Our 2025 legislative session is quickly coming to an end with only three weeks left. Since my last update, several actions have been taken I'd like to let you know about. You'll see those listed below.
My personal priority this session has been and continues to be working to bring property tax relief to Jackson County citizens and I continue to be hopeful that we will see that happen before session ends. We have three bills that I believe have a good chance of making it to the governor's desk. Each of them would benefit Jackson County and support our efforts at controlling tax hikes in different ways. I'm thankful to have the support of Governor Kehoe along with both House and Senate leadership on this issue and I'm looking forward to seeing what we will accomplish in the very near future.
5% cap on property tax liability increases
SB 87 is the bill I sponsored that will cap the property tax liability on residential property at 5% every two years. Tax increases would still be allowed, but capped at 5%. This would be a tremendous improvement when many of our citizens have suffered 500% - 1,000% increases in the last few years. This bill does not change the assessed valuations, which means our local school districts and other services won't be negatively affected in regard to their ability to garner funds through the bond process. It is a statutory change vs a constitutional amendment, which means it would take effect at the end of August this year and bring immediate relief before the next property tax bills are due.
SB 87 is on the informal calendar in the senate. It could be brought up for another debate and passage any day. Upon passing the senate, it would go to the House where I feel confident Speaker Patterson will work to help it get across the finish line.
holding the county accountable to state tax commission orders
HB 999 sponsored by Representative Ron Fowler is an excellent piece of policy that would give the state tax commission the authority to withhold funds from counties which are not complying with orders to lower assessed valuations. This is the type of policy is needed to be able to hold county assessors and county executives accountable for the actions. Without any consequences for their unjust acts regarding taxing the people, they are free to continue their unfair behavior - essentially robbing us of our property rights.
This bill has passed through the House and Senate committee already. I believe we can expect to see it on the Senate calendar this week and I'll be handling it on the senate floor. If HB 999 passes, it would take effect at the end of this coming August, which would be a huge victory.
county assessors required to be elected by the people
There were three joint resolutions filed that would each require all county assessors in Missouri to be elected by a vote of the people, making them accountable to voters. These resolutions have to pass through the legislature, be signed by the governor and then also pass at a general election of Missouri voters. This would likely take place in November of 2026 and if the ballot measure would pass, the amendment would be added our the Missouri Constitution.
It's interesting to note that Jackson County is the only county in Missouri that does not have an elected assessor. I'm hopeful this will change in 2026 and Jackson County will then have the opportunity to approve an assessor they see fit.
HJR 3 was sponsored by Representative Jeff Coleman. HJR 23 was sponsored by Representative Carolyn Caton. SJR 35 was sponsored by me. These bills are identical.
HJR 23 & 3 was combined and handled by Representative Caton in the House. It has passed the House, senate committee, and is currently waiting to be debated on the senate floor, where I'll be handling it. I expect this legislation will be the easiest of the three policies to pass and I'm looking forward to one day casting my vote for a Jackson County Assessor.
finishing strong
There are three weeks of session left and they will, no doubt, include long hours and likely a few filibusters on hot button issues. I'm committed to finishing the session strong - staying focused on bringing this property tax crisis we've been in to an end. Please keep us in your prayers as we work on your behalf and stand in the gap for the people of Jackson County.
other important legislative actions taken
SB 1 sponsored by Senator Sandy Crawford pertaining to county officials passed the House.
SB 22 sponsored by Senator Rick Brattin was signed by the Governor. This bill doubles the length of ballot summaries you'll see on ballot measures, which will give voters more information and education about the vote they are taking. It also allows the Secretary of State to rewrite the ballot language when a court has determined it is not acceptable. Previously, the courts would write it.
SB 47 sponsored by Senator Curtis Trent was signed by the Governor. This bill amends Supreme Court Rule 52.8 relating to class actions.
SB 68 sponsored by Senator Mike Henderson passed the House with the addition of several amendments, creating an education omnibus bill. This bill will have to be approved by the senate in its new form.
SB 81 sponsored by Senator Kurtis Gregory was sent to conference committee, which includes and equal number of senators & representatives. The conference committee will create a new version of the bill which will then go back to both chambers for approval for final passage. This bill modifies provisions related to firework protections.
