Coping with COVID: Missouri bill against business COVID restrictions passes House, moves to Senate

The Missouri House on Tuesday voted in favor of barring state and local officials from putting any restrictions on businesses, churches or other non-public entities during public health emergencies, except in certain circumstances.

The House voted 117-23 to send the bill to the Senate ahead of a May 14 deadline to pass legislation. If approved by the Republican-led Senate and signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson, the bill would prevent the state, counties and cities from requiring masks inside businesses, limiting indoor dining at restaurants or ordering other safety measures be followed on non-public property in response to contagious disease outbreaks.

Rep. Ben Baker, a Republican from Neosho who sponsored the bill, said it would also cover houses of worship.

Limits on private property could only be enacted if the state, counties or cities face disease outbreaks of “significantly greater prevalence” than other areas, according to the bill.

Baker said it would be up to officials to determine whether they’re facing comparatively worse outbreaks, and residents could sue if they disagree with those decisions.

Parson largely left it up to local governments to decide how to handle the coronavirus pandemic, and several Missouri cities required masks and temporarily banned or limited indoor dining to reduce the spread of COVID-19.