Voting Rights

Bill #: SB 985

LWVMO OPPOSES this bill 

Short Description: The act requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to publish a voter registration list on the Secretary's website containing only the following information for each person registered to vote as of the 4th Wednesday prior to the election: unique voter identification numbers, voters' names, year of birth, addresses, townships or wards, and precincts.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a hearing on Monday, February 23 at 8:00 AM in the Senate Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee.

Talking points:  

• This bill violates privacy laws 

• It gives unfettered access  to sensitive voter registration materials to third parties who may wish to use it in voter suppression efforts, leading to the non uniform maintenance of voter registration information 

Link to the summary of the bill: SB985

Call to action: Only in person testimony is allowed at Senate hearings.   Please contact committee members and let them know you OPPOSE this bill.  Members of the Local Government, Elections, and Pensions Committee can be found HERE.   Click on the Senator’s picture and you will be taken to their information page for their contact information.

Links to further reading: Brennan Center reports DOJ has demanded voter files

LWV Position: The League believes that organizations, including political parties, should not be allowed to use caging and purging methods, often geographically targeted, to remove registered voters from the voter registration rolls. (LWVMO Guide to State Action 2025-2027, p. 18)

Bill #: HJR 104, HJR 122, HJR 149

LWVMO SUPPORTS these bills 

Short Description: This amendment would remove the rule that a serving member of the General Assembly can serve no more than eight years in one house. It would also prohibit any member from serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives for more than three terms and as President Pro Tem of the Senate for more than two terms.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for Executive Session in the House Elections Committee on Tuesday, February 24 at 8:00 AM.

Talking points:  

• Elections serve as a very effective form of term limits and rigid laws prevent constituents from retaining effective representatives

• By relaxing limits, lawmakers can build the institutional knowledge necessary to resist outside influence from unelected lobbyists and bureaucrats

Link to the summary of the bill: HJR 104, HJR 122, HJR 149

Call to action: Email committee members and tell them you SUPPORT this bill. Members of the House Elections Committee are found HERE. Click on the representative’s picture and you will be taken to their information page for their contact information.

LMV Position: In 1991, the League announced its opposition to term limits for members of the US Congress on the grounds that such limits would adversely affect the accountability, representativeness, and effective performance of Congress and, by decreasing the power of Congress, upset the balance of power between Congress and an already powerful presidency. The 1992 Convention reaffirmed opposition to term limits and authorized state and local Leagues to use national positions to take action on term limits for state and local offices. (LWVUS Impact on Issues 2024-2026, p. 73)

Education

Bill #: SCS/SBs 971 & 906

LWVMO OPPOSES these bills

Short Description: These combined bills allow open school enrollment, enabling students to transfer from their charter school or resident school district  to a nonresident school (or "local education agency" or "LEA," as the bill states).

Status of the Bill: Placed on the Senate Formal Perfection Calendar for Monday, February 23 at 12:00 PM.

Talking points:  

• Public schools should have accountability and transparency in matters of governance, accreditation, and funding

• Funds for public schools should not be used to support homeschooling or private schools, including religiously affiliated schools

• Open enrollment can lead to re-segregation

• It is difficult for schools to plan financially

• School districts have unequal tax levies

Link to the summary of the bill: SCS/SB 971 & 906

Call to action: Contact your individual legislator to tell them you OPPOSE these bills. Find your Senator HERE

LWV Position: The League supports equal opportunity in education, access to quality programs, and adequate financing for pre-K through 12. (LWVMO Guide to State Action 2025-2027, p. 57)

Bill #: HB 2504

LWVMO OPPOSES this bill 

Short Description: This bill adds other school personnel to the list of employees a school district can designate as a school protection officer and allows them authority to carry a weapon on school grounds if the individual has a concealed carry license and professional training.

Status of the Bill: Had a hearing in the General Laws Committee at the last minute on February 18. It is not currently scheduled for an Executive Session but could be at any time.

Talking points:  

• Arming staff creates "guards" who lack the rigorous, ongoing training required for split-second, life-or-death decisions 

• Non-security personnel are more prone to errors during a crisis, increasing the risk of collateral damage or misidentified threats 

• High-security environments discourage students from sharing tips, breaking the "culture of reporting" essential for stopping violence before it starts

Link to the summary of the bill: HB 2504

Call to action: Email committee members and tell them you OPPOSE this bill. Members of the General Laws Committee can be found HERE. Click on the representative’s picture and you will be taken to their information page for their contact information.

Links to further reading: KCUR reports MO lawmakers want to expand who can carry guns in schools   

Unpacking laws to arm teachers from Everytown

LWV Position: The League supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens. The League supports regulating firearms for consumer safety. (LWVUS Impact on Issues 2024-2026, p. 179)

Health Care

Bill #: SB 1402

LWVMO SUPPORTS this bill

Short Description: Modifies a sales tax exemption for certain medical devices.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee on Wednesday, February 25 at 10:00 AM.

Talking points: 

• Wheelchair accessories are added to wheelchairs as tax exempt                             

• The intent of the original bill was for all related parts and accessories to be tax-exempt, ensuring that the burden of sales tax did not fall on disabled individuals who rely on this equipment. An exemption helps align the actual practice with this goal

• Sales tax is a regressive tax that weighs most on those who can least afford it

Link to the summary of the bill: SB 1402

Call to action: Only in person testimony is allowed at Senate hearings. Please contact committee members and let them know you SUPPORT this bill. Members of the Economic and Workforce Development committee are found HERE. Click on the Senator’s picture and you will be taken to their information page for their contact information.

