by Sarah Rossi, Director of Advocacy and Policy for the ACLU of Missouri
IT’S OVER.
So what do we have to show for it?
HB 187: Immigrant Rights
A bill that would have forced immigrant students who live in, work in, and contribute to the economy of Missouri to pay international tuition at Missouri colleges and universities is dead. The ACLU lobbied hard against this bill, particularly the international tuition provision. Legislators listened, and those who care deeply about an educated workforce and making Missouri schools appealing to students from all backgrounds refrained from pushing this bill to passage. While another, less detrimental, anti-immigrant student bill is on the Governor’s desk; we will be asking him for a VETO and will continue to advocate for greater educational access for immigrant students.
HB 104: LGBT Equality
The Student Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bill, which would have given religious student groups special rights on campuses — namely to discriminate against religious minorities and LGBT students, died while waiting to be discussed on the Senate floor. The ACLU led the charge against this bill. Campus non-discrimination policies exist for a reason. Public schools and the student groups that receive public funds should be open to all students. Religious organizations should not receive exemptions from rules that every other group must follow. Not only is that unequal treatment, it is a violation of the separation of church and state put forth in the First Amendment.
HB 762: Police Accountability
A former law enforcement officer’s bill, to restrict the state from mandating body cameras and to make closed records of all body camera and dashboard camera footage, died one step before it hit the Senate floor. The ACLU, along with various press associations, lobbied against HB 762 every step of the way. The ACLU argued that the bill was too broad, too fast, and did not serve the interests of the public, the press, or those who may be the target of violent police action. An offer was made to work with the Representative who sponsored this bill during the interim in order to find a compromise that will address the concerns of all parties. We sincerely hope he takes advantage of that offer.
SB 93: Free Speech on Public Campuses
This bill creates the Campus Free Expression Act to protect free expression on the campuses of public institutions of higher education. We had great advocacy support from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and the Alliance Defending Freedom. This bill passed with almost unanimous bipartisan support. Student groups will no longer have to worry about being cordoned off on in a remote part of campus and will be able to proclaim their messages widely.
HB 120: Privacy
Of the two bills that the ACLU helped draft and advocate for, HB 120 made it the furthest. This bill would have protected students and employees from schools and employers snooping around personal social media accounts. The ACLU worked with legislators to include extensive privacy protections for students, alongside the provisions protecting employees. After two successful hearings in the House, nearly unanimous bipartisan support on the House floor, and another successful hearing in the Senate, the bill stalled on the Senate floor and was not brought up for debate. We will try to pass this legislation again next year, building on this session’s momentum.
A more extensive legislative report is coming soon, but rest assured that the ACLU worked hard for our members and supporters from the first gaveling in of the legislature, to the moment of sine die. This was a very successful legislative session for civil libertarians, with very few bad bills hitting the Governor’s desk, while gaining forward momentum on some key ACLU legislation.