Missouri Supreme Court strikes down law that bans homeless camping on state land

The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously struck down a 2022 law that bans people from camping on state land. 

The high court ruled that the law does not follow the Missouri Constitution’s requirement of legislation to stick to a single subject. 

The law also involved county financial statements, neighborhood improvement districts, county coroners, and other topics. 

Repeat violators would face a misdemeanor, a fine and jail time. 

It would also have allowed the Missouri attorney general to sue cities that did not enforce the ban. 

State Senator Holly Thompson Rehder, of southeast Missouri’s Sikeston, sponsored the bill.