Votes at a glance: four Senate measures acted on Feb. 20, 2025

Today’s Missouri Senate session produced recorded votes and formal actions on multiple bills. Summary below lists the action taken, roll-call tallies when recorded, and key details as stated on the Senate floor.

Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 4 — utilities (third reading and final passage) Outcome: Passed (22 ayes, 11 noes). What it does (as described on the floor): Revises utility cost-recovery and rate-setting rules including construction work in progress (QIP) authority for natural-gas generating units, an extended plant-in-service accounting period, and a new "future test year" process for certain utilities; includes pipeline-safety provisions. An emergency clause was proposed and later rejected (20 ayes, 13 noes), so at least some sections will take effect on their statutory effective dates rather than immediately upon gubernatorial signature. Mover for third reading: Senator from the Eighth. Provenance (floor evidence): Motion to take up and debate began at the recorded floor exchange for third reading; recorded roll call and emergency-clause vote later in the calendar.

Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 3 — Department of Revenue fee offices (third reading and final passage) Outcome: Passed (recorded on the floor; by the vote of 22 ayes, 11 noes as recorded in the journal entry). What it does (floor caption): "An Act Relating to Department of Revenue Fee Offices." Debate was minimal on the floor today; the sponsor moved third reading and final passage. Mover for third reading: Senator from Dallas. Provenance: Motion and roll-call recorded during the formal calendar for third reading.

Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 40 — missing and murdered African American women and girls task force (third reading and final passage) Outcome: Passed (33 ayes, 0 noes). What it does: Creates a task force addressing missing and murdered African American women and girls. Sponsor and supporters highlighted demographic disparities in missing-persons statistics presented on the floor. Mover for final passage: Senator from the Thirteenth. Provenance: Sponsor moved final passage and the bill passed unanimously; roll-call recorded as 33–0.

Senate Bill 63 — extracurricular participation for nontraditional students (substitute adopted; perfected and ordered printed) Outcome: Senate substitute adopted and the bill perfected and ordered printed (voice votes and unanimous consent used for many steps; no single roll-call tally recorded for final passage on the floor today). What it does: Permits public-school extracurricular athletic and activity participation by full-time homeschool and other nontraditional students, subject to district policies and academic/attendance requirements; the Senate adopted clarifying amendments addressing coursework and charter-school participation. Mover for substitute adoption/perfection: Senator from Franklin (substitute adoption and subsequent motions recorded in perfection calendar). Provenance: Sponsor explained the substitute on the floor; several amendments were adopted before perfection and printing.

Notes and next steps: Bills that passed the Senate will be transmitted to the governor (for signature or veto) or to the other chamber if concurrence is needed. For the utilities bill (SB4), the failed emergency-clause vote changes timing of some provisions; stakeholders and regulators should watch the Public Service Commission and executive action for implementation details.