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Lobbyists brief Lee's Summit committee on 2026 session outcomes; city priorities largely unchanged
Summary
Versa Governmental Strategies told the Lee's Summit Legislative & Intergovernmental Relations Committee that most tracked city priorities did not pass the 2026 Missouri legislative session, outlined bills that did advance, and warned that some appropriations remain restricted pending improved state revenues.
Versa Governmental Strategies provided a post‑session briefing to the Lee's Summit Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee on July 20, summarizing which bills the firm tracked during the 2026 session and what the results mean for city projects.
The lobbyists said roughly 3,153 bills were filed this session and that the governor acted on about 100 bills, with most policy measures signed. "Of those 83 bills, a handful were things that we were watching for you all," the firm reported, citing technical changes to election‑related publication and filing deadlines as among the signed measures and noting a cannabis/hemp statute also became effective. The firm added that several items the city had tracked—most notably solid‑waste management and certain utility relocation reimbursement proposals—did not pass this year.
Why it matters: the firm flagged an appropriation the city pursued—a $2,250,000 line item for a tactical and canine training facility—that is included in the signed budget but listed as restricted, meaning the Department of Public Safety cannot spend the money until the governor or budget director releases it. "It's in the budget; it's just the Department of Public Safety cannot spend that money" unless restrictions are lifted, the lobbyists told the committee.
Committee members asked for a clearer list of the bills the lobbyists had been tracking and requested written follow‑up. The firm said the council packet contains the governor's actions and that the city's own tracker (the "gov watch" report the firm maintains) lists all 83 bills they followed for the city. The lobbyists also said they will continue interim outreach to likely sponsors ahead of the next session and will monitor prefilings once they open on Dec. 1.
On transportation and federal advocacy, the firm said it will keep working with congressional offices on I‑470 funding and other interstate concerns but emphasized that federal priorities are typically narrower and more expensive to pursue than state matters.
What happened next: the committee accepted the briefing and asked for a written list of tracked bills and a clearer summary of which items the firm recommends keeping on the city's short list for next session. No formal direction to change policy positions or to file new items was recorded.
Sources and attributions: statements and figures paraphrased from the Versa Governmental Strategies presentation to the Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee on July 20, 2026. Quotations and summaries are attributed to the firm's representatives and to committee discussion as recorded in the meeting transcript.
