Missouri lawmakers are returning to Jefferson City on Monday for the remaining eight weeks of the 2026 session.
They are coming back having already sent some legislation to Gov. Mike Kehoe, including an expansive criminal justice bill and a measure removing legal barriers for pregnant women seeking divorce.
A long list of priorities remains.
It includes several bills aimed at lowering taxes and the passage of a smaller budget compared to years past.
Here are five things that are likely to gain momentum in the second half of the session:
Adjusting to a much smaller budget
The House is expected to tackle its version of the budget this week.
As usual, passing a budget is the only constitutional requirement for lawmakers during session. The deadline this year is May 8.
House Speaker Jon Patterson, R-Lee's Summit, said before the legislative break that the budget lawmakers are dealing with now is much different compared to the past few years.
The legislature has passed record-setting budgets recently, largely due to an infusion of federal dollars. That money has largely been spent, with the remaining likely to remain in reserves.
As a part of his State of the State address, Kehoe proposed a 4% cut in general revenue spending.
Patterson said the House Budget Committee, led by Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Seneca, has taken a thoughtful approach to several of the budget bills.
"For the past five years, we've only known surpluses, and now our chairman is tasked with finding areas where we can have savings," Patterson said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Betsy Fogle, D-Springfield, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said she is concerned that the House's version of the budget does not fully fund the state's K-12 public education formula.
She also lamented the repeal of $51 million for the state's child care subsidy program.
"In the language it prevents us, I should say, the governor, from making good on his promise to pay on enrollment and not attendance, something that childcare providers across the state have been counting on for the last year," Fogle said.
The budget must go through the House before the Senate can begin work on it.
Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, who serves on the appropriations panel, said the most important work this session is going to be on the state budget.
She expressed concerns over proposed cuts to education, child care and disability services as well as other areas.
"When the Senate returns from spring break, I hope it returns with a sense of purpose to address the very real budget issues that we are facing ahead," Nurrenbern said.
Income tax cut makes its way to the Senate
Before leaving for a weeklong break, the House passed a resolution that, if passed by voters, would give lawmakers authority to expand sales and use taxes in pursuit of eliminating the state income tax.
Ending the state income tax is a priority of Kehoe's.
Patterson, who is the sponsor of one of the resolutions, said it would give future lawmakers the ability to modernize sales taxes.
"Next legislature comes back with the authority to do it, rolls up their sleeves and says, 'Hey, this sales tax is too high, let's lower it. Let's maybe add this, raise this,' and have a sales tax amount that's reasonable for people back home," Patterson said.
House Democrats disagree with Patterson's assessment. Minority Leader Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, said the resolution would allow lawmakers to raise taxes on any goods and services to recoup the revenue lost from eliminating the state income tax.
State income tax makes up a significant portion of the state's budget.
"If the voters approve this in November, what will happen is it hamstrings a future General Assembly who is going to be looking at these dwindling revenues," Aune said. "They are going to be looking at cutting even more vital services for Missourians, and they are going to be forced to be the legislators to raise taxes on Missourians."
Senate Majority Floor Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, said the Senate had not advanced its income tax resolution because it was waiting on the House version.
He also expects it to be subject to negotiation with Democrats.
"They've got some consternation about it, but I also heard from them, they're willing to be open and to negotiate on it, and so we look forward to negotiating with them the second half of break to bring that meaningful tax relief to Missourians," Luetkemeyer said.
Sen. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, said Democrats have been focusing on affordability.
"We just think this is the wrong time to introduce a brand-new megatax on services and add new taxes on the people of Missouri," Webber said.
Lowering property taxes
At the beginning of session, Luetkemeyer said property tax reform was the main priority for Senate Republicans this year.
They will have multiple chances to address property taxes, with both Senate and House bills.
The House has already passed legislation aimed at lowering property tax rates by separating property subclasses like residential and commercial. That effort received broad bipartisan support.
Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O'Laughlin, R-Shelbina, reiterated that tax relief remains a priority this session.
"Missourians work hard for their money, and we believe they should keep as much of it as they can. They can make decisions on how to spend it more wisely than we can," O'Laughlin said.
Nurrenbern said Democrats share concerns about people being taxed out of their home and are willing to have conversations on the topic.
"Obviously, that House bill with property tax reform passed with pretty strong bipartisan support, and I think that's something that we are willing to continue to look at," Nurrenbern said.
Writing ballot summaries
One bill that wasn't on Republicans' radar this session was legislation that already went to Kehoe's desk last year.
Lawmakers had passed a bill that gave the secretary of state greater authority to write summary statements for proposed ballot initiatives, such as constitutional amendments. It also limits how much a court can intervene.
However, the Missouri Supreme Court threw that law out in January, citing an unrelated portion of the law giving the attorney general the ability to appeal preliminary injunctions against state laws or constitutional provisions.
Even though that decision occurred mid-session, lawmakers wasted no time filing a new version, without the language that got it tossed out in the first place.
The House passed the bill the week before break.
"I think the legislature has a right to make the laws of the state. The question of constitutionality on the previous legislation was being tied to the Attorney General's ability for injunctions, and that was removed," Patterson said.
However, the bill isn't exactly a copy of last year's. It also contains language that bars the ability to rewrite ballot language from both appellate courts and the Missouri Supreme Court.
Rep. Eric Woods, D-Kansas City, is doubtful that the new language is constitutional.
"What that bill did was strip away not only the power of appellate courts, but the power of the Supreme Court to ultimately give relief in the form of rewriting ballot language," Woods said. "And it feels like a basic constitutional principle and a separation of powers issue that you can't do that."
A quicker pace
While the House has passed over 100 bills out of its chamber so far, the Senate has moved at a more gradual pace.
That's not unusual, as the filibuster ability in the Senate tends to slow bills down and create greater opportunities for negotiations.
However, Luetkemeyer said the Senate got off to a slower start the first month of session.
"That was to be expected. I don't think anybody was particularly surprised by that. I think actually we're at a pretty normal pace," Luetkemeyer said.
Nurrenbern said Democrats are aiming to make sure the Senate doesn't just rubber stamp legislation that comes its way.
Luetkemeyer said he believes that the Senate is moving at a faster pace now and that things are back on track.
"I'm looking at the formal calendar, a lot of bills that are both Democrat and Republican bills. Most of those bills, to me, seem like they're ones that would have an easy glide path to get perfected," Luetkemeyer said.
Other House bills that the Senate could consider include legislation aimed at lowering personal property taxes and a bill banning intoxicating hemp products.
In the other chamber, the House may take up and pass a Senate bill that raises the speed limit on rural interstates and highways to 75 mph.
The final day of the 2026 session is May 15.
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