Missouri Senate

While the Missouri Senate is expected to zero in on a measure making it harder to amend the constitution, the House looks to finish work on reauthorizing a key tax to fund the state’s Medicaid program.

Lawmakers had until 6 p.m. Friday to pass the budget. The final product is roughly $1 billion less than Gov. Mike Parson proposed.

The deadline for the legislature to pass the budget for the upcoming fiscal year is 6 p.m. Friday.

The legislation requiring companies to build their meatpacking sludge storage lagoons away from nearby homes passed the Missouri Senate on Tuesday.

A bill that would improve health care access for Missouri women almost died in the House after some lawmakers conflated birth control legislation with abortion medication.

The upper chamber adjourned without taking up any bills despite a state constitutional deadline coming on Friday. That deadline has only been missed once, in 1997,

A resumption of the internal GOP warfare that led to a 41-hour filibuster last week could, for the first time since 1997, force lawmakers to complete appropriations in a special session.

The Federal Reimbursement Allowance, which is a tax on hospitals, ambulance districts, nursing homes and pharmacies, is set to expire at the end of September. The Senate gave it initial approval early Thursday morning after more than 40 hours of filibustering by the Missouri Freedom Caucus.

The Missouri Freedom Caucus, a faction of the state GOP, has vowed to debate the budget in detail and attempt to cut hundreds of millions in spending. That could push final votes on spending past the constitutional deadline of May 10.

Because the House made changes to the legislation previously approved by the Senate, including adding language that was stripped off, it has to again get Senate approval.