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2023 Missouri legislative session
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| 2023 Missouri legislative session |
|---|
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| General information |
| Session start: January 4, 2023 Session end: May 12, 2023 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Mike Kehoe (R) House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 5, 2024 Last Election: November 8, 2022 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2023 legislative sessions |
In 2023, the Missouri State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2023, and adjourn on May 12, 2023.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. Republicans won a 24-10 majority in the Senate and a 111-52 majority in the House. Republicans controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta. At the start of the 2023 session, Missouri was one of 18 state legislatures where Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2023
Missouri State Senate
- Senate president: Mike Kehoe (R)
- Majority leader: Cindy O'Laughlin (R)
- Minority leader: John Rizzo (D)
Missouri House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Dean Plocher (R)
- Majority leader: Jon Patterson (R)
- Minority leader: Crystal Quade (D)
Partisan control in 2023
- See also: State government trifectas
Missouri was one of 22 Republican state government trifectas at the start of 2023 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Missouri was also one of 18 state legislatures where Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Missouri State Legislature in the 2023 legislative session.
Missouri State Senate
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 10 | |
| Republican Party | 24 | |
| Total | 34 | |
Missouri House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 52 | |
| Republican Party | 111 | |
| Total | 163 | |
Regular session
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2023 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2023. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, there were 69 standing committees in Missouri's state government, including 15 joint committees, 20 state Senate committees, and 34 state House committees.
Joint committees
- Agriculture Committee
- Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
- Joint Committee on Capitol Security
- Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect
- Joint Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Awareness
- Joint Committee on Education
- Joint Committee on Government Accountability
- Joint Committee on Legislative Research
- Joint Committee on Public Assistance
- Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement
- Joint Committee on Solid Waste Management District Operations Committee
- Joint Committee on Tax Policy
- Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight
- Joint Committee on the Justice System
- Joint Committee on the Life Sciences
Senate committees
- Administration Committee
- Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee
- Appropriations Committee
- Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee
- Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee
- Gubernatorial Appointments Committee
- Health and Pensions Committee
- Insurance and Banking Committee
- Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee
- Local Government and Elections Committee
- Professional Registration Committee
- Progress and Development Committee
- Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions & Ethics Committee
- Senate Economic Development Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate General Laws Committee
- Senate Ways and Means Committee
- Seniors, Families, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee
- Small Business and Industry Committee
- Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee
House committees
- Administration and Accounts Committee
- Administrative Oversight Committee
- Agriculture Policy Committee
- Budget Committee
- Children and Families Committee
- Consent and House Procedure Committee
- Conservation and Natural Resources Committee
- Corrections and Public Institutions Committee
- Crime Prevention Committee
- Downsizing State Government Committee
- Elections and Elected Officials Committee
- Elementary and Secondary Education Committee
- Emerging Issues Committee
- Ethics Committee
- Financial Institutions Committee
- Fiscal Review Committee
- Health and Mental Health Policy Committee
- Higher Education Committee
- House Economic Development Committee
- House General Laws Committee
- House Ways and Means Committee
- Insurance Committee
- Judiciary Committee
- Legislative Oversight Committee
- Legislative Review Committee
- Local Government Committee
- Pensions Committee
- Professional Registration and Licensing Committee
- Public Safety Committee
- Rural Community Development Committee
- Transportation Committee
- Utilities Committee
- Veterans Committee
- Workforce Development Committee
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Missouri Constitution can be amended:
The Missouri Constitution can be amended via three different paths—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention.
Initiative
- See also: Initiated constitutional amendment
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In Missouri, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is based on the number of votes cast for governor in the state's most recent gubernatorial election. In two-thirds of Missouri's congressional districts, proponents must collect signatures equal to 8% of the gubernatorial vote for initiated constitutional amendments. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Missouri General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 82 votes in the Missouri House of Representatives and 18 votes in the Missouri State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Section 3a of Article XII of the Missouri Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 20 years starting in 1942. Missouri is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.
The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:
| State | Interval | Last question on the ballot | Next question on the ballot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 20 years | 2022 | 2042 |
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Missouri.
Missouri Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas • Thirteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Historical Senate control
Between 1992 and 2022, the Missouri State Senate was controlled for periods of time by both the Democratic and Republican parties. The table below shows the partisan history of the Missouri State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Missouri State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 20[1] | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17* | 14 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Republicans | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*Since no party had majority control, leadership of the chamber was split between the two parties.
From 1992 to 1998, the Democratic Party held majorities, the largest being from 1992 to 1994 when Democrats had a seven-member majority. The Democrats majority in the state Senate decreased between 1992 and 2000. In 2001, Republicans established a majority in the chamber after Republicans won special elections in January of that year. Before the special elections in 2001, the chamber was tied at 17-17 with chamber leadership split between the two major parties.[2]
Republicans increased their majority in elections between 2002 and 2022. Republicans held their largest majority following the 2010 elections with an 18-seat advantage. From 2008 to 2022, Senate Republicans held a supermajority that allowed the chamber to override gubernatorial vetoes. The Republican gains from 2010 to 2014 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats all together.
Historical House control
Between 1992 and 2022, the Missouri House of Representatives was controlled for periods of time by both the Democratic and Republican parties. Democrats controlled the state House from 1992 to 2000 and Republicans controlled it from 2002 to 2022. The table below shows the partisan history of the Missouri House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Missouri House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 100 | 87 | 88 | 86 | 87 | 73 | 66 | 71 | 74 | 57 | 53 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 49 | 52 |
| Republicans | 62 | 76 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 90 | 97 | 92 | 89 | 106 | 110 | 117 | 117 | 116 | 114 | 111 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
From 1992 to 2000, House Democrats held majorities in the chamber, the largest being from 1992 to 1994 when Democrats had a 38-member majority. House Democrats maintained their majority between 1994 and 2000 with little change in the chamber's partisan balance.
Republicans took control of the chamber in 2002 with a 17-seat advantage. Republicans held their largest majority following the 2014 elections with a 71-seat advantage. House Republicans gained a supermajority in 2012, which allowed them to override gubernatorial vetoes. The Republican gains from 2010 to 2016 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats all together.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
See also
| Elections | Missouri State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ In 1992, one seat was held by a member from a minor party.
- ↑ Bethany Republican-Clipper, "Legislators display a spirit of cooperation," October 5, 2016
