Missouri Senate

Redistricting bill, initiative petition overhaul, abortion trigger heat up chamber factions

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.

The proposed clean-energy transmission line would stretch from Kansas to Indiana.

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.

The Senate version outspends the budget passed by the House weeks ago by more than $1 billion. Additionally, the Senate has yet to address how to allocate federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

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.

According to a fiscal analysis, the changes to charter school funding would initially cost the state an additional $62 million.

Despite passing a more than $46.5 billion budget, the House left about $1.8 billion in general revenue unspent. Senate leaders have indicated they plan to spend at least some of that leftover money.