legislative session

The legislature also failed to pass bills that would restrict transgender rights, regulate artificial intelligence and the opioid-like drug 7-OH and eliminate vehicle safety inspections.

Other legislation that could be considered in the last week of the 2026 session includes a wide-reaching education bill and measures to limit vehicle inspections and raise the rural highway speed limit.

The supplemental spending bill, which pushes total state appropriations to almost $55 billion, was the first legislation sent to Kehoe's desk.

The legislation also would implement an automatic expungement process for nonviolent offenses.

As Missouri’s Republican-led legislature heads into the 2026 session, a representative from Columbia is likely to be one of the most progressive voices in the state House.

The plan for state operations would spend almost $50 billion in the coming year, setting up potentially tough negotiations with the House as lawmakers work to finalize spending plans.

While the bill cleared a house committee in just twelve days, it stalled for a month before the House Rules-Legislative Committee approved it for debate. Now, lawmakers' time is limited and the bill just might not make the cut.

In Missouri's legislature, dozens of bills aim to overturn or weaken voter-approved initiatives, such as Amendment 3's enshrinement of abortion rights and Proposition A's minimum wage increase and paid sick leave laws.

The bill's sponsor says it was inspired by a lawsuit filed by a transgender student in Blue Springs School District.

Many lawmakers are bringing back ideas for another year as bill filing opens advance of the session that begins Jan. 8