Missouri House of Representatives
| Missouri House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Party control: | Republican |
| Session start: | January 3, 2024 |
| Session end: | May 10, 2024 |
| Term length: | 2 years |
| Term limits: | 4 terms (8 years) |
| Redistricting: | Commission |
| Salary: | $37,711/year + per diem |
| Members | |
| Total: | 163 |
| Democrats: | 51 |
| Republicans: | 111 |
| Other: | 0 |
| Vacancies: | 1 |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker: | Dean Plocher (R) |
| Maj. Leader: | Jon Patterson (R) |
| Min. Leader: | Crystal Quade (D) |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Next election: | November 5, 2024 |
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. Alongside the Missouri State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Missouri state government and works alongside the governor of Missouri to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Missouri House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.
The Missouri House of Representatives meets in the state capitol building in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Missouri has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature. |
This page contains the following information on the Missouri House of Representatives.
- Which party controls the chamber
- The chamber's current membership
- Partisan control of the chamber over time
- Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
- A district map
- How redistricting works in the state
- Legislation currently under consideration
- Legislative session dates
- Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
- A list of committees
Party control
Current partisan control
The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Missouri House of Representatives as of January 2024:
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 51 | |
| Republican Party | 111 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 163 | |
Members
Leadership
The House elects a speaker of the House and a speaker pro tempore. The speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. Duties of the speaker include preserving order and decorum, speaking on points of order, and making parliamentary rulings. The speaker pro tempore performs the duties of the speaker if the speaker is absent.[1]
Leadership and members
- House speaker: Dean Plocher (R)
- Majority leader: Jon Patterson (R)
- Minority leader: Crystal Quade (D)
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $37,711/year | $125.60/day |
Swearing in dates
Missouri legislators assume office the first day of the legislative session, which is the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January.[2][3]
Membership qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Missouri House of Representatives, a candidate must meet the following qualifications:[4]
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Historical party control
Republicans won control of the Missouri House of Representatives in 2002. In 2022, they won a 111-52 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Missouri House 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 |
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Missouri was under the following types of trifecta control:
- Democratic trifecta: 1993-2000,
- Republican trifecta: 2005-2008, 2017-2023
- Divided government: 1992, 2001-2004, 2009-2016
Missouri Party Control: 1992-2024
Eight years of Democratic trifectas • Twelve 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Elections
Elections by year
Missouri state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Missouri holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2024
Elections for the Missouri House of Representatives will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is August 6, 2024. The filing deadline is March 26, 2024.
2022
Elections for the Missouri House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 2, 2022. The filing deadline was March 29, 2022.
Heading into the 2022 election, Republicans held a 107-48 majority with eight vacancies. After the election, Republicans held a 111-52 majority.
| Missouri House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 48 | 52 | |
| Republican Party | 107 | 111 | |
| Vacancy | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 163 | 163 | |
2020
In the 2020 elections, Republicans maintained their majority in the Missouri State Senate. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 4, 2020. The filing deadline was March 31, 2020.
| Missouri House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 48 | 49 | |
| Republican Party | 113 | 114 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 163 | 163 | |
2018
Elections for the Missouri House of Representatives took place in 2018. The open primary election took place on August 7, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 27, 2018.[6]
In the 2018 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Missouri House of Representatives from 109-45 to 116-47.
| Missouri House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 45 | 47 | |
| Republican Party | 109 | 116 | |
| Vacancy | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 163 | 163 | |
2016
Elections for the Missouri House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 29, 2016. All 163 seats in the Missouri House of Representatives were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 115-45 majority with one independent member and two vacancies. Democrats gained one seat in the election, giving Republicans a 117-46 majority.
| Missouri House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 45 | 46 | |
| Republican Party | 115 | 117 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 163 | 163 | |
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2014Elections for the Missouri House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 25, 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 109-52 majority with two vacancies. Republicans gained eight seats in the election, giving them a 117-45 majority with one vacancy.
2012Elections for the office of Missouri House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on August 7, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 27, 2012. All 163 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 105-54 majority with four vacancies. Republicans gained five seats in the election, giving them a 110-53 majority.
