Rep. John Simmons

Maddy summaryHB 1248 requires towing companies and law enforcement to release personal items from abandoned vehicles after a 10-day claim period, following a check to confirm the property isn't reported stolen. It applies to vehicle owners whose belongings were towed, ensuring they can reclaim items if unclaimed after the waiting period. Towing companies must report moves to law enforcement within two hours and verify theft status via national databases before releasing property, while owners pay storage fees after the 10 days.

Maddy summaryHJR 82 proposes a constitutional amendment to change Missouri's redistricting rules for the House of Representatives, not term limits as the title suggests (the text contains no term limit changes). It would set the House size to 119 members starting after the 2030 census and require districts to be drawn with strict population equality (max 1% deviation), comply with voting rights laws, and preserve communities by prioritizing county lines. The amendment mandates a new bipartisan commission to draw districts using specific fairness metrics, including limiting "wasted votes" (excess votes for winning candidates or votes for losers) to no more than 15% difference between parties. This directly affects Missouri voters and lawmakers by altering how legislative districts are created for elections beginning in 2030.

Maddy summaryHB 1034 aligns state civil penalties for natural gas safety violations with federal standards, directly affecting gas plant owners (including utilities and municipalities). It sets maximum fines at federal levels (currently $15,000 per violation, rising to $40,000 by 2040) and requires regulators to consider factors like culpability, prior violations, and the entity’s ability to pay when determining penalties. The bill ensures each violation or daily continuation of a violation is treated as a separate offense, holding the owning entity accountable for employee actions. It overrides previous state penalty limits but remains subject to federal rules under 49 CFR Part 190.223.

Maddy summaryHB 888 designates April 27th each year as "Ulysses S. Grant Day" in Missouri. The bill encourages Missouri citizens to participate in events celebrating Grant, a Civil War general and 18th U.S. president who lived in St. Louis before the Civil War. This is a ceremonial designation with no new policy requirements or direct impact on specific groups or programs. It serves solely to recognize Grant's historical connection to Missouri.

Maddy summaryHR 9 is a resolution urging all states to pressure Congress to propose a constitutional amendment repealing the Sixteenth Amendment, which allows federal income taxation. If passed, this would end the federal government's authority to collect income taxes from individuals, transfer sole tax authority to states, and require the federal government to fund itself through apportioned state payments based on an annual balanced budget. The resolution also mandates that Congress must pass a balanced budget each year, with states withholding funds if it fails to do so, effectively halting federal tax collection until a budget is approved. This would fundamentally shift tax authority from the federal government to states while imposing new budgetary constraints on Congress.

Maddy summaryHJR 78 proposes a constitutional amendment for Missouri that would require 60% of votes cast (instead of a simple majority) for any constitutional amendment to pass. It also establishes new rules for initiative petitions, requiring signatures from 8% of voters in two-thirds of congressional districts to qualify a constitutional amendment petition, and prohibits foreign governments or entities from funding or sponsoring such petitions. The bill further specifies that initiatives for constitutional amendments must contain only one revised article or new article with a single subject, and includes provisions about how initiative laws interact with future legislation. This change would directly affect voters and petitioners seeking to amend Missouri's constitution through the initiative process.

Maddy summaryHB 861 requires Missouri driver's licenses and nondriver's licenses for U.S. citizens (including naturalized citizens) to display a distinguishing symbol on the front starting July 1, 2026, to indicate citizenship. This symbol must appear on all licenses issued to U.S. citizens, but non-citizens would not have this marking. The bill does not alter the process for obtaining licenses for non-citizens or change existing requirements for license issuance. The Department of Revenue will implement this by adding the symbol to license designs, with no additional fees or documentation required for citizens.

Maddy summaryHB 821, the "Fair Tax Act of 2025," would replace Missouri's individual and corporate income taxes, estate tax, and related taxes with a 5.11% tax on all new retail sales and services. It would directly affect all Missouri residents and businesses by shifting the tax base from income to consumption, eliminating current income tax obligations. The bill requires the state to provide a monthly sales tax rebate to qualified families, calculated using federal poverty guidelines. The law would take effect only if approved by voters in a 2026 referendum.

Maddy summaryHB 243 ensures that pregnancy cannot delay or prevent a court from granting a divorce (dissolution of marriage) or legal separation. It explicitly states that a court must proceed with the judgment regardless of whether one party is pregnant, removing pregnancy as a barrier to these proceedings. The bill affects individuals seeking divorce or legal separation who are pregnant, requiring courts to follow standard residency and procedural requirements without considering pregnancy status. This change applies to all divorce or separation cases, maintaining existing rules about residency, custody, and property division while clarifying that pregnancy alone does not block finalization.

Maddy summaryHB 726 preempts local gun regulations by prohibiting counties, cities, and other local governments from enacting rules about firearm sales, possession, open carry, or related matters - except for specific ordinances matching state law (e.g., open carry rules with permit requirements or discharge restrictions). It requires open carry permit holders to display permits upon demand and bars officers from restraining individuals without reasonable suspicion. The bill also shields firearm manufacturers from most civil lawsuits related to lawful sales (except for negligence claims) and imposes $50,000 penalties on localities violating the law. This directly affects local governments by removing their regulatory authority over firearms and impacts manufacturers by limiting liability.