WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 04/21/2025

Sharon Geuea Jones • April 21, 2025

The Mood at the Capitol

Only 4 weeks remain until the legislature adjourns on May 16th at 6pm. This is the time of year when bad ideas fly faster than a bullet train. We are on the lookout for a few bad provisions related to justice and equity. There are a few other issues that will take up considerable time as session wraps up for the year.

HJR73 is a proposal to put abortion back on the ballot. The bill also contains language related to gender affirming care for minors. These two topics are not related to each other and should not be allowed in a single Constitutional amendment. It is likely the courts will have to make that decision between now and the 2026 General Election. Even without the gender-related issues, the amendment is yet another attempt to overturn a voter-approved Constitutional Amendment. It would completely repeal Amendment 3 and put in its place restrictions on access to abortion services and other reproductive healthcare.

The budget is not yet out of the Senate. HB 1-12 are the base budget for Missouri and will need to make it through the Senate floor debate before heading to "Conference" where any differences between the House and Senate versions will be resolved. HB3, the Higher Education budget includes some harmful DEI language that is already being used to restrict private scholarships at Missouri colleges and universities. This language is specific to higher education institutions, but is similar to language in HB742 and Executive Order 18.

OPPORTUNITY RACE AND JUSTICE

HB742 is the bill that would add a ban on DEI spending by the State to our State Statutes. This is dangerous because it does more than just require a review of programs and makes it illegal to spend money on programs and policies that are designed to specifically impact black and brown folks. We are expecting a big fight on this one and are asking all of our members and allies to contact their State Senator to ask them to stand strong against this kind of roll-back of the Civil Rights Act and return to Jim Crow policies.

HB567 is an attempt by the legislature to overturn the will of the people by repealing major portions of Proposition A. These laws would make earned paid sick leave a requirement for all employers and increase minimum wage over the next few years. The Senate Democratic Caucus stood together until after 1am last Wednesday to make sure the bill would not pass. They will likely have to do so again before the legislature adjourns for the year.

political power

SB22 was passed last week with langauge that would make it significantly harder to ensure fair ballot summaries for Constitutional Amendments. Often, the legislature will pass language to go on the ballot that misleads the voter as to what is included in the new law. Groups like the ACLU and the League of Women Voters regularly challenge these ballot summaries and win in the courts to put fair and accurate language on the ballot. This new law itself will likely be the subject of legal challenges in the near future.