05/17/2026
"MOVHA made tremendous progress this session: We were one vote away from passage on both of our bills, SB 1066 and HB 1768.
We added many supportive legislators this session, and we neutralized the Hotel industry. We are in a prime position to pass our bill next session!" - Chris Roepe, MOVHA Lobbyist
👉 From the MOVHA Board:
This year we came much closer to passing our bill to prevent property tax reclassification for short term rentals, but in the end it became caught up in broader property tax reform efforts.
🎉 Because of the momentum behind our bill, it became the first property tax bill to pass the full Senate with a 30-3 vote and later passed the House overwhelmingly, 110-35.
After those wins, the hotel lobby moved from opposing our bill to taking a neutral position.
No one opposed our language, but our bill ultimately became the vehicle for numerous other property tax proposals — some highly controversial.
In the final hours of the last day of session, it simply became too weighed down to pass.
✅ What went well
→ We found a strong Senate sponsor in Sen. Ben Brown, and both Sen. Ben Brown and Rep. Chris Brown were tremendous champions for us
→ We secured a Democratic co-sponsor, showing this is a bipartisan issue
→ We earned support from the Missouri Realtors and the Missouri Chamber — two of the strongest advocacy groups in Jefferson City
→ Airbnb supported our efforts with a paid lobbyist in Jefferson City
→ Many other organizations and individuals joined our coalition and supported the effort
🛑 What we stopped
Just as importantly, we stayed vigilant in playing defense:
→ We kept STRs out of mandatory human trafficking training legislation — not because we oppose awareness and training, but because of how the bill was written
→ We removed language specifically targeting STRs in legislation allowing additional tourism taxes in certain cities, preserving flexibility for future legal challenges related to sales tax if needed
💪 What's next
Between now and December:
🤝 Attend fundraisers and meet candidates for state and local office
→ every House seat and many Senate seats are up for election
→ meaning many new legislators to educate
💬 Meet with your county commissioners and assessors
→ share your story
→ explain how devastating reclassification would be
→ report back to us on their commitment to keeping STRs classified as residential for property taxes
🎯 Update your MOVHA membership - constituents like you is what moves the needle
→ https://movha.org
