School Choice, Tax Cuts, Child Care in 2026 Missouri Legislative Agenda
Several issues that could have an impact on Missouri families are on the agenda in the new legislative session that began this week. These are some of the key issues to follow before the current session concludes in mid-May, according to Missourinet.
School choice. A bill sponsored by Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, would allow K-12 public schools decide for themselves if they want students from neighboring districts to enroll in their district. Like many bills, it has died in the Missouri Senate in recent sessions.
Tax cuts. Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe has made income tax reduction a top priority, and with his party having a supermajority in both houses of the legislature, it is likely to pass in some form. In addition, Senator Lewis Aims (D-KC) wants to eliminate sales tax on groceries.
Child care access. Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph, has offered legislation for about four years but it hasn’t quite made it to the governor’s desk. Kehoe has said he would like for the bill to pass.
Sex crimes. Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, has proposed legislation to fight sex crimes against children. He proposes restarting Missouri’s task force to fight human trafficking and also strengthen penalties for sex crimes against children.
Criminal reform. The state has had difficulty meeting the requirement to provide a competency evaluation within 60 days of a court order to determine if suspects can be prosecuted. Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson, has prefilled a bill that would require any person arrested and subject to an evaluation have a hearing within 45 days of their arrest. “We have inmates that have been held in local municipalities, cities and so forth, for upwards of a year awaiting a mental health evaluation,” he said.
Transgenderism. Although a bill that that would limit students to sports teams based on their gender at birth has failed in the past, it may be revisited in the current session. Polls indicate the move would have wide support across the state, especially among female athletes.
–Alan Goforth