During the 2012 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $16,194,797. The top 10 contributors were:[7]
2010Elections for the office of Missouri House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on August 3, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 30, 2010. All 163 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held an 88-74 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained 18 seats in the election, giving them a 106-57 majority.
In 2010, the candidates for state House raised a total of $11,420,148 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[8]
2008Elections for the office of Missouri House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 5, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 25, 2008. All 163 seats were up for election. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $14,236,059. The top 10 contributors were:[9]
2006Elections for the office of Missouri House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 8, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 28, 2006. All 163 seats were up for election. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $12,137,736. The top 10 contributors were:[10]
2004Elections for the office of Missouri House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 3, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. All 163 seats were up for election. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $11,462,341. The top 10 contributors were:[11]
2002Elections for the office of Missouri House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 6, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. All 163 seats were up for election. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $11,462,341. The top 10 contributors were:[12]
2000Elections for the office of Missouri House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 8, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. All 163 seats were up for election. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $7,102,185. The top 10 contributors were:[13]
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Term limits
- See also: State legislatures with term limits
The Missouri legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Missouri Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Missouri representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four two-year terms, or a total of eight years.[14]
The first year that the 1992 term limits impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was 2002.
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Missouri General Assembly, the governor of Missouri must call for a special election without delay. The election mandate is sent to the county or counties in the legislative district.[15]
See sources: Missouri Cons. Art. III, §14 and Missouri Rev. Stat. tit. III Ch. 21 §110
District map
- See also: Missouri state legislative districts
The state of Missouri has 197 legislative districts. Each district elects one representative. The state Senate has 34 districts and the state House has 163 districts.
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Missouri
In Missouri, congressional district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[16]
Two distinct politician commissions are ultimately responsible for state legislative redistricting, one for the Missouri State Senate and another for the Missouri House of Representatives. Membership on these commissions is determined as follows:[16]
- Senate redistricting commission: The state committee of each major political party nominates 10 members to the commission, for a total of 20 nominees. From this pool, the governor selects five members per party, for a total of 10 commissioners.
- House redistricting commission: The congressional district committee of each major political party nominates two members per congressional district, for a total of 32 nominees. From this pool, the governor appoints one member per party per district, for a total of 16 commissioners.
2020
Missouri completed its legislative redistricting on March 15, 2022, when the state’s Judicial Redistricting Commission filed new state Senate district boundaries with the secretary of state.[17] Missouri was the 43rd state to complete legislative redistricting. The House Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission unanimously approved the state House’s district boundaries on Jan. 21.[18] These maps took effect for Missouri’s 2022 legislative elections.
The Senate Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission failed to submit proposed maps to the secretary of state's office by the December 23, 2021, deadline. Therefore, responsibility for developing Senate district boundaries was assumed by the Missouri Judicial Commission for Redistricting.[19] The judicial commission released their final plan and sent it to the secretary of state's office on March 15, 2022. The commission’s chair, Missouri Appeals Court Justice Cynthia Lynette Martin, said in a press release, "The Judicial Redistricting Commission’s work has been thorough and labor intensive, and was purposefully undertaken with the goal to file a constitutionally compliant plan and map well in advance of the commission’s constitutional deadline to avoid disenfranchising voters given the candidate filing deadline and the deadline for preparing ballots."[20] Scott Faughn of The Missouri Times wrote that "The biggest difference in this map and that previous map is that it shifts the weight of some of the districts from rural weighted districts to evenly split districts and even enhances the suburban influence inside several republican seats." He added, "the new map produces 7 solid democratic districts, and 3 likely democratic districts. On the republican side the new map produces 18 solid republican districts, and 3 more likely republican districts," with two competitive districts when the current incumbents no longer seek office.[21]
The House Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission unanimously approved new state House district boundaries on January 19, 2022. Fourteen of the commission's 20 members were required to approve the plan. If the commission was unable to agree on a redistricting plan by January 23, 2022, authority over the process would have transferred to the Missouri Judicial Commission for Redistricting.[22] In a press release issued after the map was finalized, commission chair Jerry Hunter said, "I want to personally thank all of the commissioners for the hard work that was put in by the commissioners and, obviously, as all of you know, the supporting individuals that have been instrumental to helping get this map done on both sides – on both the Democratic and Republican sides."[23] Rudi Keller of the Missouri Independent wrote, "Of the 163 districts..., there are 38 where Democrats should have the advantage, 97 where Republicans are dominant and 28 districts with past election results showing less than a 10% advantage for either party."[22]
