New education laws on Kehoe’s desk

Missouri lawmakers proposed hundreds of education bills for the 2026 session, but only four passed both the House and Senate, with three awaiting Governor Mike Kehoe’s signature as of mid-May. On April 23, Kehoe signed **House Bill 2061**, a law targeting antisemitism in K-12 schools and universities by adopting the **International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s** definition, which includes examples like Holocaust denial and harmful stereotypes about Jews. The law requires schools to integrate the definition into student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct and report incidents to the state’s **Title VI coordinator** at the **Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)**. Schools must address complaints within 30 days or face federal reporting to the **U.S. Department of Education** and **Department of Justice**. Critics argued the bill’s Israel-related provisions could restrict free speech, but the law specifies protections under the **First Amendment**. Other unsigned bills include one creating a governor-appointed board to review decisions by the **Missouri State High School Activities Association**, another allowing armed ‘rangers’ for school security, and a third adjusting public college board member requirements. Failed proposals included a **90-page education bill**—blocked by opposition from **St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski**—and an **A-F school grading system**, which Kehoe later included in an executive order. Most education bills, including those on higher education, religion in schools, and ‘school choice,’ did not advance. The **Missouri Independent** reported that negotiations over charter schools and private school scholarship programs collapsed. With the session adjourned, remaining proposals will require new legislative efforts in 2026.