What grade would you give Missouri lawmakers for their performance this year?
A family walks along the Capitol hall at the Missouri State Capitol Building on May 17, 2019 in Jefferson City, Missouri (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images).
There are two weeks remaining in the 2025 legislative session. While there will be a flurry of last-minute maneuvering, lawmakers have had ample time to address some long-standing needs for Missouri and its residents.
How would you evaluate what they have accomplished?
We may have different lists with different priorities, but there are surely some commonalities among them.
Do the current proposed budgets coming from the governor, House and Senate provide adequate funding for public education? A conference committee will convene this week to debate and hash out the final details of the budget.
But when it comes to providing the needed funding for K-12 education, the negotiations between what the governor proposed and that of the House and Senate portend to be tough.
The outcome will determine how much Missouri's children in public schools stand to be short-changed.
What about adequate funding for child care, which is a major problem in Missouri? The governor and Senate have included money in their proposals. The House has not.
There are also differences in the proposed funding from all three branches for needed funding for repairs and maintenance at the state's colleges and universities.
The same is true for the state employee pay plan. The governor and Senate are proposing one level of funding and the House another.
In addition to those areas, the conference committee will have to decide whether they are going to keep nearly a half-billion dollars of earmarks, taxpayers dollars to be spent for special projects across the state.
Have you been keeping up with the budget proposals for education and child care?
What about the substantial dollars being proposed for special projects?
Is there a special earmark(s) included to address some pressing need in your city or community?
These are questions that we should be asking the senators and representatives we have sent to Jefferson City to fight for our needs, priorities and interests.
We only have a few days left to make our wishes known.
What about the non-budgetary issues that are so critical to the wellbeing and quality of life of Missourians?
While the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the law requiring paid sick leave for employees, which took effect May 1, there is a bill still in the Senate awaiting passage that would repeal paid sick leave and change minimum wage increase that took effect in January.
Proposition A, which increases the minimum wage and requires paid sick leave, passed by 58% of Missouri voters. Yet, the legislature insists on trying to repeal it.
The abortion issue that we thought was settled with the passage of Amendment 3 by 52% of voters is once again consuming a lot of legislative time and effort. A proposed constitutional amendment passed out of a Senate committee that will once again ban abortions. The amendment can be placed on the ballot in 2026 or sooner if the governor decides to do so.
Missouri lawmakers still seem determined to disregard and thwart the will of the majority of Missourians.
Why?
Who and what are they working for in Jefferson City?
What is their end game?
If lawmakers are consumed with trying to undo the will of the people, how much time are they spending anticipating and trying to find solutions to other major problems that the state and a large number of Missourians face now and long-term?
Missouri has a severe shortage of affordable housing and a homelessness problem. You would think that would be at the top of every legislative session until solutions are found. Instead, a bill making it more difficult for low-income renters to secure housing seems poised to head to the governor's desk.
Is there any planning taking place about how the state will support farmers and other businesses should catastrophic and costly tariffs be put in place?
What happens if there are detrimental cuts to Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare?
Tens of thousands of Missourians stand to be negatively and severely affected.
Are our state senators and representatives working with our members of Congress trying to mount efforts to minimize the negative and costly effects of tariffs and drastic cuts in other areas on our state and fellow Missourians?
Are there even efforts to communicate how traumatic those impending tariffs and cuts will be?
Lawmakers are left to focus on whatever they desire, or the causes of those who have their ear. Are you among those who have their ear, making your needs and expectations known?
Getting needed policies and laws over the finish line is not a sprint but a marathon.
They require gaining understanding and training on how to apply effective and sustained engagement with your lawmakers. Focusing a couple of weeks or months before an election is simply not sufficient to win the policy race.
The state budget must be finalized by Friday. Everything else must be completed before the legislature adjourns for the year at 6 p.m. on May 16.
There is still time to make your voice heard.
Are you pleased with how they have addressed the needs of your family, your community, your city?
It is a question we all need to ask — and listen carefully to their answers.
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