Were Missouri Republican lawmakers guided by a national agenda?

The Republican-dominated Missouri Legislature abruptly ended its 2025 session early last week to guarantee passage of two bills to undo what a majority of Missourians had voted for.

Were they working for what was in Missouri’s best interest, or falling in line with the national Republican agenda?

The day before the legislature ended its session Missouri lost a giant, Christopher ‘Kit’ Bond, who as an elected official aways chose what was best for Missouri over being a Republican who blindly pushed a partisan agenda at the exclusion of input from his Democratic colleagues, or the concerns of his constituents.

The legislature’s preoccupation to pass those two bills provides damning evidence of how partisan politics have come to rule the day. Legislators used a procedure to prevent Democrats from raising any objections or providing input and successfully secured their passage.

Also, the majority of Missourians be damned.

One bill puts a new abortion ban amendment before voters in 2026, unless the governor doesn’t decide to do it sooner.

The second takes away paid sick leave from Missouri workers that voters passed overwhelmingly and had just taken effect May 1. Those benefits will now be snatched back from workers on Aug. 28.

Both issues, through the petition initiative process, were decisively decided by voters last November.

A majority of Missourians voted against an abortion ban.

A majority of Missourians voted for paid sick leave.

Pause for a moment and think about what is being pushed about those same two issues on the national level by Republicans, irrespective of what the majority of Americans has indicated they prefer.

When it comes to abortion, the budget bill moving through Congress diverts and defunds agencies like Planned Parenthood, targeting “Big Abortion” as it is being called.

When it comes to paid leave, the United States is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t have a national paid family leave policy. A bipartisan bill to establish such a policy was recently introduced, which will require state participation. But its fate remains to be seen.

Bills to increase the federal minimum wage have repeatedly failed to be passed by Congress. The current proposed bill is unlikely to pass. Missouri voters have raised the minimum wage three times, including in November to $15 an hour.

What other measures were left on the table that could have benefited many Missourians because of tacit or implicit support of the national Republican agenda?

A major bill, House bill 19 that addressed many needs in communities across Missouri,  expected to be considered was suddenly refused to be presented for a vote in the House.

Needed areas left unfunded included: rural hospitals, community health centers, Boys and Girls clubs, capital improvement projects, higher education, research programs, workforce development, construction of a 200-bed mental hospital and other infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, billions of dollars remain in a surplus fund.

There was one other area that Missouri Republican lawmakers focused on that aligns, reinforces and support the national Republican agenda.

Tax cuts. Tax breaks.

Republican lawmakers managed to pass their biggest tax-cut priority bill and forwarded it to the governor for signing. The bill allows capital gains exemptions for individuals and corporations.

The bill also provides some limited tax breaks for low income, seniors and the disabled.

Passing a major tax cut is also a high priority for Congress. The current bill contains a permanent tax-cut for the richest 1% as well as targeted breaks for millions of Americans, although they are temporary for some, like the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime pay which will expire in 2028.

While seniors may be eligible for a new deduction, there will be no tax break or tax cut on social security income.

Moving forward, however, the challenge remains: How do we get our elected public officials to rise above entrenched partisan politics and selfish interests and focus instead on those areas that will improve the lives of most Missourians.

Elected officials’ only job is to work for those who elected them.

Republicans at the state and national level seem hell bent on pushing a blindly partisan agenda at the expense of what is best for their state or the country, and the will of the people.

They would do well to reflect on the life of Kit Bond, a stellar public servant and lifelong Republican.

Hopefully, it will be a reminder for some and a lesson for others.

As governor and U.S. senator, Bond was an elected official who worked to address the needs of all Missourians. The issues and legislation he championed were not marred by intractable and extreme partisan politics.

He worked with Republicans and Democrats.

During his long career — in life and the tributes pouring in since his death, from fellow Republicans and Democrats alike — his integrity and commitment to be collaborative to address the challenges that Missouri faced, to arrive at workable solutions, to get the resources needed can be seen in communities across the state.

His impact will be seen and benefit generations of Missourians for years to come.

In this time of hyper partisan politics, and when state needs and interests are co-opted and loss in a national agenda, it would serve current lawmakers well, to look to how Kit Bond functioned.

He epitomized what it means to put the interests of Missouri and Missourians first.

He was committed to get what was needed done.

Always. Unabashedly. Collaboratively.