Senator Ben Brown’s Capitol Report for May 20, 2024

The Final Gavel Pounds

The final gavel pounded on May 17, signaling the end of the 2024 legislative session and my second year as your state senator. While floor discussions were contentious and slow-moving at times, the General Assembly sent a budget for fiscal year 2025 and several impactful proposals for Missourians to the governor’s desk. 

I am extremely proud to report my Senate Joint Resolution 78 was one of the proposals passed by the General Assembly on the final day of session. If approved by voters, SJR 78 will ban ranked choice voting and specify that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections. This has been a top priority of mine since taking the oath of office, so I am thankful voters will be able to ensure our elections are protected when this measure appears on the ballot this fall.

                                                                                                                                               Senator Brown discusses SJR 78 with Speaker Dean Plocher. 

I also feel fortunate to have worked with colleagues to send two other pieces of my sponsored legislation to the governor to sign into law. My veterans care package, Senate Bill 912, and my proposal to memorialize Staff Sergeant Paul Hasenbeck were truly agreed to and finally passed on May 7. My proposal to establish the Police Chief Mason Griffith Memorial Highway near Hermann came close to passing as a provision of Senate Bill 964.

Throughout session, the topic which caused multiple, day-long debates was Senate Joint Resolution 74. Commonly referred to as IP reform, SJR 74 would put an amendment on the statewide ballot and let voters decide to raise the threshold to amend our constitution through the initiative petition (IP) process. Currently, an amendment passes with a simple majority of 50% of votes cast statewide plus one. This resolution would add a stipulation to require a majority of votes cast in five of our eight congressional districts to permanently alter the Missouri Constitution, prohibit foreign influence on the IP process and specify that Missouri residents and U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in Missouri elections. The problem with the current system, in my opinion, is it’s ripe for abuse and interference from out-of-state special interests. I am deeply disappointed that my colleagues could not find a path forward for this resolution. For the last month, I worked tirelessly behind the scenes to persuade some of my colleagues of the importance of this issue. I was frustrated by the frequent plan changes and lack of communications during these proceedings that may have prevented a version of SJR 74 that included all these provisions from passing in the Senate. I believe protecting our sacred document is paramount, and will continue to fight to protect our constitution. 

As we move into 2025, I will continue to pursue policies to protect our individual liberties, to include permitting home school children to participate in their parent-funded school district’s extra-curricular activities and streamlining the professional licensing process for experienced workers from other states. In order for our state to move forward, we must embrace pro-growth policies, improve our public education system and limit government.

Honoring the Intern for the 26^th Senatorial District

Throughout the 2024 session, my office greatly benefited from the assistance and professionalism provided by intern Madeline Wilson. Miss Wilson was an honors student at Lincoln University who graduated with an impressive 3.97 grade point average. I was honored to present Madeline a resolution, thank her for her tireless service and wish her well as she enters full-time employment.

                                                                                                                                     Senator Brown’s Capitol team: Marybeth Bruns, Madeline Wilson and Frank Catanzaro

Claim your Stake!

As of May 12, our community had a total of $12.1 million in unclaimed property. The Missouri Treasurer’s office wants to return these monies and military medals to their rightful owners. Visit treasurer.mo.gov/UnclaimedProperty to search the database and track your claim or call 573-751-0123 for assistance.

Invite Sen. Brown to your Town

Now that the session is over, I look forward to spending time in our community and traveling the district to visit with all of you. If you are hosting a community or civic event or meeting, please invite me. The more I can learn about our district’s unique needs and issues, the better I can try to resolve them at the State Capitol. 

As always, it’s a tremendous honor to serve those who call the 26th Senatorial District home. If you need assistance with navigating state government or the legislative process, please reach out by calling 573-751-3678 or emailing Ben.Brown@senate.mo.gov.