Mike Moon

Opponents of the ban on most transgender minors receiving hormone therapy or puberty blockers say it runs afoul of Missouri's state constitutional equal protection guarantees.

Lawmakers have until 6 p.m. Friday to finish work on a host of key issues.

Both bills now go to the Missouri House, where leadership says they are a priority.

The Missouri Senate gave first-round approval to a pair of bills early Tuesday morning targeting transgender minors and athletes. It needs another vote in the Senate before moving on to the Missouri House.

Another Senate committee heard testimony Tuesday on legislation that would prohibit anyone from changing their birth certificate.

Lawmakers passed legislation last week that cuts Missouri’s income tax. Both bills now head to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk where he is expected to sign them.

The session, called by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, is supposed to center around a permanent income tax cut as well as tax credits for agriculture. However, some lawmakers are filing unrelated bills in hopes of passing them this time around.

Parents of transgender kids say that their children just want to play sports with their friends — and that new legislation would isolate them.

One of the transgender bills was added to a bill containing multiple measures about Missouri elections, including the requirement that voters show a photo ID in order to cast their ballot.

Over half of states have rolled back public health powers during the pandemic, which experts say permanently weakens states’ abilities to protect their constituents’ health.