The House also passed SB 145, which stops cities or counties from requiring people 18 years old or younger to get a business license to run any sort of business. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Jefferson County), referred to it as a "lemonade stand" bill, allowing kids to operate such enterprises without needing to work through local government first.
The House ended its session early for the first time since a deadline was established in 1952.
Lawmakers did not pass a tax incentive package meant to help the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs with future stadium projects. House Speaker Jon Patterson (R-Lee's Summit) said he was not aware of any negotiations among House and Senate leadership to tie the fates of abortion legislation and the tax incentives to get them through the legislature.
"I do know that no one will ever give up our fight for pro-life causes for sports stadiums," Patterson said.
Minority Floor Leader Rep. Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) called it a productive session for her party, passing priorities like a ban on child marriages (HB 737) and a waiver of sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products (HB 594 and 508).
The session, though, was derailed by dysfunction between the two chambers and the Senate's forced votes on HJR 73 and HB 567. The former will pose a question to voters in 2026 to limit abortions, and the latter repeals voter-approved paid sick leave for workers.
"When your commitment to undermining democracy is greater than your commitment to carrying out the will of the people, you're in the wrong line of work," Aune said.
Aune said she expected challenges in court to the language presented to voters on the abortion issue. She also said another initiative petition-led ballot measure could come up on paid sick leave should Kehoe sign the bill repealing it.
