The Missouri Legislature faces a constitutional deadline this Friday, May 9, to approve the state budget, so a lot of attention during the coming week will be on House and Senate negotiations on spending.
STATE BUDGET: The Senate last Tuesday approved its version of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget after about five hours of floor debate. Senators propose to spend about $49.5 billion in the budget year starting July 1. That is about $1.6 billion more than the House approved, and it is about $575 billion less than the budget proposed in January by Gov. Mike Kehoe. The differences between the House and Senate versions of the 13 bills comprising the operating budget will be discussed by conference committees, comprised of three Republicans and two Democrats from each chamber. “I want to keep and hold as many of those Senate positions as we can,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, said last week. House Budget Chairman Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, said the biggest issues separating the House and Senate are in education funding: “Something’s going to have to give in that regard.” Whatever lawmakers agree upon is subject to review and approval – or veto – by Kehoe.
Meanwhile, an update on some Missouri REALTOR® priorities:
BROKER AGREEMENTS: House Bill 596, which requires a signed written contract with a buyer’s agent before real estate activities are performed on behalf of a client, has been reported in to the Senate by the Emerging Issues and Professional Registration Committee, chaired by Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla. This sets the stage for Senate debate on House-approved HB596, a consumer protection measure sponsored by Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City.
SECTION 8: House and Senate conferees signed off on a compromise version of House Bill 595, prohibiting local governments from requiring that landlords and property owners accept Section 8 rental vouchers. The conferees removed an amendment that exempted a portion of Kansas City from the prohibition. Notably for REALTORS®, the compromise version adds the language of HB596, regarding buyer’s agent contracts, so we have another route toward becoming law for that priority. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Brown, is scheduled to receive a hearing on Monday in the House Fiscal Review Committee. If recommended do-pass by the committee, it would be subject to a House vote, and if approved, the compromise would go to the Senate.