A) Ban Foreign Ownership of Missouri Farmland. The Missouri Senate has passed House Bill 903, which is a TOTAL ban on foreign entities purchasing Missouri farmland. Despite opposition by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, the bill passed the Senate on a 31-3 vote. The House and Senate simply need to agree on the amended Senate version before the bill heads for the Governor’s signature.
B) Cut Personal Property Taxes. Senate Bill Eigel added an amendment to House Bill 268 this past Friday that would eliminate approximately 10% of all personal property taxes. Over 10 years, this would include roughly $1.8 Billion in personal property tax cuts across Missouri. Moderate Republicans, led by Senators Mike Cierpiot and Mike Bernskoetter, successfully derailed Eigel’s previous personal property tax cut, Senate Bill 8, by joining with Democrats to oppose it in the Fiscal Oversight committee. House Bill 268 is expected to receive a final vote in the Senate on Monday, and be accepted by the House before this Friday’s constitutional deadline.
C) Prohibition of Transgender Surgeries and Hormone Therapies for Anyone Under 18. Nearly 2 months ago, the Senate passed Senate Bill 49, which prohibited transgender surgeries and therapies on minors. The bill has failed to pass the House, and is opposed by House Majority Floor Leader John Patterson, who voted against a similar measure in the House several weeks ago. The bill must be passed by the House before Friday to go into effect this year.
D) Initiative Petition Reform. House Joint Resolution 43 was passed by the Senate which would increase the standard by which the constitution may be amended via initiative petition. If adopted by the voters, a constitutional change would require either a) a majority of 57% or more of the voters in an election, or b) a majority of the Missouri congressional districts (5 of 8) must achieve at least 50%+1 support.
E) Educational Scholarship Account Expansion and Open Enrollment. School choice advocates would move Missouri towards a full voucher program, where dollars follow students, not districts under an expanded ESA program. In addition, parents would be allowed to enroll their kids in any public school district of their choice, regardless of where they live.
F) Other. The above choices are for bills that have a reasonable chance of passing in the final week of this legislative session. Many bills on other topics have been filed, but have not moved sufficiently to involve a realistic chance of passage.
Let’s Go Missouri!!!