Senate approves omnibus bill removing multiple statutory sunsets, sparking debate over tax credits and children's protections

The Missouri Senate approved an omnibus measure, Senate substitute number 2 for Senate committee substitute for Senate Bill 10, that removes expiration dates on multiple statutory provisions. The motion for final passage was made by the senator from Green and the bill passed by a roll-call vote of 22 ayes and 12 noes.

Senator from Green, State Senator, described the bill as a “mini omnibus” containing multiple sunset removals that evolved from other policy items. He said the package includes the removal of sunsets for provisions the sponsor and some colleagues described as protecting children, specifically the SAFE Act and the SAVE Women's Sports Act.

Several senators who opposed the broader set of tax-credit and sunset removals nonetheless said they would vote yes because of two specific provisions they said protect children. The senator from the second and other senators said they do not support many tax credits in the bill but backed the measure to maintain protections for girls’ sports and to preserve prohibitions on certain procedures for minors. Senators on the floor referenced voter priorities and previous activism as reasons for supporting those provisions while acknowledging the larger bill contained elements they opposed.

After brief debate and several senators explaining their votes, the senate read the bill for a third time and passed it. The journal entry records titling and perfecting motions were carried.

The bill was characterized on the floor as politically and substantively complex because it combines many policy changes in a single vehicle; sponsors noted standalone bills exist for some of the tax-credit items.