Statehouse battles over gender, abortion, and justice

Missouri lawmakers are advancing a slate of high-profile social policies, including bills to make the state’s ban on transgender youth participation in school sports permanent and to expand it further. Republican legislators are also pushing new abortion restrictions as courts weigh existing laws, signaling a renewed fight over reproductive rights. At the same time, ‘Bentley’s Law’ seeks to require drunk drivers who kill parents to pay child support, blending punitive justice with victim restitution. Together, these measures highlight an aggressive conservative agenda reshaping social and cultural policy in the state.