The Missouri House of Representatives passed its first four bills of this year’s session on Thursday, including allowing houses of worship to remain open despite a government lockdown.
The House also passed bills to end the capital gains tax, preserve the assets of foster children and allow landlords to refuse tenants who receive federal housing assistance.
Allowing houses of worship to stay open
House Bill 75 originated from the COVID-19 pandemic. It would establish a new section of law called the “Missouri Religious Freedom Protection Act” that would prevent the government from limiting or interrupting religious services, even in emergency situations.
The bill's sponsor said the legislation is necessary to protect the right to freedom of religion.
“The pandemic exposed real vulnerabilities in these rights and how they are interpreted and applied in times of crisis,” Rep. Cathy Jo Loy, R-Carthage, said during floor debate on the bill Tuesday.
Similar legislation has been introduced every year since 2020 but has failed to pass.
Opponents argued the legislation is an overreaction that could prevent local governments from responding appropriately to emergencies in the future.
“You were still able to worship, it just did not look the same,” said Rep. Emily Weber, D-Kansas City. “Nothing looked the same. But you were still able to worship. Nobody was taking that away from you.”
The bill passed 106-38.
Capital gains tax cut
House Bill 594 would remove the state capital gains tax. The tax is imposed on the sale of assets like property and stocks.
Supporters of the bill said that it would fuel economic growth, while opponents said that it would largely benefit the already wealthy.
Members approved the bill 100-48.
“Eliminating capital gains taxes is one of the most cost-effective ways to encourage broad-based economic growth,” said Rep. George Hruza, R-St. Louis, during floor debate this week. “Capital gains taxes lock up capital.”
Tax cuts have already been a major topic of the legislative session, with bills also moving forward that would reduce or remove other taxes, including the state income tax.
Democrats have expressed alarm that significant tax cuts could lead to budget shortfalls and underfunding of major state services, such as education.
“We don’t know how much revenue this is going to cost us,” Rep. Steve Butz, D-St. Louis, said before the bill was passed. “If we make a mistake here, there is no coming back, so think this through carefully.”
Rental restrictions
House Bill 595, sponsored by Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City, says that municipalities cannot enact or enforce any ordinance that prohibits landlords from refusing to lease to someone because they get federal housing assistance.
Landlords would also not be restricted in how much they could ask for a security deposit. The bill passed 104-38.
The bill was filed in response to a Kansas City ordinance passed last year that bars landlords from deciding not to lease to prospective tenants solely because they receive federal housing assistance.
The bill primarily targets tenants who receive aid under Section 8, also called the Housing Choice Voucher program, a federal initiative that helps low-income households afford housing by partially subsidizing their rent.
Brown, a landlord himself, and other proponents of the bill said it was necessary to protect property rights.
“I would submit that this simply amounts to an illegal appropriation of private property,” Brown said.
Some representatives from Kansas City argued against the bill, saying the state shouldn’t involve itself with how the city addresses its housing problems.
“I took in a friend’s family because they had been evicted. They’ve lived with us for the last year because they could not find anyone to rent with them with an eviction on their record,” said Rep. Wick Thomas, D-Kansas City. “It is already plenty hard for people to find housing without us also discriminating based on source of income.”
Benefits for foster children
Of the four bills, one passed with almost unanimous support from both parties. House Bill 737 aims to protect federal benefits that foster children inherit from their parents, such as Social Security income, by placing the money in trust until the children are adults.
“We have a responsibility to be good stewards to our foster children and to their finances,” said Rep. Melissa Schmidt, R-Eldridge, the sponsor, at a press conference after the bill passed the House. Members approved it 149-1.
The legislation includes a provision that would require the state to place foster children with families of the same faith when possible.
The bills will now go to the Senate. If the Senate also passes the bills, they will proceed to the governor’s desk, but if the Senate makes any changes, they return to the House for another vote.
The River City Journalism Fund supports St. Louis Public Radio's Statehouse internship. Evy Lewis is the 2025 reporting intern. See rcjf.org for more information about the fund, which seeks to advance journalism in St. Louis.
