JEFFERSON CITY — The House of Representatives saw intense debate May 12 before giving final legislative approval to a bill that exempts Missouri from complying with international laws.

Senate Bills 977 and 1011, handled on the floor by Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Bowling Green, are known as the “No Foreign Laws Act.” The bills place the Missouri Constitution over international organizations like the World Health Organization, the United Nations and the World Economic Forum when dealing with laws enacted in the state.

The bill also states that no laws from foreign governments, including religious laws, should overshadow Missouri constitutional rights. This is a nod to the original intent of the bill, which specifically targeted Shari’a Law.

Rep. Michael Burton, D-Lakeshire, said that the purpose of this bill seemed to be a “hybrid of undermining organizations that are put in place to save lives and the other part is to attack the Muslim community.”

Though the bill contains no mention of COVID-19, representatives on the floor debated the validity of that pandemic.

“The United Nations and World Economic Forum have always been opposed to our constitutional republic,” said Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson. He then referred to COVID-19 as a “scam-demic” and said these international organizations contributed to an overregulation of American liberties.

Opponents of the bill, like Burton, pointed out that the international organizations gave recommendations, not laws. He also raised concerns about the lack of protections for Missourians with the possibility of a modern-day health crisis, referencing a recent cruise ship outbreak of hantavirus.

“When you reduce the amount of COVID spread, you have less dead people,” Burton said. Noting one former House member lost a spouse, he said, “With all the misinformation and disinformation, I still hear, you know, the anti-vaxers and the people that say that COVID was just like the flu.”

Precautions from foreign organizations helped limit the spread of viruses like COVID-19 and should continue to be implemented in American life, Burton said. He noted hantavirus has appeared in the United States and has not been contained. While it may not appear to be a current major risk, people have died from it, he said.

“Information, and science, and trust and facts are really important when you’re dealing with a pandemic or an epidemic and people’s lives,” Burton said.

Twice during Burton’s speech, Republicans raised a point of order that his comments deviated from the purpose of the bill.

House Speaker Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, approved one point of order until House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, reminded the floor of Seitz’s “scam-demic” words.

The second point of order was struck down.

“Gentleman, this bill addresses the World Health Organization. Let the man speak for the next 11 minutes,” Patterson said, referencing the amount of time Burton had left to speak.

This ruling was not well received by Republicans, as many stood to leave the chambers for the rest of the debate.

When Burton concluded, Republicans filed back in to vote, passing the bill 99-45 and sending it to the governor.

This report is written by Missouri School of Journalism students for publication by MPA member newspapers in print and online.