JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — While the annual legislative session in Missouri was marked by gridlock and disputes, multiple significant pieces of legislation managed to navigate the tempestuous political climate to receive the endorsement of Gov. Mike Parson. From property rights expansions to education reforms, these laws, which came into effect this Wednesday, spell a series of changes for Missouri residents.
Under a new law embedded within broader real estate legislation, Missourians now have the right to raise backyard chickens, despite potential restrictions from homeowners’ associations. Specifically, residents can keep up to six chickens on properties of at least 0.2 acres, though the ownership of roosters still faces possible limitations.
The same legislative package has empowered local counties and municipalities with the ability to create land banks aimed at rehabilitating vacant, abandoned, or foreclosed properties. Moreover, it offers homeowners a legal pathway to expel squatters through court orders and classifies unlawful residential occupancy as a class A misdemeanor. In other developments related to property, the law has clarified that religious institutions and nonprofits cannot be compelled by local governments to set up infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations, nor can cities mandate homeowners to conduct inspections prior to selling residential property, except in the case of new constructions or under specific permit requirements.
Additionally, the introduction of a new law effectively prohibits the imposition of eviction moratoriums by any local governmental entity unless expressly authorized by the state legislature. This move is seen as a response to housing policy debates that often pit tenant protections against property rights.
In a bid to address the concerns of senior citizens, a recently signed statute clears up previous ambiguities surrounding real property tax “freeze” benefits for individuals aged 62 and over, disentangling eligibility from Social Security benefits.
Missouri’s stance on Planned Parenthood has also undergone significant changes, with the passage of a bill that halts Medicaid funding to any abortion providers or their affiliates, reflecting the state’s ongoing restrictive approach towards abortion services. Despite legal challenges from Planned Parenthood, the law now explicitly excludes these entities from receiving state Medicaid funds, which previously covered essential services like STI screenings and contraceptives.
In the realm of education, a comprehensive bill was signed despite opposition from various educational leaders within the state. The new laws include raising the minimum pay for teachers to $40,000 and up to $48,000 for those holding a master’s degree with over ten years of experience by 2027. They also index regular salary increases to the Consumer Price Index with a cap at 3% annually, broaden the voucher tax credit program, permit charter schools to operate in Boone County, endorse incentives for full weekday school operations in larger cities, enhance funding for early childhood education and improve grants for smaller schools. Additionally, benefits for teachers who continue working post-retirement will be safeguarded.
Turning to public safety, other legislative modifications include a stipulation that raises the minimum age for trying children as adults in certain felony cases from 12 to 14. This aligns with measures that mandate correctional facilities to offer educational programs helping offenders under 18 to obtain high school diplomas or equivalency certificates.
This year also saw the enhancement of the state auditor’s powers, with new laws allowing investigations into any governmental body along with provisioning state coverage of associated audit costs—an expansion from the previous mandate, which permitted audits solely upon request or via citizen petition.
Moreover, regulations now require meatpacking facilities to garner water pollution permits, enforce distancing of sludge lagoons from residential areas, and engage in specific groundwater monitoring practices aimed at environmental protection within the state.
Finally, an innovative step was taken to boost the local economy through the establishment of the Office of Entrepreneurship in Missouri. This office is tasked with instituting a “regulatory sandbox program” to suspend certain state regulations temporarily, granting entrepreneurs controlled market access to trial innovative products or services.
These legislations outline Governor Parson’s strategic vision for Missouri, confronting challenges across diverse sectors with laws designed to enhance quality of life, safeguard the environment, strengthen public safety, and invigorate the economy amid the evolving social and political landscape.