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Senate advances omnibus 'sunset repeal' substitute after heated debate and failed amendment to strip marriage language
Summary
Missouri senators approved a 105-page floor substitute to Senate Bill 10 that removes multiple statutory sunsets and expiration dates. A floor amendment offered to add a sunset to a statute describing state public policy on marriage failed on a 6–19 roll call after lengthy debate about transgender youth, school sports and parental authority.
JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Senate on Thursday adopted a floor substitute for Senate Bill 10, a package of sunset repeals and policy changes that sponsors described as an omnibus effort to remove expiration dates from a wide range of state incentives and regulatory provisions.
Senator from Greene moved adoption of the senate substitute number 2 for the senate committee substitute for Senate Bill 10 and explained the measure as a large package that “started out as a design build…and has now turned into a slightly larger, I believe, hundred and 5 page version of removing a whole lot of sunsets,” listing tax credits and program sunsets included in the text. The Senate adopted the substitute by voice vote and later perfected and ordered the bill printed.
Why it matters: Sponsors said the substitute would remove expiration dates—so-called sunsets—on a variety of tax credits and program authorities. Opponents said parts of the bundled bill touch hot-button social issues and that major, disparate policy changes belong in separate bills with committee hearings, not in a single omnibus floor substitute.
Debate and key amendments
The most contested moment on the floor came when the senator from Boone offered an amendment to add a sunset to section 451.022 — the statute that the senator characterized as stating “it’s the public policy of this state to recognize marriage only between a man and a woman.” The Boone amendment sought to remove that language from the statutes by adding a sunset. The senator argued the change would not alter the legal status quo (federal law and the U.S. Supreme Court) but would remove language that federal courts have held unconstitutional.
Boone framed the amendment as straightforward: “This should be a very simple amendment,” he said on the floor. The chamber then took a roll call vote: 6 ayes, 19 noes, and the amendment failed.
Floor discussion that followed ranged well beyond technical details. Several senators used their time to speak at length about transgender youth, school sports, parental authority and how the legislature should balance policy-making with deference to medical professionals and local education authorities. Some senators urged that issues tied to health care and youth sports be addressed through agencies and expert rulemaking rather than by statute. Others argued those policy choices required legislative action.
Votes and formal actions
- Senate amendment (to add sunset to section 451.022 regarding marriage public policy): Mover: Senator from Boone. Roll call recorded 6 ayes, 19 noes; outcome: failed. - Adoption of Senate substitute number 2 for Senate Committee substitute for Senate Bill 10: Mover: Senator from Greene; outcome: adopted by the Senate (voice vote recorded as ayes prevailing). The Senate later perfected the substitute and ordered it printed.
Clarifying points
- Sponsor’s scope: In floor remarks the sponsor enumerated many specific sunset removals included in the substitute (film/entertainment credits, energy-related tax credits, agricultural tax incentives, pharmacy FRA items, nursing facility FRA items and others) and cited page numbers while explaining the substitute’s contents on the floor. - Process concerns: Multiple senators objected to including dozens of distinct policy items in a single substitute without full committee vetting on each piece.
What’s next
The substitute was perfected and ordered printed for further legislative processing. Because the adopted text bundles many disparate repeals and policy items, interested parties and affected industries will be monitoring committee activity and future floor action for amendment opportunities and committee referrals tied to implementation.
Sources and evidence
Verbatim floor explanation of the substitute and the sponsor’s list of included sunsets were made on the Senate floor by the senator from Greene during the February 13 session. The roll call on the Boone amendment was taken and recorded on the Senate floor the same day.
