Legislative Session Overview
The first half of Missouri’s 2026 session ended with contrasting activity:
House: Fast-paced, passing over 100 bills before break.
Senate: Slowed by partisan disputes, passing only 23 bills.
This creates a backlog: 104 House bills now await Senate action.
Budget
A supplemental budget was approved and signed, including $50 million for special education:
$35M for early childhood programs
$15M for high-need student funding
Key Education Bills
HB 2872 (Literacy):
Emphasizes science-of-reading instruction and bans “three cueing.”
Requires K–3 reading screeners.
Mandates 3rd-grade retention for struggling readers (with exceptions).
Requires specialized classrooms for retained students.
Support exists, but retention and staffing concerns remain.
HB 2335 (Teacher Training Flexibility):
Allows districts to customize staff training after first 3 years.
Reduces repetitive annual training while maintaining key requirements.
Tax Proposal
HJR 173:
Proposes shifting from income tax to greater reliance on sales taxes.
Narrowly passed the House amid debate and concern over revenue impacts.
Must pass the Senate and then be approved by voters.
What to Watch
Senate action on the large number of House bills.
Continued debate on literacy mandates, training flexibility, and tax restructuring.