I bet all the stores on High Street near the Missouri Capitol (as well as all the shops at Capitol Mall) glow with Christmas lights and Holiday decorations. A quick walk through the Capitol would find Christmas Trees in many legislators’’ offices.
Down in the Capitol basement another set of Christmas Trees stand ready to sprout: the legislative Christmas Trees of the 2026 session of the Missouri House and Senate.
You see, despite court rulings and a bunch of House and Senate rules, well, the legislature seldom passes a Bill as presented. Instead multiple Bills – sometimes dozens – get combined into long, complicated pieces of law. Expect an “education bill” with a bunch of parts and a “justice bill” taping together disparate ideas. And, of course, anti-abortion bills and anti-trans bill and other hot button proposals too radical to survive debate will get added as amendments to bills the chambers must pass.
The common term for these legislative abominations: Christmas Trees!
So, the House of Representatives and the Senate have already registered better than 1,300 bill for the session beginning January 7, 2026. On top of that are scores of resolutions for proposed Constitutional Amendments.
If tradition prevails, more than a thousand additional bills will be enrolled over the next couple of months. While none have been assigned to committee or yet entered the sausage factory a few stand out.
The federally discredited Second Amendment Preservation Act, Take 2, is in the wings, as are several proposals to further prevent abortions (and make medical professionals criminal).
House Bill 1722 (West – R, Wentzville) would require every school board member to be elected at the November general election in even years. Every candidate must have a “D” or “R” or “I” (for independent) behind their name.
HB 2095 (Haley – R, Eldon) would limit cost of living increases to teacher pensions to just 2% per year, no matter what inflation rate is documented.
Senate Joint Resolution 98 (Brattin – R, Mars) would charge sales tax when a home or other real property is bought.
SJR 105 (also Brattin) would abolish the Missouri Plan for court appointments and make every judge run as a Democrat or Republican.
Again, it’s early in Silly Season so the House and Senate members have plenty of time to submit more dangerous and stupid bills.
Still, it’s not too early to see the duct tape creating Christmas Trees.
Glenn Koenen