Crystal Quade

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade asked Gov. Mike Parson to call a special session on nuclear waste in the St. Louis area but faced criticism from grassroots activists.

Current Missouri law limits Medicaid postpartum care to 60 days. Under the new legislation, that coverage now lasts for a full year.

Rep. Crystal Quade has been the leader of Missouri House Democrats since 2018.

One bill restricts transgender youth under 18 from accessing certain forms of gender-affirming health care, while the other bill stops transgender athletes from participating in sport teams that align with their gender identity.

While the Springfield Democrat says she expects greater dysfunction within the legislature next session because it will be during an election year, she also says a variety of factors will aid Democrats at the polls in 2024.

Both parties tout increased spending in the state budget on roads and education as major successes.

House leadership says the speaker of the House did not follow Democrats’ recommendations for budget conference appointees.

The bill now goes to the Missouri Senate, which has already passed its own bill on the same topic. It’s unclear if the Senate will consider the House bill. Senate leadership said Thursday they would prefer the House pass the Senate version.

Before leaving for spring break, Missouri House Republicans called the first part of this year’s session successful. How much gets done during the second half, however, depends on how well both chambers navigate divisive bills.

Members of the Missouri House adjourned for spring break on Thursday, while the Senate left the night before. The break marks the halfway point of the session.