SB 360 sponsored by Senator Jill Carter is the Education Freedom Act and modifies provisions relating to assessment in public and charter schools. It passed the senate.
SJR 40 sponsored by Senator Jill Carter was passed by the Senate and now goes to the House. It is a joint resolution that would require Missouri voters to pass before a change to the Missouri Constitution would be enacted that would enshrine our county sheriffs and their duties in the constitution.
SJR 46 sponsored by Senator Jill Carter passed the senate. It would require a vote of the people in order to amend the constitution to allow our disabled veterans to be exempt from paying real property taxes.
HB 567 sponsored by Representative Sherri Gallick relating to employee compensation is the bill that would amend the statutes created by Prop A. This bill, in its current form, would keep the minimum wage requirement as written in Prop A but remove the sections regarding required sick leave pay. It was filibustered this week and laid back over on the senate informal calendar.
HB 595 sponsored by Representative Brown relates to landlords and tenants. It prohibits local political subdivisions from enforcing certain ordinances regarding landlords and tenants. It passed the senate with amendments and will now go back to the House.
Last week, we saw a few great bills from our Jackson County representatives move out of the House over to the Senate and through committee. I'm hopeful to see them hit the senate floor soon.
Below is a list of important actions taken last week. Click on the bill number to go to the official bill page. You'll find my votes above in the menu. Please reach out to our office if we can help you in any way.
HJR 23 sponsored by Rep Caton requires all county assessors to be elected. This is a joint resolution and will amend the state constitution if it passes. It will require Missouri voters to pass it at the ballot box in order for it to take effect. This bill passed through our Local Government committee and will hopefully be placed on the senate calendar for debate on the floor very soon. I'll be handling this bill on the senate floor.
HB 999 sponsored by Rep Fowler gives the state tax commission authority to withhold certain revenues from counties for noncompliance. This bill has now passed the Senate's Government Efficiency commitee and I hope this, too, is seen on the calendar for debate. I'll be handling this bill on the senate floor as well.
HB 594 sponsored by Rep Perkins authorizes income tax deductions for capital gains and includes other tax provisions as well. A senate substitute for this bill was 3rd read and passed on the senate floor. It will now go back to the House.
SJR 46 sponsored by Senator Carter was perfected on the senate floor. This joint resolution would amend the state constitution to exclude disabled veterans from paying property taxes on their residence if Missouri voters approve.
SJR 35, which I sponsored, is joint resolution that would amend the state constitution to require all county assessors to be elected. Missouri voters would be required to pass it at the ballot box in order for it to take effect. This resolution also passed our Local Government committee and is ready for the senate floor.
SB 485 sponsored by Senator Schroer would move school board elections to November. It was laid over.
SB 360 is The Education Freedom Act sponsored by Senator Carter would modify assessments of our public schools and allow them options other than the MAP test. It was laid over.
SB 230 sponsored by Senator Ben Brown would modify prior authorization required by insurance companies in order to help patients receive tests and treatments more quickly. It was laid over.
SB 166 sponsored by Senator Kurtis Gregory requires schools to develop a cardiac emergency response plan. It was third read and passed the senate.
SB 133 sponsored by Senator Fitzwater modifies requirements for underground facilities. It was third read and passed the senate.
SB 120 sponsored by Senator Bean modifies provisions relating to moneys in certain state departments. It was third read and passed the senate.
SB 80 sponsored by Senator Kurtis Gregory modifies provisions relating to the compensation of high school athletes. It was perfected in the senate.
SB 69 sponsored by Senator Henderson modifies the Core Curriculum Transfer Act for Missouri colleges. It was laid over.
SB 54 sponsored by Senator Schroer modifies provisions relating to cannabis. It was laid over.
SB 47 sponsored by Senator Trent modifies provisions relating to class action suits. It was third read and passed in the House.
SB 4 sponsored by Senator Cierpiot modified provisions relating to utilities. It was signed by the Governor.
This list covers the significant actions taken by the senate on legislation since we returned from spring break on March 24th. Of course, there were many other actions taken in our senate committees as well as senate bills moving through the process in the House so it doesn't tell the whole story, but it does reflect the legislative work that has been done on the senate floor in the last two weeks.