2010
Missouri received its local census data on February 24, 2011. The state's population increased by seven percent, with most growth coming in the southern half of the state. The five most populous cities showed mixed outcomes: Kansas City's population grew by 4.1 percent, St. Louis' population decreased by 8.3 percent, Springfield's population grew by 5.2 percent, Independence's population grew by 3.1 percent, and Columbia's population grew by 28.4 percent.[24]
The House and Senate bi-partisan redistricting commissions failed to agree on a new plan for Missouri's legislative districts, and the deadline for selecting a plan passed on August 18, 2011, resulting in a special court panel taking over.[25] On October 13, 2011, the judicial panel tasked with redrawing Missouri’s legislative districts heard public testimony, and the panel finalized the state's new legislative redistricting maps on November 30, 2011.[26][27] The Missouri Supreme Court overturned the state's Senate redistricting maps on January 17, 2012, and on January 31, 2012, Governor Jay Nixon (D) appointed a new commission for the sake of redrawing the Senate districts.[28][29] The commission approved a new plan on February 23, 2012, which was met with opposition and had a lawsuit filed against it. After hearing testimony and tweaking the map, the commission approved the map again on March 12, and the lawsuit was dropped.[30]
Sessions
Legislation
The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Missouri House of Representatives has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.
Dates of legislative sessions in Missouri by year
2024
- See also: 2024 Missouri legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions
In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2024, and adjourn on May 10, 2024.
2023
In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2023, and adjourn on May 12, 2023.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
2022In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 5, 2022, and adjourn on May 13, 2022. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 6, 2021, and adjourn on May 14, 2021. 2020In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2020, and adjourn on May 15, 2020.
Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Missouri State Legislature suspended Senate activity effective March 12, 2020. Both chambers reconvened April 7, 2020, through April 8, 2020, before suspending activity again. The legislature adjourned on May 15, 2020.[31][32][33][34][35] 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2019, through May 30, 2019. 2018In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 3, 2018, through May 18, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 4, 2017, through May 12, 2017. The legislature held its first special session from May 22, 2017 to May 26, 2017. The legislature held its second special session from June 12, 2017, to July 25, 2017. The legislature held a special session on September 13. 2016
In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 6 through May 13.
Major issues in 2016Major issues in the 2016 legislative session included ethics reform, gun control, and the budget.[39] 2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 7 through May 15. Major issues in 2015Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included Ferguson, ethics legislation, K-12 student transfers, and teacher tenure.[40][41] 2014
In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 8 through May 19. Major issues in 2014Major issues in the 2014 legislative session included Medicaid expansion, tax cuts and reform, student transfers, and right-to-work.[42][43][44] 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 9 to May 30. Major issues in 2013Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included tax credits, capital improvements, an income tax cut, and a major revision to the state's criminal code.[45] 2012
In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 4 through May 30.[46][47] Major issues in 2012The budget was the main focus of the session, as the state faced a $500 million spending gap in January. The agenda at the start of the session also included economic development, Workers Compensation reforms, and overhauling public school funding.[48] Those items joined health care exchanges, birth control, charter schools, and sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine crimes as points of contention and accomplishment over the course of the session.[49] 2011In 2011, the legislature was in regular session from January 5 through May 30.[50] Governor Jay Nixon (D) called for a special legislative session for September 6, however, the session was called off when Republicans hesitated on a push to overhaul state tax credits and authorize several new incentive programs, including one for a China freight hub in St. Louis. Assembly members were sent home so that they might read the revised 219-page measure over the weekend. According to Senate President Pro Tem Robert Mayer, the "important" bill "needs the attention of every member of this body."[51] Session highlightsBudget cutsLawmakers passed a $23.3 billion budget for the 2012 fiscal year in May 2011, representing a $500 million spending cut compared with the previous year. Governor Jay Nixon (D) cut an additional $172 million through withholds and $30,000 using his line-item veto before signing off on the budget plan. Withholds are an exercise of the governor's veto authority, but can be restored to the budget if revenues become available. Education and culture were the big losers in the budget plan, with state universities and community colleges absorbing an average 7 percent cut in state support, and funding completely cut for state arts, public TV and radio programs. The legislature itself saw its budget cut by 4.6 percent, while spending on the Missouri Housing Development Corporation housing assistance program was halved. Still, some programs did see substantial funding increases, including school bus transportation (21 percent), two state higher education scholarships (7 percent), and aid to service providers catering to people with developmental disabilities (2 percent). A new pharmacy partnership between Missouri State University and UMKC was also instituted, receiving $2 million in funding.[52] 2010In 2010, the legislature was in session from January 6th to May 14th.[53][54] |
About legislative sessions in Missouri
The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[55] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.
