Missouri House of Representatives

The legislation received almost unanimous bipartisan support in the House on Monday with a vote of 154-2. Since the House passed the Senate bill with no changes made, the measure now goes to the governor.

The budget includes a $2.8 billion plan to fully expand Interstate 70 to three lanes in each direction and funding for teacher raises, as well as money for public libraries.

The Senate’s plan to go beyond the $860 million initially proposed to expand Interstate 70 remained in the budget agreed to by a Senate-House conference committee Wednesday night. Other Senate positions that remained were state funding for public libraries and the elimination of anti-DEI language in the budget.

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

The Missouri Association of Realtors offered a compromise to remain neutral in campaign but it was not accepted by GOP leadership.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones is calling for residents to help with programs to reduce one of the root causes of crime — poverty.

The passage comes less than a week after the House gave the bill first-round approval. The House has also sent to the Senate its own version of a bill restricting access to gender-affirming health care for transgender minors.

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.

The Republican-led House gave first-round approval to legislation barring transgender athletes from participating on sport teams that align with their gender identity. Both bills need another vote before moving to the Senate.

Missouri lawmakers heard testimony urging them to remove an anti-abortion provision from legislation seeking to extend postpartum coverage.