Greg Razer

As amendments aimed at legalizing abortion in cases of rape or incest were voted down, one Republican state senator defended the decision saying, ‘God does not make mistakes.’

Income and geographic restrictions would be loosened for a tax-credit program that provides scholarships to help pay for private school tuition under a bill debated Wednesday by the Missouri Senate’s education committee.

Expanding child care access and making it harder to amend Missouri’s constitution through ballot initiatives are among the priorities for the Republican-led legislature.

Missouri lawmakers allocated roughly $2.8 billion in May to expand Interstate 70 to three lanes both ways across the state. The entire project is expected to take around seven years.

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.

The rally comes after the Republican-led Senate passed two bills placing limitations on health care and sports participation for trans youth. Both bills still need to pass the House.

Both bills now go to the Missouri House, where leadership says they are a priority.

The Missouri Senate gave first-round approval to a pair of bills early Tuesday morning targeting transgender minors and athletes. It needs another vote in the Senate before moving on to the Missouri House.

Another Senate committee heard testimony Tuesday on legislation that would prohibit anyone from changing their birth certificate.

The House General Laws Committee heard testimony on eight bills centered on the LGBTQ community on Tuesday. They would impose restrictions including barring transgender girls from participating in sports that align to their gender identity and from accessing gender-affirming health care.