Article III of the Missouri Constitution establishes when the Missouri General Assembly, of which the House is a part is to meet. Section 20 of Article III states that the General Assembly shall convene its regular session on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January of each year. Section 20 requires the General Assembly to adjourn its regular session by May 30th.
Section 20 of Article III also allows for a special session of the General Assembly to be convened by a joint proclamation of three-fourths of the members of both houses.
Legislative roles and procedures
Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, term limits, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Missouri are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.
| Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 109 of the 163 members in the Missouri House of Representatives and 23 of the 34 members in the Missouri State Senate. Missouri is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?
| According to Article III, Section 32 of the Missouri Constitution, the legislature shall automatically convene in a special veto session in September to consider overrides for any bill the governor vetoed less than six days before adjournment or after adjournment. |
Authority: Article III, Section 32 of the Missouri Constitution.
| "Every bill presented to the governor and returned with his objections shall stand as reconsidered in the house to which it is returned. If the governor returns any bill with his objections on or after the fifth day before the last day upon which a session of the general assembly may consider bills, the general assembly shall automatically reconvene on the first Wednesday following the second Monday in September for a period not to exceed ten calendar days for the sole purpose of considering bills returned by the governor. The objections of the governor shall be entered upon the journal and the house shall proceed to consider the question pending, which shall be in this form: “Shall the bill pass, the objections of the governor thereto notwithstanding? The vote upon this question shall be taken by yeas and nays and if two-thirds of the elected members of the house vote in the affirmative the presiding officer of that house shall certify that fact on the roll, attesting the same by his signature, and send the bill with the objections of the governor to the other house, in which like proceedings shall be had in relation thereto. The bill thus certified shall be deposited in the office of the secretary of state as an authentic act and shall become a law." |
Role in state budget
- See also: Missouri state budget and finances
Missouri on 
|
The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[56]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in July of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
- State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor by October 1.
- Agency hearings are held from January through April. Public hearings are held in January and February.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature no later than 30 days after the legislature convenes.
- The legislature is required to adopt a budget by the first Friday after the first Monday in May. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins July 1.
Missouri is one of 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[56]
The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget. The legislature is not required to pass a balanced budget, but the governor is required to sign one.[56]
Committees
Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.
- Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
- Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
- Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.
Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Missouri House of Representatives has 35 standing 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
- Healthcare Reform
- 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
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 in 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. There are 18 states that 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 |
2025 measures:
- See also: 2025 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures have been certified for the ballot.
No measures to list
Potential:
- The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.
No measures to list
2024 measures:
Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.
- See also: Missouri 2024 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures have been certified for the ballot.
| Missouri Property Exemption Tax for Childcare Establishments Amendment | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| Senate: | Required: 18 | Yes votes: 33 (100%) | No votes: 0 (0%) | Yes: 9; No: 0 | Yes: 24; No: 0 |
| House: | Required: 82 | Yes votes: 91 (56.17%) | No votes: 27 (16.66%) | Yes: 21; No: 2 | Yes: 70; No: 25 |
Potential:
- The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.
