Senate Deliberations Begin
We have reached the halfway point of winter and the second month of the 2025 regular legislative session! Senate committee hearings are well underway, and I am happy to report my Lemonade Stand Freedom Bill, Senate Bill 145, was passed by the Economic and Workforce Development Committee and is now on the schedule to be debated on the Senate floor. My Senate colleagues and I spent a lot of time right out of the gate this week discussing the first bills on the floor, including Senate Bill 4, which modifies utility regulations in Missouri. Senate Bill 4 aims to stop unfair rate hikes and protect Missourians from energy policies that could threaten reliable service. This measure ended up being laid over to be discussed later, but several other bills were perfected and passed during this very productive week in the Missouri Senate. Senate Bill 59, which authorizes an income tax deduction for certain survivor benefits, was perfected this week, and five bills were third read, finally passed, and sent to the Missouri House of Representatives for further debate. - Senate Bill 1, which addresses the needs of county officials.
- Senate Bill 2, which modifies provisions relating to financial statements of certain local governments.
- Senate Bill 7, which modifies certain training requirements for ambulance districts and requires them to conduct audits of the district’s records every three years.
- Senate Bill 28, which allows cotton trailers to travel faster and carry more than just cotton.
- Senate Bill 50, which requires jails to provide inmates with reasonable access to phone services and to not charge more than 12 cents per minute on calls, among other provisions.
In 2018, Missouri banned shackling pregnant women in its state prisons. I successfully added my Senate Bill 277 language to SB 50, also prohibiting shackling pregnant women in city and county jails. In addition, city and county jails would be required to develop intake policies for pregnant women, including mental health evaluations, prenatal vitamins and a nutritious meal plan with increased calorie intake. This will all help ensure unborn children of pregnant offenders are given the dignity they deserve.  Government Efficiency Portal Launches
The Senate Government Efficiency Committee, which I chair, held its second meeting on Feb. 3 to hear a progress update on the new Government Efficiency Portal, which will allow the public to report any instances of government duplication, waste or inefficiency. I am happy to announce the portal is now live! If you’ve got an example of government waste that you would like the committee to review, you can submit it at senate.mo.gov/committeeforms/GovernmentEfficiency/GovernmentEfficiencyPortal. Submissions will be used to help streamline and improve government services for Missourians. All submitted information is subject to Missouri’s Sunshine Law, RSMo Chapter 610, and may be publicly disclosed. Protecting Girls’ Sports On Feb. 4, my sponsored legislation, Senate Bill 55, was presented to the Senate Education Committee. This bill prohibits schools from being members of athletic organizations that allow students to use performance-enhancing drugs. I believe the use of performance-enhancing drugs undermines fair competition and puts all athletes’ health and safety at risk. There have been instances in Missouri when female athletes were taking testosterone as part of a gender transition. This could give these athletes an unfair advantage in sports. Female high school wrestlers with first-hand experience competing under similar circumstances attended the hearing to support SB 55. I believe we must protect student athletes – both male and female – from those looking to game the system. Senate Bill 55 ensures student athletes participate on a level playing field, which I feel is essential for the integrity of sports and the well-being of all competitors. I will continue fighting to promote clean competition and protect student athletics. Women Legislators of Missouri Scholarship This year, the Women Legislators of Missouri are offering eight $1,000 scholarships – one from each Missouri U.S. Congressional District - to female, high school seniors in Missouri. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on leadership, academics and community service. Candidates must complete an application and submit a 500-word essay answering the question, “If you were a state legislator, what would you hope to accomplish and why?” A link to the downloadable scholarship is located at the MyScholarship Central website, and the submission deadline is March 12, 2025. 
It is a privilege and honor to represent you in Jefferson City. Please feel free to contact my office at 573-751-1492. For more information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate webpage at senate.mo.gov/Coleman. |
