2021 Missouri legislative session

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2021 Missouri legislative session
General information
Session start:    January 6, 2021 Session end:    May 14, 2021
Leadership
Senate President TBD House Speaker Rob Vescovo (R) Majority Leader Senate: TBD House: Dean Plocher (R) Minority Leader Senate: TBD House: Crystal Quade (D)
Elections
Next Election:    November 8, 2022 Last Election:    November 3, 2020
Previous legislative sessions
2020 • 2019 • 2018
Other 2021 legislative sessions
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In 2021, the Missouri State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 6 and adjourn on May 14.

The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2020 elections. Republicans won a 24-10 majority in the Senate and a 114-49 majority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta. At the start of the 2021 session, Missouri was one of 22 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.

Redistricting is the process by which states draw new Congressional and state legislative districts following the U.S. Census. Officials sent data from the 2020 U.S. Census to states in early 2021 to begin the process of redistricting. As of the 2020 census, congressional district boundaries in Missouri were drawn by the state legislature, while two separate politician commissions enacted state Senate and House district lines.

Leadership in 2021[edit]

Missouri State Senate[edit]

• Senate president: TBD
• Majority leader: TBD
• Minority leader: TBD

Missouri House of Representatives[edit]

• Speaker of the House: Rob Vescovo (R)
• Majority leader: Dean Plocher (R)
• Minority leader: Crystal Quade (D)

Partisan control in 2021[edit]

See also: State government trifectas

Missouri was one of 22 Republican state government trifectas at the start of 2021 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.

Missouri was also one of 22 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.

The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Missouri State Legislature in the 2021 legislative session.

Missouri State Senate[edit]

Missouri House of Representatives[edit]

Regular session[edit]

The following widget shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2021 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2021. This information is provided by BillTrack50.

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Missouri after the 2020 census

Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures.

Template loop detected: Redistricting in Missouri after the 2020 census

Template loop detected: Redistricting in Missouri after the 2020 census Click here for more information.

Missouri's eight United States representatives and 197 state legislators are all elected from political divisions called districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

To learn more about the redistricting process in Missouri after the 2020 census, click here.

Standing legislative committees[edit]

See also: Standing committee and List of committees in Missouri state government

A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.

At the beginning of the 2021 legislative session, there were 89 standing committees in Missouri's state government, including 20 joint legislative committees, 18 state Senate committees, and 43 state House committees.

Joint legislative committees[edit]

• Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
• Joint Committee on Capital Improvements and Leases Oversight
• Joint Committee on Corrections
• Joint Committee on Court Automation
• Joint Committee on Education
• Joint Committee on Gaming and Wagering
• Joint Committee on Government Accountability
• Joint Committee on Legislative Research

Joint Committee on Legislative Research - Oversight Subcommittee

• Joint Committee on Life Sciences
• Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise
• Joint Committee on MO Health Net
• Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement
• Joint Committee on Real Property Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment
• Joint Committee on the Reduction and Reorganization of Programs within State Government
• Joint Committee on Tax Policy
• Joint Committee on Terrorism, Bioterrorism and Homeland Security
• Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight
• Joint Committee on Urban Farming
• Joint Committee on Wetlands
• Joint Committee on Missouri Job Training

Senate committees[edit]

• Administration
• Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources
• Appropriations
• Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment
• Education
• Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections
• Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight
• General Laws
• Gubernatorial Appointments
• Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families
• Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government
• Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence
• Progress and Development|Progress and Development
• Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions & Ethics
• Small Business, Insurance and Industry
• Transportation
• Veterans' Affairs, Pensions and Urban Affairs
• Ways and Means

House committees[edit]