As always you can see my votes by clicking "My Votes" in the menu at the top. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our office.
SB 4 - delivered to Governor kehoe
SB 23 - additional protections to bear arms was laid over
SB 45 - pharmacy related provisions was laid over
SB 54 - relating to cannabis products was laid over
SB 61 - relating to professional licensing passed the senate
SB 79 - farm bureau insurance & healthcare provisions passed the senate
SB 107 - relating to peer review committees was laid over
SB 110 - Kappa Alpha si week passed the senate
SB 111 - Ovarian cancer awareness month passed the senate
SB 125 - modified provisions for waterways & ports fund passed the senate
SB 152 - pertaining to foreign investments in ballot measure elections passed the senate
sb 189 - definition of emergency vehicles changes to include park rangers passed the senate
sb 190 - tax credit for engineering degrees was laid over
sB 223 - permission required for student surveys was laid over
SB 225 - judges unable to apply death sentence was laid over
SB 348 - state designations passed the senate
SB 396 - fiscal year changes for libraries passed the senate
SJR 62 - modifies provisions related to property taxes was laid over
HB 495 - public safety was signed by governor kehoe
HB 594 - capital gains tax reduction & other tax provisions was third read and passed in the senate
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
- Definitions
- Limitations on Foreign Ownership of Farm Land
- Court Ordered Divestiture - When
- Lease Deemed Ownership
- Failure to Divest
- Exceptions to the 1% Limit for Nonfarming Purposes
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.
As your Missouri State Senator, I am committed to introducing and supporting legislation that benefits the hardworking families of our state. I want to take a moment to share updates on several key bills I have filed this session, including SB 87, which has successfully passed through the Economic Development Committee, as well as SB 85, which will have a hearing on Wednesday.
SB 87: Providing Long-Term Property Tax Relief
One of my top priorities has been ensuring tax relief for Missouri homeowners. Under current law, residential real property is assessed at 19% of its true value in money. SB 87 gradually reduces this percentage by 0.25% every two years, ultimately lowering it to 17% by 2040. This measured approach allows homeowners to see consistent and predictable tax relief while maintaining local government funding stability. With SB 87 passing through the Economic Development Committee, I look forward to seeing it advance further in the legislative process.
SB 85: Preventing AI in Property Assessments
Technology continues to evolve, and with it comes new challenges. SB 85 ensures that property assessments remain fair and transparent by prohibiting county assessors from solely using tech such as artificial intelligence (AI) or computer based algorithms to determine property values if there is an increase in value of more than 4%. Homeowners deserve accurate and human-reviewed assessments rather than relying on computer-driven formulas that may lack accountability. A hearing for SB 85 is scheduled for Monday, and I encourage anyone with concerns about property assessments to stay informed on this important legislation.
Additional Legislation I Have Filed
Beyond SB 87 and SB 85, I have introduced several other bills that I believe will have a meaningful impact on our state. These are a few of them:
- SB 86: General Municipal Election Day Reform – This bill moves municipal elections from April to November, aligning them with general elections to increase voter turnout and engagement.
- SB 171: Personal Property Tax Reduction – This legislation mandates an annual reduction in personal property tax assessments until the percentage reaches 0.3% by 2036, providing much-needed tax relief.
- SB 509: AI in Elections – This act requires disclaimers on political ads created with AI, ensuring transparency in campaign materials and protecting voters from misleading content.
- SJR 34: Property Tax Cap – If approved by voters, this constitutional amendment would cap annual increases in residential property assessments, ensuring that property taxes do not skyrocket beyond reasonable limits.
- SJR 35: Jackson County Assessor Elections – This amendment removes the exception that currently allows Jackson County to appoint, rather than elect, its assessor. This change ensures that all charter counties in Missouri have elected assessors, promoting accountability and public trust.
Stay Engaged and Informed
I encourage all Missourians to stay informed about these legislative efforts and others by visiting my official Senate webpage: Missouri Senate - Joe Nicola.
Here, you can find and track my entire list of bills, locate our contact information, request a resolution, and learn more about me.
My office is always open to constituents. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to schedule a visit to the Capitol, please do not hesitate to reach out. Your input is invaluable as we work together to build a better Missouri.
Thank you for your support, and I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.
