Below is a quick summary of key issues for Empower Missouri in the upcoming legislative session. If you would like to learn more, please register for our Legislative Preview webinar on December 16th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
We’re just four weeks away from the start of the 2026 Missouri legislative session. Prefiling began Monday, December 1st, and in the first few day’s legislators submitted well over 1,000 bills, breaking records for early filing. Whether that means there will be more bills eventually passed is yet to be seen. As always, Empower Missouri will be hard at work: pushing forward legislation that increases housing stability, food access, and justice, and opposing policies that harm low-income families and communities.
Here are the policies we are focused on during the 2026 legislative session:
Community Justice
Our top priority remains passing Clean Slate, which would automate the expungement of criminal records in Missouri. Today, the expungement process is burdensome and as a result only 1% of eligible records are cleared. We will also continue to champion independent oversight of the Department of Corrections, a critical accountability measure. Recent reporting revealed that until recently, DOC did not even track the number of deaths in prison, a stark reminder of why transparency and oversight are urgently needed. Other issues we are working on include improving the parole process, youth justice policies like eliminating fines and fees for kids, and opposing “truth in sentencing.”
Seguridad alimentaria
With the federal changes to SNAP included in H.R. 1, Missouri will soon be required to cover additional administrative costs in 2026 and a share of SNAP benefits starting in 2027. This session, we will focus on educating lawmakers about the importance of securing state dollars to protect food assistance for Missouri families. Another food security priority this legislative session is expanding access to school meals by eliminating the reduced-price copay, a policy change that would make school meals more accessible for over 50,000 Missouri kids. We will continue to work to pass legislation so that Missouri joins the 29 other states that reinstated SNAP benefits for individuals with drug felony convictions. Other food security policy issues include: food pantry tax credit fixes, SNAP restaurant meals program, and food is medicine programs.
Vivienda asequible
We will be focused on increasing funding to the Missouri Housing Trust Fund, Missouri’s most flexible source of funding for affordable housing construction, home repair, and homelessness prevention. The funding mechanism, a three dollar recording fee on real estate transactions, has not been adjusted since 1994 despite the growing need for affordable housing. We also anticipate defending against proposals that attempt to address homelessness through criminalization, including expanded use of jails and criminal penalties.
Other Anti-Poverty Issues
We expect to spend significant time this session defending state-funded services from the revenue loss projected under Governor Kehoe’s plan to eliminate the state income tax. According to the Missouri Budget Project, the proposal would result in a tax increase for more than half of Missourians. Because the lost revenue would need to be replaced with more regressive taxes, such as higher sales taxes, eliminating the income tax would place an even greater burden on low-income and working-class families.
As the 2026 session unfolds, the decisions made in Jefferson City will have real consequences for families across our state. Your voice and engagement are essential to making sure the legislature chooses a path that strengthens, rather than harms, our communities.
You can help us make a difference:
- Register for our virtual Week of Action (February 2-4) and our Day of Action at the Capitol (February 17).
- Consider joining one of our coalitions to strategize, collaborate, and advocate with others committed to these issues.
Together, we can stand up for a Missouri that works for everyone. For a deeper dive into our legislative priorities, don’t miss our Legislative Preview webinar on December 16th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. RSVP by clicking the button below.
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