Missouri lawmakers to debate a number of bills when session resumes Monday after a week long break
Alison Patton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri lawmakers come back to session Monday to pick up where they left off and the Senate is expected to review some House Bills that representatives squeezed through before break.
The bill that would phase out the income tax, HJR 173, was sent to the Senate just before the legislature paused business and Senators were able to give it a first read. Eliminating the state income tax is a legislative priority for Governor Mike Kehoe and many Republican lawmakers.
House members also approved House Bill 3146, which would give the Secretary of State the authority to rewrite ballot language that is challenged in court and deemed unfair up to three times. This bill was also given a first read in the Senate.
HB 3146 closely replicates a bill passed in the 2025 legislative session. Senate Bill 22 was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court earlier this year because it contained language relating to the Attorney General.
House Bill 3491 is waiting to be assigned to the House calendar after being passed out of the Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs on March 12th–the week before the break started. This bill would tighten English-proficiency laws for CDL drivers. It comes after a semi-truck driver who drove miles in the wrong direction last month on Missouri Highway 61.
Lawmakers are also considering House Bill 2003, which would tie state funding for public universities and colleges to student enrollment. Big universities, like the University of Missouri and Missouri State University, would receive millions more dollars, according to previous reporting. However, small universities in Missouri like Lincoln University and Truman State University could see funding cuts. HB 2003 was passed out of the budget committee before break.
Senators might debate on the floor whether public school students can transfer to a school district that they don’t live in. Senate Bill 971 was passed out of the education committee in February and is now on the informal Senate calendar. If passed, the bill would unlock millions of dollars in additional state funding for public schools that accept transfer students.
The 2026 legislative session ends on May 16th, and lawmakers have filed more than 2,000 bills in the House.