No measures to list
See also
| Elections | Missouri State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Missouri House of Representatives, "Member Roster," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ Confirmed via email with the Missouri State Legislature on 7/6/2011
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Missouri Constitution Article III, Section 20," accessed February 2, 2023
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "2022 Elected Officials Qualifications," accessed February 2, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "2018 Missouri Election Calendar," accessed July 13, 2017
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2012 Missouri House of Representatives Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Missouri House 2010 Campaign Contributions
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2008 Missouri House of Representatives Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2006 Missouri House of Representatives Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2004 Missouri House of Representatives Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2002 Missouri House of Representatives Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2000 Missouri House of Representatives Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ termlimits.org, "State Legislative Term Limits," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ Missouri General Assembly, "Missouri Constitution," accessed February 4, 2021 (Article 3, Section 14)
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 All About Redistricting, "Missouri," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Final Senate Statewide Judicial Redistricting Commission Letter; March 15, 2022," accessed March 22, 2022
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Final House Apportionment; January 20, 2022," accessed March 22, 2022
- ↑ 'Missouri Secretary of State, "Supreme Court Appointment for Judicial Commission for Redistricting," January 11, 2022
- ↑ Missouri Office of Administration, "Judicial Redistricting Commission Releases Tentative State Senate Redistricting Plan, Map," March 14, 2022
- ↑ The Missouri Times, "TWMP Column: New Senate map district by district," March 16, 2020
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Missouri Independent, "Bipartisan commission approves new Missouri House districts," January 20, 2022
- ↑ Missouri Office of Administration, "House Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission Files Final Redistricting Plan with Secretary of State," January 24, 2022
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Missouri's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," February 24, 2011
- ↑ Ozarks First, "Commission Fails to Agree on Missouri House Redistricting Map," August 12, 2011
- ↑ KSDK, "State judicial panel considers redistricting plans," October 13, 2011
- ↑ The Columbia Daily Tribune, "State apportionment panel avoids Sunshine Law requirements," November 27, 2011
- ↑ Bloomberg, "Missouri Supreme Court Revives Congressional Redistricting Map Challenge," January 17, 2012
- ↑ Examiner.net, "Senate redistricting panel named," January 31, 2012
- ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Mo. Senate map opponents dismiss federal lawsuit," March 13, 2012
- ↑ KY3, "Coronavirus concerns disrupt work at state capitols, including Missouri," March 12, 2020
- ↑ Missouri House of Representatives, "Home page," accessed March 30, 2020
- ↑ Missouri State Senate, "Home page," accessed March 30, 2020
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Despite coronavirus, Missouri lawmakers will reconvene. Anyone heard of videoconferences?" April 3, 2020
- ↑ Multistate, "2020 Legislative Session Dates," last updated April 15, 2020
- ↑ Kansas City, "Republicans override veto of Missouri voter ID bill," accessed September 16, 2016
- ↑ Kansas City, "Missouri Republicans vote to override veto of gun bill," accessed September 16, 2016
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Missouri Lawmakers Work to Override Vetoes," accessed September 16, 2016
- ↑ KBIA, "The 2016 Missouri legislative session starts Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know." January 6, 2016
- ↑ KMBC-TV, "Things to know for 2015 Missouri legislative session," January 6, 2015
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Student Transfers Top List Of Pre-Filed Education Bills Facing Legislators," December 29, 2014
- ↑ KQTV, "Missouri State Legislature Begins 2014 Session," January 8, 2014
- ↑ KSMU, "Tax Cuts, Student Transfers May Dominate Missouri Legislature's 2014 Session," January 9, 2014
- ↑ KSMU, "Missouri's Legislative Session 2014 Preview," January 6, 2014
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Business issues at top of Republican legislative leaders' agenda in Missouri," January 5, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislators, "2011 Legislator Session Calendar," accessed June 5, 2012
- ↑ The Associated Press, "Mo. Legislature officially ends its 2012 session," May 30 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ St. Louis Beacon, "Missouri legislature opens, with last session's issues at top of agenda," January 4, 2012
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "2012 Missouri legislative session ends," May 19, 2012
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
- ↑ STLtoday.com, Missouri Senate puts hold on economic development bill, Sept. 9, 2011
- ↑ The Missouri Budget Project, "FY 2012 Budget Approved with Additional Spending Reductions," June 24, 2011
- ↑ Missouri House of Representatives, "House Journals - 2010 Regular Session," accessed August 4, 2014
- ↑ Missouri State Senate, "Daily Journals," accessed August 4, 2014
- ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
- ↑ 56.0 56.1 56.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
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