For Immediate Release: April 17, 2025
Contact: Jaret Scharnhorst, 573-751-1492  

                          Capitol Building, Room 331-A
                      Jefferson City, MO 65101

4 Weeks Left in the Legislative Session

With just four weeks left in the legislative session, the Senate Appropriations Committee has been hard at work reviewing the House of Representatives’ version of the state’s operating budget for Fiscal Year 2026. The committee is ensuring essential services are funded and tax dollars are being used efficiently. When their markup work is done, the committee’s version of the budget will head to the floor where it will be debated on by the entire Senate. The Senate could give its initial approval to the fiscal year 2026 budget as early as next week. 

This week, the Senate third read and passed several important measures, including:

• Senate Bill 80 allows high school athletes to seek compensation for their name, image and likeness. This allows proud Missouri athletes to potentially have access to life-changing funds for themselves and their families.   
• Senate Joint Resolution 46 eliminates property taxes for disabled veterans.
• Senate Bill 120 reforms how state departments manage and spend money in key transportation, natural resource and port funding accounts to improve oversight, ensure proper use and protect taxpayer dollars.

Proposition A, a ballot measure in last November’s election, mandates paid sick leave and gradually increases the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. However, as its May implementation date nears, many small business owners are expressing confusion and concern about how to comply with the new requirements. This week, the Senate debated House Bill 567 late into the night – until nearly 1 a.m. – as part of an effort to bring clarity to Missouri’s business community. The bill would make targeted adjustments to Proposition A to help ensure it can be implemented in a way that is fair, manageable and sustainable for local employers. These changes are the result of countless conversations with business owners who are simply asking for guidance. The majority party remains committed to supporting Missouri small businesses and ensuring their voices are heard. 

The Senate president pro tem signed Senate Bill 22, which reworks how ballot issue summaries are written to prevent judges from arbitrarily rewriting ballot summaries sent to voters, and Senate Bill 47, which aims to promote fairness in Missouri’s legal system. Both bills were sent to the governor for his signature.