Missouri’s legislative session begins tomorrow, January 3rd at 12pm. Four blatantly anti-LGBT bills were pre-filed in December. Since then one more bill has been filed. These bills are the exact same bills that were filed  last year, so we know we are ready.

The language of the two anti-transgender bills include restricting public restroom or school restroom use by transgender individuals. These bills are SB 690 (Sen. Emery) and HB 1755 (Rep. Pogue). Similar versions of these same bills were filed by the same legislators last year and both failed.

There are two bills both focusing on religious exemption and marriage.

HB 1763 (Rep. Pogue) which reads:

Allows a person authorized to solemnize marriages to refuse to solemnize a marriage which is contrary to the religious beliefs or sincerely held moral convictions of such person.

HB 1434 (Rep. Berry) which reads:

Changes the laws regarding marriage and replaces marriage licenses with contracts of domestic union.

HB 2074 (Rep. Kelly) which reads:

Prohibits public institutions of higher learning from discriminating against a religious student organization or denying a religious student association any benefit available to any other student association

Nine anti-LGBT bills were defeated in 2017. PROMO will once again actively work to defeat these bills in 2018.

Also, on a positive note, the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act has been pre-filed by again for the 20th year in a row. Last year it was heard on the House floor for the first time in history.

Want to know how you can stay informed this legislative session? Follow #moleg on Twitter, follow along with anti-LGBT and pro-LGBT bills here, and sign up for our email list or follow along with our blog.

***Stay tuned for a video on Facebook from our Manager of Public Policy, Elizabeth Fuchs, who will be your voice inside the Capitol this legislative session.