Rep. Chad Perkins

Maddy summaryHB 1222 would prevent SNAP (food assistance) recipients from using benefits to purchase candy and soft drinks. It defines "candy" as sugar-based products like chocolate bars and "soft drinks" as sweetened nonalcoholic beverages (excluding milk-based drinks or those with over 50% juice). The bill requires the state social services director to seek a federal waiver to exclude these items from SNAP-eligible foods, requesting annual renewals if denied. If approved, SNAP benefits could no longer cover these specific food items.

Maddy summaryHB 1176 creates a state income tax credit for Missouri taxpayers who donate to qualifying pregnancy resource centers. Taxpayers can claim 50% of donations for 2007-2020, 70% for 2021-2025, and 100% after 2026, up to $50,000 annually per taxpayer. To qualify, centers must provide free, non-abortion services (no abortions performed or referred) and meet strict criteria like offering in-person support and operating under Missouri law. The bill caps total annual tax credits at $3.5 million for fiscal years ending June 2021, with no cap after July 2021, and requires state verification of eligible centers.

Maddy summaryHJR 1 proposes a constitutional amendment to establish strict spending limits for Missouri's state government. It requires that annual spending not exceed a baseline amount (based on prior year appropriations) adjusted by the state's population growth rate (e.g., 100% of prior spending for population decline, 101% for small growth). It creates a "Tax Reform Fund" within the state treasury to cover budget shortfalls only when spending limits are triggered, using revenues from specific tax changes. The amendment also mandates a two-thirds legislative vote to temporarily exceed the spending limit, with the exception lasting no more than 12 months. This directly affects state budgeting decisions and future tax policy implementation.

Maddy summaryHB 655 requires all Missouri public school districts and charter schools to adopt comprehensive antibullying policies. These policies must define bullying broadly (including cyberbullying and harassment that disrupts learning), ban zero-tolerance disciplinary approaches, and mandate staff to report incidents within one school day. Schools must investigate reports within ten school days, notify parents of bullying incidents, prohibit retaliation against reporters, and provide annual staff training and student education on bullying prevention. The bill directly affects every Missouri K-12 school by mandating specific procedural changes to address bullying and create safer learning environments.

Maddy summaryHB 1782 modifies the rules for qualified spousal trusts in Missouri to clarify how these trusts protect assets from creditors and how property is handled during divorce or death. The bill defines a qualified spousal trust as one created by married couples where assets are held jointly or in separate shares, allowing each spouse to control their own portion while the other is alive. Key provisions grant these trusts immunity from individual creditors similar to joint ownership, provided the assets remain in the trust after the first spouse dies, but this protection ends if the couple divorces. The legislation also ensures that transferring property into such a trust does not violate fraudulent transfer laws and applies to all qualifying trusts regardless of when they were established.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the law regarding unlawful firearm possession to allow individuals who have finished their sentences for nonviolent felonies to legally own guns. Currently, people on probation or parole for such crimes are prohibited from possessing firearms, but this change would remove that restriction once their supervision ends. The legislation defines a nonviolent felony as an offense that does not involve threats or force against another person, while maintaining stricter rules for those convicted of violent felonies. Antique firearms are also exempted from these new restrictions.

Maddy summaryThis bill abolishes the death penalty in Missouri and mandates that anyone convicted of first-degree murder be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, except by an act of the governor. It achieves this by repealing existing statutes that authorized capital punishment and replacing them with new sections that specify life without parole as the mandatory penalty for adults aged eighteen and older. The legislation also clarifies how offenses are classified based on potential prison terms and outlines rules for combining homicide charges with other crimes during legal proceedings. These changes directly affect the sentencing outcomes for individuals convicted of murder and alter the legal framework governing capital cases in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public school campuses to install automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by the start of the 2025-26 school year. It mandates that school personnel receive annual training on using these devices and establishes strict rules for their maintenance, including annual inspections by qualified technicians and proper battery care. The legislation also defines specific placement standards for AEDs, ensuring they are located in high-traffic areas like gyms and cafeterias where they are easily accessible during and outside of school hours. Additionally, the bill outlines protocols for early access and care, requiring schools to call emergency services and begin CPR immediately while using the AED within three to five minutes of a cardiac arrest event.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how state funding is distributed to regional planning commissions in Missouri, requiring local governments to provide matching funds to receive state support. Under the new provisions, the state will contribute one-half of the funding while local units must supply the other half, with specific dollar limits set for various councils and commissions. Additionally, the maximum grant amounts for these organizations will be adjusted annually starting July 1, 2026, based on changes in the consumer price index.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes creating a new felony offense for individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States to be on public or private land in the state. It defines an "illegal alien" as someone without legal status under federal immigration law and makes it a class E felony for them to trespass if they do not carry their alien registration card or have failed to register. The law explicitly excludes anyone who has valid federal authorization to remain in the country from this prohibition. If passed, the measure would allow state authorities to prosecute undocumented immigrants for entering or staying on property without permission.