With Legislative Spring Break now in the rearview mirror, the pace of legislative action generally accelerates in the final weeks before the last day of the session on May 14. This week, however, saw little movement on the many bills we’ve been taking action against this year.
Thankfully, because of your actions — testifying before committees, calling and writing your legislators, submitting written testimony — a handful of the worst anti-LGBTQ bills are still in committees awaiting further action. While this is good news, we know that the unpredictability of legislative session means that these bills could resurface or move at any time. The PROMO team will keep you up to date as we protect trans kids, defend marriage equality, and ensure LGBTQ Missourians can live and thrive!
On April 14, please join PROMO on your lunch hour at noon for our Let Kids Play Lobby Day.
You’ll meet with champion legislators, learn from trans youth who have been expert testifiers, and take action by asking your Missouri legislators to stop the attacks and bans on trans youth across our state. Join us on Zoom from your home or office during lunch!
On a number of other issues, however, the legislature has been hard at work rolling back progress for Missourians. Just yesterday, the Missouri House Budget Committee voted no to funding Medicaid expansion, which Missouri voters passed last year. Medicaid expansion would provide health insurance coverage for an additional 275,000 low-income Missourians.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Missouri House advanced legislation that is making it harder to vote in our state. In addition to new voter ID requirements, which we know disproportionately harm transgender and gender-expansive individuals, as well as older voters and voters of color, the bill gives sweeping power to the state to oversee local election authorities.
And on Monday, PROMO joined a collection of other organizations in submitting testimony in opposition to Senate Bill 26 – a bill restricting the rights of Missourians to protest. This bill, and others like it, are designed to prevent marginalized communities from exercising their rights to free speech and assembly — rights the LGBTQ community has always exercised.
Continue turning to PROMO in the coming weeks as legislation may move quickly. Legislators see PROMO working in the Capitol, demonstrating the vigilance, persistence, and expertise required to make certain Missouri laws protect and enhance the lives of all LGBTQ Missourians. We’re here to guide you to action — it takes all of us to make sure LGBTQ Missourians are fully protected by our laws.
In Equality,
Stephen Eisele, Executive Director