House Democrats tout policy wins in 2023 legislative session

Post-partum coverage extension, infrastructure bills among victories for Missourians

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Heading into the final day of the 2023 legislative session, House Democrats had already scored several important legislative wins for Missourians, including expanding coverage for post-partum care to combat Missouri’s high maternal mortality rate, ending the “cliff effect” for Medicaid recipients and investing in long-neglected infrastructure needs throughout the state.

“From the outset, House Democrats pledged to invest in Missourians this session, and we played a crucial role delivering investments that will move us towards a stronger, more prosperous Missouri,” said House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield. “Much more remains to be done, but our caucus can be proud of what it accomplished this year.”

Quade said lawmakers could have achieved more if majority Republicans had focused on bipartisan solutions instead of spending much of the session marginalizing minorities, dismantling down on local control and persecuting Missouri’s LGBTQ community.

Assistant House Minority Leader Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, said House Democrats played instrumental roles in defeating some highly divisive proposals, such as an attempt to insert language in the state budget that sought to broadly ban government agencies and anyone they contract with from implementing “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs, which effectively would have prevented Missouri’s government from doing business with private entities.

“We spoke loudly against it on the House floor and our voices jumpstarted opposition across the state against that language, which would have thrown our state and our budget into chaos,” Brown said.

House Minority Whip Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, said that increased funding for state employees, services and infrastructure reflected Democrats’ commitment to investing in Missourians while championing tax cuts on groceries, diapers and feminine hygiene products, as well as tax credits for senior citizens and child care.

“While Republicans pushed a corporate income tax elimination and other tax cuts that only benefit the wealthiest in our state, our caucus focused on targeted tax relief for Missouri families and seniors that would make a meaningful difference in the lives of most Missourians,” Aune said.