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The Week of Jan. 13, 2025

Last Wednesday, Jan. 8, the Missouri Senate gaveled in to begin the First Regular Session of the 103rd General Assembly. Ten newly elected senators and seven re-elected senators took the oath of office to serve their constituents in the upper chamber. 

In addition to the pomp and celebration of this day, we also made history by electing the first female president pro tempore of the Missouri Senate. The president pro tem is responsible for creating committees, assigning committee chairs and members, and referring bills to the appropriate committee to keep the legislative process moving. Once again, I am proud to serve on the following Senate committees: Judiciary; Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment; Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics; and Appropriations.

Then, this past Monday, a new governor was sworn in to serve our state. That night, legislators and staff attended the Inaugural Ball in the Capitol Rotunda to celebrate this new chapter in our state’s history. 

These first couple of weeks are always exciting as we welcome new legislators and begin the important work of the people, as well as welcome our new staff member, Wiley Price

IV, to our office. This week also came with a time of reflection. I am entering my final two years serving as your state senator. It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent you in state government, and I am thankful for your continued support. I am excited to continue fighting for you and supporting legislation that will improve the lives of all Missourians. I wanted to give a brief overview of the bills I have filed this session:

One issue I will continue to fight against is the state takeover of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Senate Bill 52 would allow a state-run Board of Police Commissioners to govern the St. Louis department like it had for more than 150 years, until the state’s authority ended after 63.9% of Missouri voters approved Proposition A, a statewide ballot measure in 2012, restoring local control. Under SB 52 the governor would appoint four commissioners to the board. I have vehemently opposed this measure when it has been filed the past few years, and I will continue to fight against the passage of this legislation. Local control of the department is the best option for our community.

Other News

New Missouri governor is sworn in

Our new governor took the oath of office on Jan. 13 to become Missouri’s 58th governor. In his inaugural address, he pledged to focus on improving public safety, providing additional tax cuts and further expanding public funding of private and parochial schools.

As is typical for an inaugural speech, the governor’s comments were heavy on aspiration but light on detail. Specific policy goals usually are reserved for the annual State of the State address, which he is scheduled to deliver Jan. 28 before a joint session of the Missouri General Assembly.

Among his first acts as governor, he signed six executive orders generally relating to public safety, including two on immigration. One authorizes state troopers to participate in a training program to assist federal officials in enforcing immigration laws, while the other calls for tracking the immigration status of those charged with state crimes. Information provided during Missouri House of Representative committee hearings last year revealed that undocumented immigrants are far less likely than citizens to commit crimes but far more likely to be crime victims.

The other executive orders are aimed at improving regional cooperation to apprehend fugitives, expanding law enforcement grant opportunities for local communities, adjusting the State Highway Patrol’s pay structure and creating a task force to review state probation and parole procedures.

The governor also said he’s interested in expanding the recently created voucher program authorizing tax credits to fund tuition to private and parochial schools, and wants to eliminate the state’s individual income tax, which provides nearly two-thirds of state general revenue collections. He has not stated how that lost revenue would be replaced.

The individual income tax rate paid by the overwhelming majority of Missourians had remained at 6% since the early 1970s until the majority began reducing it in recent years. The main rate currently stands at 4.7% but is already slated to drop to 4.5% in the coming years provided that certain minimum revenue collection thresholds are met.

The governor, who just completed his tenure as lieutenant governor and previously served as a state senator, replaces Gov. Mike Parson, who served more than six and half years in the post. Former Gov. Parson, who had been lieutenant governor, was elevated to chief executive in June 2018 following his predecessor’s resignation and won a full term in 2020.

The other statewide officials who were sworn in alongside the governor were the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer and attorney general. 

Appeals court upholds $23 million ruling against DSS

The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District on Jan. 14 upheld a $23 million judgment against the state Department of Social Services in a breach of contract lawsuit pertaining the state’s troubled Medicaid case management system.

In its unanimous ruling, the three-judge appellate panel said most of the department’s claims of trial court error weren’t preserved for consideration since they were being raised for the first time on appeal.

The state had hired EngagePoint Inc., now known as HHS Technology Group Holdings, in 2013 to implement a new software system to manage Medicaid cases but terminated the contract in 2015. The company later sued the state, alleging it had failed to pay the company for work it had performed. A Cole County jury found in the company’s favor in 2022.

In a related case, a Cole County Circuit judge ruled in September that the department “knowingly and purposefully violated the Sunshine Law in multiple ways” when it slow-walked a records request by the company while the breach of contract case was underway. The judge ordered the department to pay an additional $120,000 for the Sunshine Law violations. The appellate ruling came in HHS Technology Group Holdings, et al., v. State of Missouri.

STL County lawmaker resigns to lead securities division

Just days into his fourth term in office, a state representative from Oakville resigned his seat in the Missouri House of Representatives in order to take a position as securities director for the new Missouri secretary of state. The governor is expected to call a special election for some time later this year to fill the vacancy in the 95th District, which covers the southernmost tip of St. Louis County. 

Net state revenue up – barely – six months into FY 2025

Year-to-date net state general revenue collections increased 0.1% through the first half of the 2025 fiscal year compared to the same period in FY 2025, going from $6.13 billion last year to $6.14 billion this year. Net revenues had been down 4% through the first five months of the fiscal year.

The turnaround was driven by large increases in December in both individual income tax and sales tax collections – the two main sources of state general revenue. Total net general revenue collections for December 2024 increased 19% compared to those for December 2023, going from $1.09 billion to $1.3 billion.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Thank you for your interest in the legislative process. I look forward to hearing from you on the issues that are important to you this legislative session. If there is anything my office can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 573-751-3599.