The Missouri Senate passed several bills on Thursday that impact transgender youth, cellphone use in schools, and the power of the courts to change ballot item summaries. One bill removes expiration dates from restrictions on transgender youth accessing health care and participating in sports, while another bans cellphone use during the school day. Additionally, a bill reduces the power of the courts to rewrite ballot measure summary statements.
The Senate Bill 10 removes expiration dates from laws banning transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming health care and participating in sports, among other provisions. Critics argued that while they don’t agree with all the programs made permanent by the bill, the benefits to transgender youth outweigh the drawbacks.
Senate Bill 68 would require schools to ban cellphone use during the school day, except for emergencies or educational purposes. The bill received bipartisan support and aims to reduce distractions and cyberbullying in schools.
Senate Bill 22 limits the power of courts to rewrite ballot measure summary statements. The bill comes after legal challenges regarding the summary language for Amendment 3, which was approved by voters last year. The bill would give the secretary of state’s office three opportunities to rewrite a summary if challenged, with courts retaining the right to reject the language as unfair.
These bills will now proceed to the House of Representatives for further consideration. The passing of these bills has sparked debate and divided opinions among legislators and the public.
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