Rep. Wick Thomas

Maddy summaryHB 3178 requires all rules and regulations governing library programs receiving state funding to comply with the First Amendment, Missouri’s free speech protections, and anti-discrimination laws. This applies directly to every public library in Missouri that receives state financial support. Existing rules must be reviewed for compliance by August 2028, and new rules must meet these standards from the start. The law ensures library policies align with constitutional free speech and civil rights requirements without altering existing funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHCR 37 is a symbolic resolution condemning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices it claims include unlawful detentions, racial profiling, and family separations. It affirms that all people in the U.S. - regardless of immigration status - have constitutional rights and recognizes migrants' vital economic contributions, including in agriculture, healthcare, and other key sectors. The resolution does not change laws but directs Missouri’s Congressional delegation and an ICE official to receive a copy of this non-binding statement. It addresses concerns that ICE actions have caused harm, discouraged community engagement, and violated due process protections.

Maddy summaryHB 2064 repeals Missouri's statewide ban on local firearm regulations, removing Section 21.750 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. This change directly affects cities, counties, and other political subdivisions by allowing them to create their own ordinances governing firearms - such as sales, possession, or open carry - without state preemption. The bill does not alter existing exceptions in the repealed law, including rules about open carry permits or manufacturer liability protections. This is a concrete policy shift enabling local governments to address firearm-related issues through their own regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 2062 changes Missouri's higher education residency rules for tuition purposes. It requires public and private Missouri colleges receiving state funds to treat as in-state residents any student who graduated from a Missouri high school (public, private, or home) or earned a high school equivalency in Missouri. Non-citizen students must provide a written statement agreeing to pursue legal status if eligible, but institutions cannot deny admission based solely on immigration status. The bill also mandates that all residency information collected during admission stays confidential.

Maddy summaryHB 2063 requires Missouri's Secretary of State to provide all printed public materials in Spanish upon request. This applies to materials published and distributed by the Secretary of State's office, such as voter guides or forms. The bill adds a new section (28.950) to state law, mandating Spanish availability without requiring automatic translation of all materials. It directly affects Spanish-speaking residents and others who need these materials in a language they understand. The change is limited to printed materials and only when a specific request is made.

Maddy summaryHB 2065 repeals Missouri's current laws specifically addressing gender transition procedures (sections 191.1720, 208.152, 217.230, and 221.120) and replaces them with general Medicaid coverage rules. The new provisions, codified as sections 208.152, 217.230, and 221.120, integrate gender transition procedures into standard Medicaid coverage criteria like medical necessity, without explicit reference to gender transition. This bill removes the prior specific legal framework for gender transition services and subjects them to the same general Medicaid process as other medical treatments. It does not explicitly exclude gender transition procedures from coverage but changes their legal basis to align with standard Medicaid rules.

Maddy summaryHB 2066 would repeal Missouri's current law prohibiting same-sex marriage, specifically targeting Section 451.022 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. This section currently bans marriage licenses for same-sex couples, invalidates such marriages, and prevents recognition of same-sex marriages even if valid elsewhere. If enacted, the bill would remove these restrictions, allowing same-sex couples to legally marry and have their marriages recognized under Missouri law. The change would directly affect same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses and county recorders responsible for issuing them.

Maddy summaryHJR 127 proposes a constitutional amendment for Missouri that would require all marriages to be between individuals aged 18 or older. If approved by voters, it would repeal the current constitutional definition of marriage (Section 33) and replace it with a new provision stating marriage must exist only between people who are 18 or older. This amendment directly affects anyone seeking to marry in Missouri by establishing a minimum age requirement for marriage. The bill does not change the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman (that language is a placeholder to be removed), but instead focuses solely on the age requirement. The amendment would be submitted to voters in the November 2026 general election.

Maddy summaryHB 2623 abolishes the death penalty in Missouri by repealing all existing statutes that allowed for capital punishment. The bill mandates that anyone convicted of a crime previously punishable by death - such as first-degree murder - must instead receive a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. This change affects all individuals currently on death row or convicted of capital offenses under prior law. The bill replaces death penalty provisions with new sentencing rules that classify such offenses as class A felonies and eliminate the death penalty as a possible sentence.

Maddy summaryHB 2621 repeals Missouri laws that prohibited local governments from adopting "sanctuary policies" and penalized municipalities for doing so. Specifically, it removes sections of state law (67.307 and 285.550) that defined sanctuary policies as local ordinances limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities and threatened to cut off state funding for municipalities with such policies. The bill directly affects cities, counties, and other local governments in Missouri, allowing them to implement or maintain policies that restrict local officials from verifying or reporting immigration status to federal agencies. This change removes the financial penalty and legal restrictions that previously prevented municipalities from adopting these policies. The bill does not create new requirements but eliminates existing barriers to local sanctuary policy adoption.