Senator Mike Bernskoetter

6th Senatorial District

For Immediate Release: 

March 14, 2025

Capitol Building, Room 416

Jefferson City, MO 65101

Contact Kenny Ross: 

 573-751-2076

A Successful Session at the Halfway Point

As we reach the traditional halfway point of legislative session, I wanted to take a moment and summarize a few pieces of legislation the Missouri Senate has passed so far. This year has been very productive compared to the past couple, and I am very proud of the action we have taken to improve our state.

This year, the Missouri Senate made it a priority to pass legislation to put the City of St. Louis Police Department back under the control of a police board appointed by the governor. I am happy to report this crucial legislation has been truly agreed to and passed by the General Assembly. House Bill 495 will improve public safety and security in Missouri’s largest city. As one of the states key economic drivers and gateway to our state, a strong and safe St. Louis is good for all Missourians. By placing control of the St. Louis Police Department back into the hands of a governor-appointed board, we have removed politics from police leadership in the city. 

The Senate also passed major utility regulation reform with the passage of Senate Bill 4. This legislation will make it easier for utility companies to undertake construction designed to increase their power output and distribution across the state. With a growing population and economy, we need to stay diligent and ensure the energy our state needs is provided. This means that when we go to flip on a switch the power is there. The last thing we want to do is become California, a state known for rolling blackouts. The passage of Senate Bill 4 will help ensure this does not happen to Missouri by making it easier to upgrade and expand our energy infrastructure in Missouri.

We also succeeded in passing Senate Bill 10 this session, which removes the sunset on the SAFE Act, among many other sunsets. The SAFE Act makes it illegal to perform transgender operations on children under the age of 18. We passed the SAFE Act three years ago to protect our youth and this law has been a great success. It was slated to expire next year, but through the passage of Senate Bill 10, this law will continue to be in effect, protecting the children of this state. We should not allow children to undertake irreversible, life-altering procedures. We must do all we can to protect children in this state and the removal of the sunset on the SAFE Act is a major step in that direction.

Looking over the first half of session, the Missouri Senate has had a productive and successful first half of session. We have passed legislation to enhance public safety in the City of St. Louis, ensure reliable energy in Missouri for years to come, and protect kids from life-altering transgender procedures. I am excited to continue the work of the people when we return from legislative break.

Please feel free to contact my office at 573-751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.