Rep. Kevin Windham

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals the existing one percent state sales tax on food effective January 1, 2025, while exempting local sales taxes from this change. The new law defines "food" strictly as items eligible for federal nutrition assistance programs, excluding most prepared foods sold by restaurants and cafeterias. To replace the revenue lost from eliminating the food tax, the bill authorizes a new state estate tax on estates valued at twenty-five thousand dollars or more. The rate for this new estate tax will be set by the Department of Revenue to generate an amount of money equal to what the previous food tax would have collected, with all funds directed to the school district trust fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires employers in the state to provide employees with a meal break of at least thirty consecutive minutes during every eight-hour shift, ensuring no worker goes more than five and a half hours without one. The law allows these breaks to be paid or unpaid, but if an employee is called back to work during the break, they must be compensated for that time. Exceptions exist for jobs covered by collective bargaining agreements, roles where only one person can perform the duties, small shifts with fewer than five workers, or situations involving public safety where employees must remain available. Employers who fail to comply face fines starting at three hundred dollars, which increase to a maximum of one thousand two hundred dollars for repeated violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits colleges and universities from denying students access to their academic transcripts if the students owe money for tuition or other fees. It specifically stops schools from refusing to issue transcripts, making transcript payment a condition for receiving them, charging extra fees for transcripts due to debt, or using the transcript process as a method to collect unpaid balances. The law applies to both public and private postsecondary institutions that provide transcripts to current or former students. By removing these barriers, the bill ensures that a student's financial status does not prevent them from obtaining official records of their academic history.

Maddy summaryThis bill would create a confidential registry of firearm owners managed by the state attorney general. Residents and nonresidents who own or possess firearms in Missouri would be required to submit a form containing personal details and specific information about each gun, such as the model and serial number, by a set deadline each year. The registry would exist both as physical records and an electronic database that law enforcement could access with a warrant, while the public would only receive anonymous statistical summaries.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to create a training program for all current and future members of college and university governing boards, as well as for presidents, chancellors, and other chief administrative officers. The training must cover relevant rules, compliance standards, and best practices, with separate programs designed for existing officials versus new appointees. Officials must complete the training within two years of their appointment or the bill's effective date, and those who fail to do so after receiving a written warning will be removed from their positions by the governor. The department is authorized to partner with third-party vendors to develop and deliver these mandatory training sessions.

Maddy summaryHB 2617 repeals existing Missouri statutes regarding the collection of delinquent property taxes and replaces them with new provisions designed to streamline the process. The bill allows counties to opt into a specific program for properties that have been unpaid for at least two years, which involves removing these parcels from standard auction lists and managing them through a land bank agency or a specialized county process. It establishes strict rules for who can bid on these properties, prohibiting sales to nonresidents without a local agent and restricting bidders who have unpaid taxes on other properties or who are employees of the relevant land bank. Additionally, the legislation includes a requirement for residents in certain municipalities to prove they do not own properties with multiple housing code violations before they are eligible to purchase tax-delinquent land.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the first Sunday in August as "Pennytown Day" to honor Pennytown, Missouri, which was once the largest African American community in central Missouri. The legislation encourages citizens to participate in events and activities that remember the history of this community. By adding this designation to state law, the bill ensures an annual opportunity for public commemoration without altering any existing legal requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Office of Racial Equity and a Racial Equity Task Force within the state government to address systemic racism. The office will be led by a director hired for their expertise in diversity and equity, who will conduct reviews to identify racial disparities, collect race-based data, and create fairness policies for all state agencies. The director will also develop performance targets for government entities to improve these disparities and provide training on institutional bias. A separate task force, composed of five members appointed by various state leaders including the governor and legislative speakers, will advise the director and report annually to the General Assembly on progress. Members of the task force serve without pay but can be reimbursed for expenses, and the bill requires regular reporting to ensure accountability in reducing racial bias across state systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a fifteen-member task force to develop standardized templates for admission and financial aid letters used by public colleges and universities in the state. The group will include representatives from student organizations, parents, school counselors, and higher education administrators to ensure diverse input. The task force must produce a report by January 1, 2025, containing sample letters that clearly list costs, financial aid details, and graduation statistics, along with recommendations for making these standards mandatory. Members of the group will serve without pay but can be reimbursed for necessary expenses, and the committee will dissolve once it submits its final report.

Maddy summaryHB 2679 modifies voter eligibility and candidate qualifications in Missouri by adjusting age requirements and expanding restrictions on individuals convicted of felonies. The bill allows people aged 17 and a half to register and vote once they turn 18, while prohibiting those adjudged incapacitated from voting. It also bars individuals convicted of felonies or misdemeanors related to voting rights from voting for thirty years after serving their sentence or being discharged from probation or parole. For candidates, the bill requires a public disclosure of any felony convictions and disqualifies those with unpaid state or local taxes from running for office. Additionally, candidates must sign an affidavit confirming they have no tax delinquencies or outstanding bonding requirements to be eligible to participate in an election.