Missouri Senate

Other legislation that could be considered in the last week of the 2026 session includes a wide-reaching education bill and measures to limit vehicle inspections and raise the rural highway speed limit.

Included in the budget is $4.2 billion for the K-12 public school foundation formula, more than $376 million in school transportation funding and $60 million for the state's private school voucher program.

While the Senate has heard in committee a wide-reaching House bill on property taxes, it has yet to reach the Senate floor.

On Thursday, the House rejected the Senate version of the operating budget which will send it to a conference committee to work out a compromise.

The resolution now goes back to the Missouri House. If the House passes the Senate version, it will appear on a ballot in a future election.

The House this session passed a major overhaul of how the state funds higher education institutions. Critics say it created winners and losers among the state's universities.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the pregnancy divorce bill into law Tuesday as well as vast criminal justice and anti-sex trafficking legislation.

Lawmakers are leaving Jefferson City for a week having sent a total of four bills to Gov. Mike Kehoe's desk, one more than last year at this point.

One of the changes made on the Senate side includes removing almost $15 million toward improving the Missouri Capitol.

In addition to approving legislation that would allow students to transfer outside their district, senators sparred over bills on abortion education and preventing teachers from recognizing a student's preferred gender.