As this was written, the November 2022 mid-term election was underway. With a U.S. Senate seat, State Auditor, all Congressional seats, 17 of the State Senate’s 34 seats and all 163 State House of Representatives seats up, there were many moving parts this election.

Further complicating this election cycle, 2022 was a re-apportionment year, meaning that all of the Congressional seats, State Senate seats and State House of Representatives seats had been re-drawn.

And finally, term limits for six of the 17 State Senate seats and 42 of the 163 State House of Representatives seats mean we’ll have a bunch of new faces to lobby in 2023.

On the legislative front, MIBA Executive Director Matt Ruge met with the representatives of other financial services companies to discuss recent and upcoming legislation designed to limit foreign ownership of Missouri farmland. The major issue is determining the nationality of those purchasing the property and who determines the nationality. There are also several groups, other than those in the financial services business, interested in this issue, so we expect a robust discussion on this in 2023.

With our January article, we will outline leadership changes in the Missouri State House and State Senate and will have a better handle on other financial issues.