Last Week of Session Our only constitutional obligation as legislators is to pass a balanced state budget. On May 9, the day of our constitutional deadline to complete the state budget for Fiscal Year 2026, the General Assembly passed a balanced budget and delivered it to the governor. The governor, who has line-item veto power, must now choose what items stay in the budget and what will be eliminated by the start of Fiscal Year 2026, which begins July 1. If the governor vetoes any part of a budget bill, legislators will reconvene in September for a constitutionally mandated veto session to consider overturning his vetoes. This is the final week of the legislative session, and we will keep working to move important bills across the finish line until the last gavel drops. I began this session with a number of proposals and goals I felt would benefit Missourians, and I believe we have made great progress. While not every bill I sponsored will make it through the process to become law, several of my bills did pass and are awaiting the governor’s signature. Senate Bill 66, my bill raising Missouri’s minimum age to marry to 18, passed as part of Senate Bill 737. Senate Bill 66 passed the Senate with bipartisan support and was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. If a 20-year-old man were to have sex with a 16-year-old girl, it would be considered second degree statutory rape. Under existing Missouri law, that man could marry the minor to avoid being charged with rape. I believe this is wrong, puts young girls at risk, creates an ideal environment for trafficking and needs to be stopped. Raising the age of marriage to 18 for all parties involved is imperative to the health and welfare of all children. Senate Bill 64, my circuit breaker bill, was amended onto House Bill 594. This legislation helps seniors and folks with disabilities with the burden of property taxes so they can stay in their homes and communities as long as possible. This tax credit, which has not been adjusted since 2008, directly offsets costs related to property taxes. Increasing home values and associated property taxes can price older people and individuals with disabilities out of the homes where they have lived for decades. To reflect the current economy, my legislation increases the maximum income limit and maximum credit amount as well as ties both to inflation so future legislatures will not have to come back and adjust this tax credit. These improvements would directly benefit nearly 300,000 Missourians. Senate Bill 399, my affordable housing tax credit, passed as part of House Bill 754. Current law authorizes a tax credit for business firms which engage in providing affordable housing assistance activities or market rate housing in distressed communities (housing credit), with the total amount of such tax credits not to exceed $10 million in a fiscal year. Current law also authorizes a tax credit for business firms which make a contribution to a neighborhood organization that provides affordable housing assistance activities or market rate housing in distressed communities (contribution credit), with the total amount of such tax credits not to exceed $1 million in a fiscal year. This act provides that any amount of the $10 million in housing credits not authorized in a fiscal year may be authorized for contribution credits during the same fiscal year, provided the total combined amount of housing and contribution credits shall not exceed $11 million during the fiscal year. Senate Bill 603, my bill repealing the sunset on electronic monitoring programs, was included in House Bill 495. Currently, the provision of law providing that a person found guilty of violating the conditions of a protection order can be sentenced with electronic monitoring or placed on probation with the condition of electronic monitoring shall sunset on August 28, 2024. My bill repealed this sunset so victims and law enforcement are notified when a protection order is violated. Senate Bill 401, my bill creating provisions relating to certain customer classes approved by the Public Service Commission, was amended onto Senate Bill 4. The Public Service Commission may approve a special alternative residential customer rate or discount from a utility company, based on household utility burden, as defined in the act. The rate or discount shall incorporate a commission authorized discount from the appropriate base residential rate. Any eligibility verification needed to implement the alternative rate shall be done by an independent third party as described in the act. The goal of my Senate Bill 430, creating provisions relating to terms and conditions by public entities, was ultimately accomplished through a decision by the Public Service Commission during a rate case. Ameren Missouri will stop requiring customers who use its website and mobile app to agree to forced arbitration and waiver of class actions. Unclaimed Property The Missouri Treasurer’s office has notified us that during a review of their Unclaimed Property database, there is currently $52,776,558.80 belonging to District 24 residents. Those interested in checking the database can go to ShowMeMoney.com. 
Contact Us If there is anything I or my amazing staff, Hannah Dolan and Emily O’ Laughlin, can do to assist you, please call 573-751-9762, email tracy.mccreery@senate.mo.gov or visit us in State Capitol Room 427. If you would like updates more often, please visit my senate webpage at senate.mo.gov/McCreery or visit youtube.com/mosencom to view weekly updates from my office. | 