March 10th Legislative Update

As we wrap up another busy week in the Missouri Senate, I want to take a moment to provide an overview of the progress we’ve made. Several important bills moved forward, and I had the opportunity to present my first piece of legislation on the Senate floor.

Bills Passed in the Senate last Week:

  • SB 38 sponsored by Senator Barbara Washington creates "Missouri CROWN Act" which prohibits discriminatory practices as they relate to hairstyles in elementary and secondary education.
  • SB 43 sponsored by Senator Travis Fitzwater relating to child protections.
  • SB 66 sponsored by Senator Tracy McCreery raises the legal age of marriage to 18.
  • SB 82 sponsored by Senator Jamie Burger creates provisions to permit & regulate the exportation of water.
  • SB 160 sponsored by Senator Brad Hudson creates provisions relating to higher education discrimination.
  • SB 221 sponsored by  Senator Nick Schroer modifies the standard of review for statutes, rules and regulations.
  • SB 466 sponsored by Senator Kurtis Gregory repeals the sunset provisions on several agricultural tax credits.
  • HB 495 sponsored by Representative Brad Christ modifies several sections of statute regarding public safety, including the control of the City of St. Louis Police Dept. being moved to a statutorily created Board of Police Commissioners.

My First Bill on the Senate Floor – SB 87

A significant moment for me this week was presenting my first bill, SB 87, on the Senate floor. This legislation would allow counties the option to cap the increase in real property tax liability to 5% every assessment year. This is a balanced approach that provides tax relief without forcing counties to participate.  Below is a video of my explanation on the floor.


While the bill does not mandate any county’s participation and still allows for a reasonable increase, some Democrat senators voiced concerns about potential funding implications for local services and schools. As a result, SB 87 was laid over to the informal calendar. Over the coming weeks, I will work diligently to address these concerns and find a balanced solution that offers relief to property owners while maintaining necessary funding for public services. I am hopeful that we can move this bill forward and pass it in the House.

my thoughts on real property taxes & local services

SJR 62 is sponsored by Senator Mike Cierpiot and had a public hearing in our Local Government committee this week. Funding for schools is a recurring conversation and criticism we hear when we attempt to bring relief to our property owners through reducing their property tax bills.  I shared my feelings about it in the hearing this week, which you can watch below.



other things we're working on

protecting your freedom of speech

SB 84 is a bill that encroaches on your freedom of speech, instead opting for the protection of election workers over citizens.  I am opposed to treating groups of people differently, including elected officials or election workers.  Everyone needs to be protected from harm.  With that in mind, I have stood and continue to stand in opposition to this bill and any other that would carry this language.  Currently, the bill is laid over on the informal calendar and the sponsor has agreed to leave it lie there.  Another local government bill originally included this language as well, SB 182, and I've also been told by that sponsor the language will be removed.   My staff and I will be watching to see what happens, but we are hopeful this issue has been taken care of.  If we see this language reappear in these or any other pieces of legislation, rest assured we will be doing everything in our power to kill it.

foreign ownership of missouri agricultural land

SB 217 is a bill having to do with the foreign ownership of Missouri's farm land.  Originally, this bill makes it legal for foreign entities to own unlimited amounts of farm land for the purposes of doing any type of research.  

Currently, Missouri law allows for foreign entities to purchase all types of land in Missouri.  There is a current limit on the purchase of agricultural land by foreign entities, however, of 1% IF that farm land is being used for agricultural purposes.  Foreign entities ARE currently allowed to purchase an unlimited amount ag land if they are NOT using it for ag purposes.

The original form of SB 217 would ban all foreign entities from owning ag land EXCEPT for land used for research.  Purchasing would be unlimited if the land was being used for research.  

I am in agreement that no foreign companies should own ag land.  However, I believe to allow for unlimited ownership for the purpose of research is unwise & dangerous. I'm thankful to be on the committee that heard this bill and I was able to add a restriction on all foreign adversaries purchasing farm land for any purpose.  I'd love to also see a limit on these purchases and I'm going to work toward that end.

The topic of foreign land ownership has been a heated one for quite some time and unfortunately, the details often get conflated and campaign ads are spun for marketing purposes.  I hope this information and the following links are helpful. 

Missouri Statutes on Foreign Ownership of Land

Missouri Department of Agriculture Foreign Owned Ag Land (FOAL) Reports



exciting announcement: new radio show!

I am thrilled to announce that this Saturday, March 8, 2025, marks the launch of our new radio show, "The Senator’s Office," where I will be joined by my Chief of Staff, Jodi Grace. This show will air every Saturday at 3:00 PM on Real Talk 93.3 FM.

You can listen live via their app or website at Real Talk 93.3, and you can find the replays here on our website. We look forward to discussing legislative updates, answering your questions, and engaging with you on the issues that matter most to Missouri.



Thank you for your continued support, and as always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.