LWV Position: League opposes state sales taxes on food and drugs as ways to reduce the regressive nature of the general sales tax. (LWVMO Guide to State Action 2025-2027, p. 29).

Firearms

Bill #: SB 1078

LWVMO OPPOSES this bill 

Short Description: Allows concealed carry license holders to carry guns on public transportation.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee on Monday, February 23 at 2:00 PM.

Talking points: 

• Public transit is crowded and confined, so any gun incident instantly endangers everyone nearby, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities

• Law enforcement is trained and authorized to respond to incidents, and arming civilians increases risks and complicates their efforts

• Transit riders and major Missouri transit providers oppose allowing guns on buses and trains, citing safety concerns and the potential to deter transit use 

Link to the summary of the bill: SB1078

Call to action: Only in person testimony is allowed at Senate hearings. Please contact committee members and let them know you OPPOSE this bill. Members of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee can be found HERE. Click on the Senator’s picture and you will be taken to their information page for the contact information.

Links to further reading: Oppose Conceal and Carry on Public Transit

LWV Position: The League supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens. The League supports regulating firearms for consumer safety. (LWVUS Impact on Issues 2024-2026, p. 179)

Bill #: SB 1055

LWVMO OPPOSES  this bill 

Short Description: This bill includes the "Anti-Red Flag Gun Seizure Act", a 3 day tax free holiday for guns and ammo and expands "Stand Your Ground " laws.

Status of the Bill:  Scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee on Monday, February 23 at 2:00 PM.

Talking points:  

• Creates the “Anti‑Red Flag Gun Seizure Act” and defines any law that removes guns without a full contested adjudication as a “red flag law.” 

• Bans Missouri agencies and local law enforcement from enforcing any such state or federal orders, and prohibits them from taking federal money to help enforce them

• Creates a right of action with a $50,000 civil penalty per violation against agencies and officers that help enforce a red flag law 

• Adds “all retail sales of firearms and ammunition” to Missouri’s August “back‑to‑school” sales tax holiday (clothing, school supplies, computers) so guns and ammo are tax‑free that weekend 

• Rewrites self‑defense actions where the state must disprove it in certain cases. It automatically assumes that the defendant’s belief in the need for force was reasonable

Link to the summary of the bill: SB 1055

Call to action: Only in person testimony is allowed at Senate hearings. Please contact committee members and let them know you OPPOSE this bill. Members of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee can be found HERE. Click on the Senator’s picture and you will be taken to their information page for the contact information.

Links to further reading: Anti Red Flag Laws   Outdoor sporting goods tax holiday

LWV Position: The League supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens. The League supports regulating firearms for consumer safety. (LWVUS Impact on Issues 2024-2026, p. 179)

Bill #: HB 3105

LWVMO OPPOSES this bill 

Short Description: A “fix” bill to Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA) that weakens it in key ways and broadens protection for some federal gun enforcement.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for an Executive Session in the House Crime and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, February 24 at 4:00 PM.

Talking points:  

• Keeps the same basic idea of special rules for guns and a separate enforcement process. Missouri should simply follow constitutional federal law like every other state 

• Gives firearms and gun owners unique legal treatment that no other constitutional right enjoys, such as prioritizing gun rights above other public‑safety responsibilities 

• Police chiefs, prosecutors, and ATF officials have already warned that SAPA‑style laws make officers second‑guess how they can help federal partners and can chill routine cooperation on gun‑trafficking and violent‑crime cases

Link to the summary of the bill: HB 3105

Call to action: Email committee members and tell them you OPPOSE this bill. Members of the House Crime and Public Safety Committee are found HERE.  Click on the representative’s picture and you will be taken to their information page for their contact information.

LWV Position: The League supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens. The League supports regulating firearms for consumer safety. (LWVUS Impact on Issues 2024-2026, p. 179)

Social Justice

Bill #: HB 2967

LWVMO SUPPORTS this bill

Short Description: This is funding for "Clean Slate", a bill that would automatically have MO pay to have eligible records (up to 3 misdemeanors and 2 felonies) expunged from a person's record. Not all records are eligible and the actual records will still exist, just not available to the public.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, February 25 at 12:00 PM in the House Financial Institutions Committee.

Talking points:  

• There needs to be funding for any expungement law that may be passed

Link to the summary of the bill: HB 2967

Call to action: Submit testimony to SUPPORT HB 2967 HERE. Make sure to mark “in Support of” under reason in testimony.

LWV Position: The League of Women Voters supports a criminal justice system that is just, effective, equitable, transparent, and that fosters public trust at all stages, including policing practices, pre-trial procedures, sentencing, incarceration, and re-entry. (LWVUS Impact on Issues, p. 137)

Climate and Environment

Bill #: HB 2122

LWVMO OPPOSES this bill 

Short Description: Allows electrical corporations to charge for services based on the costs of certain construction work in progress.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for an Executive Session in the House Utilities Committee on Wednesday, February 25 at 8:00 AM.

Talking points:  

• Allows utilities to raise rates before power plants are built

• Shifts financial risk from corporations onto Missouri families

• Locks Missouri into expensive nuclear power instead of cheaper renewables  

• Ignores Missouri voters who overwhelmingly voted against Construction Work in Progress (CWIP)

Link to the summary of the bill: HB 2122

Call to action: Email committee members and tell them you OPPOSE this bill. Members of the House Utilities Committee are found HERE. Click on the representative’s picture and you will be taken to their information page for their contact information.

Links to further reading: 

Missourians shouldn’t pay utilities before the lights turn on