Senator Barbara Anne Washington’s Legislative Column for April 11, 2025
Friday, April 11, 2025
Senator Barbara Anne Washington’s Legislative Column for April 11, 2025
Budget Time
On April 8, 13 of the appropriations bills passed by the Missouri House of Representatives were referred by the president pro tem of the Senate to the Appropriations Committee. The other three budget bills, which cover infrastructure, capital improvements and maintenance projects across the state, are still being negotiated and finalized. In the coming weeks, this committee I sit on will begin the daunting markup process of the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs July 1 through June 30. During markup, committee members go line-by-line through the budget and decide move forward with the governor’s request, the House’s recommendation or a different, Senate line item amount. Call me a nerd, but I really enjoy these negotiations, especially since this is when I’m able to secure much needed funding for our community!
This week, the Senate passed Senate Bill 166. This act requires every public and charter school to develop and implement a cardiac emergency response plan and train personnel on how to appropriately respond to incidents involving life-threatening situations and cardiac emergencies. Under SB 166, school personnel will be certified in first aid, CPR and the proper use of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs. During the hearing, I amended the language of the bill to include charter schools.
Chiefs fans will be pleased to learn Senate Bill 820 has inched another step closer the finish line. Passed by the Senate Progress and Development Committee on April 8 and combined with Senate Bill 825, this legislation will designate our beloved Kansas City Chiefs as the official professional football team of the State of Missouri.
Another bill that advanced from the Senate Progress and Development Committee will name June 17 of each year as Neighborhood Gun Violence Prevention Day. During the heart-wrenching hearing on Senate Bill 777, two young cousins and the grieving mother of Preston Ja-Mon “Tink” Jones shared a story way too many of us have experienced. Twenty-year old Tink was shot and murdered while sleeping in his bed in a St. Louis community on June 17, 2022. This bill won’t cure the epidemic of gun violence in our communities, but its passage will raise awareness to Tink’s all- too-common story and help his family try to find justice for an unthinkable tragedy.
The House Special Committee on Tourism advanced Senate Bill 348 on April 9. This bill includes three of my measures, designating May 8 as Amyloidosis Awareness Day in Missouri; Feb. 20 as John Donaldson Day in Missouri; and Nov. 9 as Links, Incorporated Day.
Honoring the 2025 Senate Art Exhibit Winners
On April 10, I was honored to present a resolution to Malachi Walker, a sophomore at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts whose artwork was chosen to represent District 9 in the Senate Art Exhibit. His artwork, titled “Essence of Life” will be on display in the Missouri Capitol through next March. The annual competition is a joint effort between the Missouri Art Education Association and the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education.
News for the 9th
Attend the Thiving Together: A Maternal and Family Wellness Fair this Saturday!
The Kansas City Health Department and community partners are hosting Thriving Together: A Maternal and Family Wellness Fair, this Saturday, April 12. The Kansas Birth Equity Network will host a community forum at the event at 1:00. The activities will include giveaways, family yoga, baloon twisting and more!
