KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lawmakers in Missouri begin their legislative session Wednesday in Jefferson City.
Topics like whether to allow sports betting, whether to change the method to amend the state’s constitution and how to make child care more affordable will be among priorities.
Several bills in the House and Senate change requirements for new landfills. Some of these proposals would make it impossible for developers to continue with plans for a new landfill near Missouri 150 Highway and 155th Street.
Similar bills in 2023’s legislative session did not pass. Cities like Raymore and Lee’s Summit have come out in opposition to the location of the proposed landfill in south Kansas City.
Senate Bill 852, introduced by Kansas City lawmaker Tony Luetkemeyer, would legalize online sports betting. The proposal would tax winnings at 12% and would also require the state to set aside at least $1 million annually for compulsive gambling help.
Several bills would change the way voters pass an initiative petition. Currently, a petition to change the Missouri Constitution needs approval from a simple majority of voters.
Bills would raise the threshold. This comes as several groups work to change abortion rights in the state constitution via the initiative petition process.
Several bills address child care. One proposal allows Missouri and participating employers to share the cost of child care with an employee who has a child. Another idea would give employers a tax credit if they provide child care services.
The same bill would allow child care facilities to receive a tax credit. If providers save money, they might be able to charge less from parents or pay employees higher salaries.
Lawmakers will once again consider passing Blair’s Law. It increases the penalties for people convicted of firing a gun into the air.
The bill nearly became law last year. It’s named after Blair Shanahan Lane, a Kansas City girl who died on July 4, 2011, from a stray bullet.
But not all bills are as serious as others. Representative Jamie Gragg filed a bill to designate cashew chicken as the official dish of the state. Gragg represents an area south of Springfield, which is known for its take on cashew chicken.
The session is scheduled to end May 17.
