Rep. Eric Woods

Maddy summaryHB 1117 sets new safety rules for railroad operations, primarily affecting railroad carriers and their freight trains. It limits train length to 8,500 feet on main tracks and branch lines, requires at least two qualified crew members for most freight operations (with exceptions for helper services, hostler services, and slow-moving loading/unloading), and establishes fines for violations (up to $1,000 for repeat offenses). The bill also mandates redacting crew members' personally identifying information from public incident reports involving motor vehicles, while allowing access to employers, courts, and specific officials when necessary. These changes aim to standardize safety practices and protect crew privacy in incident documentation.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows registered voters to use electronic signatures instead of handwritten ones when collecting signatures for ballot initiative and referendum petitions. It requires the Secretary of State to create a secure website where voters can submit their digital signatures, which must include personal details like name and address to verify identity. The law ensures that electronic signatures have the same legal weight as manual signatures, provided they meet specific security standards and are not duplicated or repudiated. Additionally, the Secretary of State must establish rules to maintain an audit trail of submissions to prevent fraud and ensure the integrity of the petition process.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows courts to reduce life without parole sentences or sentences of thirty years or more to life with the possibility of parole for specific individuals. To qualify, the offender must have served at least thirty years, have been under twenty years old when the crime occurred, have no prior dangerous felony convictions, and demonstrate rehabilitation through programs and good behavior while incarcerated. If granted a sentence reduction, the offender must also provide character references from correction staff, support letters from community residents, and a detailed plan for their safe return home. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Division of Probation and Parole supervise these individuals for their entire natural lives, even after they become eligible for release.

Maddy summaryHB 2243 allows eligible Missouri residents who are at least 17 and a half years old to register to vote on the same day as an election, provided they meet standard identification requirements. The bill permits individuals to complete registration in person at designated locations or through approved online systems up to the day of the election, with specific provisions for new residents and military personnel returning from deployment. While maintaining existing rules that prevent incarcerated individuals or those on felony probation from voting, the law removes the previous deadline requiring registration weeks before an election. This change directly affects voters who have recently moved to the state or whose registration documents were lost, enabling them to participate in upcoming elections without waiting for the next cycle.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would limit the General Assembly's ability to change or repeal laws created by citizen initiatives. Under the new rule, the legislature could only alter or cancel these voter-approved measures if more than six years have passed, if three-fourths of lawmakers in both chambers vote for the change, or if the proposed change is also approved by voters at the next election. The measure is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and requires voter approval to become law.

Maddy summaryHB 2734 updates Missouri mining laws by replacing existing sections with new rules that require mine operators to file affidavits if their underground tunnels extend onto neighboring property. The bill mandates that mining companies operating within cities of 1,000 residents or more must obtain an approved indemnity bond before sinking shafts or extracting minerals like coal, cobalt, rare earth elements, or silica sand. Additionally, it requires operators to publish public notices at least 30 days before starting mining activities in populated areas to inform the community. Failure to comply with these new requirements, such as refusing a court-ordered survey or mining without a bond, can result in misdemeanor charges, fines, or jail time.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes rules for how digital apps and websites that collect reproductive or sexual health data must handle that information. It requires these services to get explicit permission from users before sharing, selling, or using their data for any purpose. Additionally, the law generally prevents government agencies from forcing these apps to hand over user data, with specific exceptions for criminal investigations that do not involve abortion or gender transition care.

Maddy summaryThis bill mandates the use of ranked-choice voting and instant runoff voting for all primary and general elections in Missouri, requiring candidates to secure a majority of votes rather than just a plurality to win. Under this system, voters rank candidates in order of preference, and if no candidate achieves a majority in the first count, votes for eliminated candidates are redistributed to the voter's next preferred choice until a winner emerges. The legislation also requires the state secretary of state to run a voter education campaign and prohibits the purchase of new voting machines that cannot support ranked-choice voting starting in 2025. Additionally, it provides specific rules for handling ties, managing ballots where voters rank multiple candidates equally, and filling multiple seats in a district.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes rules for how digital apps and websites that track reproductive or sexual health data must handle user information. It requires these services to get explicit permission from users before sharing, selling, or using their health data for any purpose. Additionally, the law generally prevents government agencies from forcing these apps to hand over user data, with specific exceptions for criminal investigations that do not involve abortion-related crimes or attempts to determine pregnancy outcomes or out-of-state care history.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a system for automatic voter registration in Missouri, allowing eligible citizens to be added to voter rolls without submitting a separate application. The process triggers when individuals interact with various state agencies, such as when applying for a driver's license, seeking unemployment benefits, or registering for university classes. Before finalizing registration, local election authorities must send a notice to the individual with a prepaid card to decline the registration if they do not wish to be included. Local officials retain the authority to verify eligibility and remove names from the rolls, ensuring that only qualified voters are added to the lists. The bill operates alongside existing registration methods and requires funding to cover the costs of implementation and verification.