Kansas City Health Department
2400 Troost Ave., KCMO
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Senator Washington’s Sponsored Legislation for 2025
Bill Number | Description | Status |
Authorizes a sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products. | Hearing conducted 3.4, Economic and Workforce Development | |
The Missouri CROWN Act prohibits hair-based discrimination in publicly-funded educational institutions. | Hearing conducted 3.31, House Emerging Issues | |
Expands and diversifies the Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board. | Referred to Government Efficiency | |
Creates the offense of unlawful possession of a handgun for a minor. | Referred to Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety | |
Modifies provisions relating to the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development | Passed 3.12 Economic and Workforce Development | |
Authorizes a tax credit for qualified providers of employment, employment services or housing for homeless persons. | Referred to Economic and Workforce Development | |
Authorizes a tax credit for providing housing assistance to victims of domestic violence. | Passed 2.25 Progress and Development Committee | |
Modifies provisions relating to emergency medical services | Hearing conducted 3.25 Emerging Issues | |
Creates the offense of community endangerment due to unsafe storage of a firearm. | Referred to Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety | |
Establishes the Cronkite New Voices Act to protect the freedom of press in school-sponsored media. | Referred to Education | |
Modifies provisions relating to offenses against employees of election authorities. | Referred to Local Government, Elections and Pension. | |
Enacts provisions relating to health insurance coverage of maternity services to include midwifery. | Referred to Insurance and Banking | |
Designates every Feb. 20 as John Donaldson Day to honor Missouri native and Negro Leagues Baseball star pitcher. | Added to SB 348, Passed on April 9, House Special Committee on Tourism | |
Establishes May 8 each year as Amyloidosis Awareness Day in Missouri. | Added to SB 348, passed on 4.9, House Special Committee on Tourism | |
Modifies provisions relating to the offense of filing false documents. | Referred to Judiciary | |
Requires public and charter schools to provide free feminine hygiene products to female students in grades 4-12. | Referred to Education | |
Creates provisions relating to lactating public and charter school students. | Referred to Education | |
Requires schools that receive state funds to give excused absences for attending scheduled elections with their parents. | Hearing conducted 3.4 Education | |
Requires school districts and charter schools to offer students who are 17 and ½ years the opportunity to register to vote. | Hearing conducted 3.4 Education | |
Creates a health advocate program at the Department of Health and Senior Services for eligible pregnant patients. | Referred to Families, Seniors and Health | |
Modifies provisions relating to restitution for individuals who are actually innocent and exonerated based on evidence other than DNA. | Referred to Judiciary | |
Modifies provisions relating to use of marijuana by family court participants. | Referred to Families, Seniors and Health | |
Authorizes a tax credit for first time home buyers to purchase eligible blighted property. | Referred to Economic and Workforce Development | |
Provides that no person, corporation, or other entity in Missouri shall manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell or transfer any assault weapon or large capacity magazine. | Referred to Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety | |
Designates Officer James Muhlbauer K-9 Officer Champ Memorial Bridge in Jackson County. | Hearing conducted 3.4, Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety | |
Modifies provisions relating to closed criminal records. | Referred to Judiciary | |
Creates that eligible offenses be automatically expunged without petition. | Referred to Judiciary | |
Modifies provisions relating to earned discharge from probation. | Referred to Judiciary | |
Designates every Nov. 9 as Links, Incorporated Day in Missouri | Added to SB 348, passed on 4.9, House Special Committee on Tourism | |
Creates a DWI diversion program. | Hearing conducted 2.26 Judiciary | |
Creates provisions relating to parole eligibility after serving 30 years or more of a sentence. | Referred to Judiciary | |
Reduces the term of probation for a misdemeanor violation from 2 years to 18 months and removes the drug and alcohol screening for certain offenses. | Referred to Judiciary | |
Modifies provisions relating to legal representation for certain court proceedings involving children. | Referred to Families, Seniors and Health | |
Prohibits removing registered voters from the Missouri Voter Registration System unless the voter has not voted in the previous five calendar years or met other criteria. | Referred to Local Government, Elections and Pensions | |
Includes CLASS EA – esthetics and manicuring as a new classification for licensure for cosmetologists. | Referred to Emerging Issues and Professional Registration | |
Creates new provisions relating to state contracts for minority and women’s business enterprises. | Referred to Government Efficiency | |
Prohibits carrying concealed firearms in public libraries. | Referred to Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety | |
Modifies continuing education requirements for peace officers. | Referred to Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety | |
Authorizes a sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene product for all purchases made by qualifying organizations. | Referred Economic and Workforce Development | |
Designates the Kansas City Chiefs as the official professional football team of Missouri. | Hearing conducted 4.1, Progress and Development | |
Temporarily extends the hours which liquor may be sold by the drink during the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament. | Referred to General Laws | |
Establishes the Missouri Entertainment Facility – Capital Assistance Program | Referred Economic and Workforce Development | |
Requires the agriculture education pilot program to be implemented at all elementary schools statewide | Referred to Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources | |
Places limits on increases in the assessment of certain properties, pending voter approval. | Referred to Judiciary | |
Eliminates the statute of limitations for civil actions based on certain sexual offenses. | Referred to Judiciary |
It is an honor representing the great people of Jackson County’s 9th Senatorial District. If you need assistance navigating state government or understanding the legislative process, please contact me by calling 573-751-3158 or emailing Barbara.Washington@senate.mo.gov. My team is here for you!