Missouri House of Representatives

With the Senate adjourning the day before, after passing a congressional redistricting map, the House spent the last day of the 2022 session approving 20 pieces of legislation.

The House also approved an omnibus education bill that bolsters reading assistance in schools, and a bill giving more protections to sexual assault survivors.

The new map passed by the House likely would keep Missouri’s current congressional delegation of six Republicans and two Democrats. It now goes to the Missouri Senate with only four days left in the legislative session.

The budget includes raising the minimum pay for teachers, fully funding the state’s Medicaid program, including its expansion population, and income tax credits, as well as close to $3 billion in federal funding for projects across the state.

Failure to pass a map before May 13 will likely lead to federal courts redrawing the state’s eight congressional districts.

The budget includes millions for both starting and existing teacher salaries and school transportation as well as investments across the state.

One of the transgender bills was added to a bill containing multiple measures about Missouri elections, including the requirement that voters show a photo ID in order to cast their ballot.

Members of the House also voted on Monday to advance a bill banning ballot drop boxes as well as one elevating 911 dispatchers to the status of emergency responders. All three bills now go to the Senate with three weeks remaining until the legislature adjourns.

According to the state’s Department of Revenue, of the roughly 3.2 million Missourians who filed state income taxes, only around 1.4 million of them would receive their full tax credit amount.

Unlike the House version, the Senate substitute uses state money to fund charter schools. The bill now goes back to the House, where it would need to pass to reach the governor.