Ashley Aune

The resolution, if passed by the Senate and then by voters, would repeal the abortion rights currently in Missouri’s constitution that were approved by residents in November.

The bill also would lower the minimum age to acquire a concealed carry permit from 19 to 18.

In addition to passing the budget, a Missouri House committee is slated to advance a proposed constitutional amendment that overturns parts of Amendment 3, which enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution.

Speaker Jon Patterson said he expects the House to consider legislation clarifying divorce law as well as bills related to child care.

Senate Floor Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, said Thursday the transgender restriction legislation is a priority for the Republican caucus this year.

The restrictions passed by state lawmakers in 2023 are currently set to expire in August 2027.

For the first time since 2018, Missouri lawmakers will work with a new governor. While outgoing Gov. Mike Parson pushed a more budget-focused agenda, Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe already has established policy goals.

One poll shows a quarter of GOP respondents would vote to legalize abortion in Missouri while Republicans would still win the governorship.

A state law that has been around since the 1970s and was last amended in 2016 lists pregnancy as a barrier for finalizing divorce. HB 2402 would clarify that language to specify that pregnancy status shall not stop the court from finalizing dissolution of marriage or legal separation.

In the wake of Wednesday’s mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs parade, lawmakers say they feel helpless to do anything about firearms or the high homicide rate. That's in large part because Missouri preempts local governments from enacting gun control measures.