• Administration and Accounts
  
• Agri-Business
  
• Agriculture Policy
  
• Appropriations - Agriculture and Natural Resources
  
• Appropriations - Education
  
• Appropriations - General Administration
  
• Appropriations - Health, Mental Health and Social Services
  
• Appropriations - Public Safety and Corrections
  
• Appropriations - Transportation and Economic Development
  
• Budget
  
• Children and Families
  
• Corrections and Public Institutions
  
• Crime Prevention
  
• Downsizing State Government
  
• Economic Development
  
• Elections
  
• Elementary and Secondary Education
  
• Emerging Issues in Animal Agriculture
  
• Ethics
  
• Financial Institutions
  
• Fiscal Review
  
• General Laws
  
• Health Care Policy
  
• Health Insurance
  
• Higher Education
  
• Insurance Policy
  
• International Trade and Job Creation
  
• Judiciary
  
• Local Government
  
• Professional Registration and Licensing
  
• Retirement
  
• Rules
  
• Rural Community Development
  
• Small Business
  
• Tax Reform
  
• Tourism and Natural Resources
  
• Transportation
  
• Transportation Funding and Public Institutions
  
• Urban Issues
  
• Utilities
  
• Veterans
  
• Ways and Means
  
• Workforce Development and Workplace Safety

Legislatively referred constitutional amendments[edit]

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:

See also: Article XII of the Missouri Constitution and Laws governing the initiative process in Missouri

The Missouri Constitution can be amended via three different paths—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention.

Initiative[edit]

See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states 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[edit]

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

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[edit]

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

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:

2022 measures:

See also: Missouri 2022 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

• Missouri Amendment 4, Allow Legislature to Require a City to Increase Funding without State Reimbursement for a Police Force Established by State Board Amendment (2022)

2021 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2021 ballot by the legislature.

See also: 2021 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

Historical partisan control[edit]

The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Missouri.

Historical Senate control[edit]

Between 1992 and 2020, the Missouri State Senate was controlled for periods of time by both the Democratic and Republican parties. The table below shows the partisan history of the Missouri State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2020. 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.

From 1992 to 1998, the Democratic Party held majorities, the largest being from 1992 to 1994 when Democrats had a seven-member majority. The Democrats majority in the state Senate decreased between 1992 and 2000. In 2001, Republicans established a majority in the chamber after Republicans won special elections in January of that year. Before the special elections in 2001, the chamber was tied at 17-17 with chamber leadership split between the two major parties.^[2]

Republicans increased their majority in elections between 2002 and 2020. Republicans held their largest majority following the 2010 elections with an 18-seat advantage. From 2008 to 2020, Senate Republicans held a supermajority that allowed the chamber to override gubernatorial vetoes. The Republican gains from 2010 to 2014 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.

Historical House control[edit]

Between 1992 and 2020, the Missouri House of Representatives was controlled for periods of time by both the Democratic and Republican parties. Democrats controlled the state House from 1992 to 2000 and Republicans controlled it from 2002 to 2020. The table below shows the partisan history of the Missouri House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2020. 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.

From 1992 to 2000, House Democrats held majorities in the chamber, the largest being from 1992 to 1994 when Democrats had a 38-member majority. House Democrats maintained their majority between 1994 and 2000 with little change in the chamber's partisan balance.

Republicans took control of the chamber in 2002 with a 17-seat advantage. The Republican majority has increased since 2002. Republicans held their largest majority following the 2014 elections with a 71-seat advantage. House Republicans gained a supermajority in 2012, which allowed them to override gubernatorial vetoes. The Republican gains from 2010 to 2016 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.

See also[edit]

Elections	Missouri State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Missouri State Senate elections, 2020 Missouri House of Representatives elections, 2020	Missouri State Legislature Missouri House of Representatives Missouri State Senate Governor of Missouri Missouri Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2020 State legislative special elections, 2020 State legislative elections, 2018 State legislative elections, 2016	State government trifectas State government triplexes Veto overrides in state legislatures State executives State courts Ballot measures

External links[edit]

• Search Google News for this topic
• [1]

Footnotes[edit]

v • e State legislatures Legislatures Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S) 2024 State legislative elections (2024) • State legislative special elections (2024) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2024 Session Dates 2023 State legislative elections (2023) • State legislative special elections (2023) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2023 Session Dates Historical elections 2022 •  2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000 Features of state legislatures How vacancies are filled in state legislatures • States with a full-time legislature • State legislatures with term limits • Comparison of state legislative salaries • When state legislators assume office after a general election • Population represented by state legislators • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures • State legislative sessions • Resign-to-run law • State legislature candidate requirements by state • Official names of state legislatures • State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections State senates Length of terms of state senators • State senators • Partisan composition of state senates • State senators sorted by year first elected State houses Length of terms of state representatives • State representatives • Partisan composition of state houses • State representatives sorted by year first elected Leadership positions President of the Senate • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Senate Minority Leader • House Majority Leader • House Minority Leader • State Speaker of the House