Governor Kehoe Recognizes Rep. Tricia Byrnes’ Work on RECA in
his 2026 State of the State
for recognition and support for those impacted by nuclear bomb waste.
That effort culminated when Missouri was added to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act through legislation led by Josh Hawley. The bill was signed into law on July 4, 2025 by Donald Trump, extending compensation to victims and families affected by radioactive contamination in Missouri.
“Families in our community have waited decades for recognition and justice,” Byrnes said. “I’m proud to have stood with them in this fight.”
Learn more about RECA here.
During his 2026 State of the State address, Governor Mike Kehoe thanked State Rep. Tricia Byrnes for her work advocating for the inclusion of Missouri communities in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).
As the mother of a cancer survivor, Byrnes has been a leading voice for families in St. Charles County and St. Louis County who have suffered illnesses and cancers linked to nuclear weapons waste that was mismanaged by the federal government beginning in 1949.
Since 2018, Byrnes has worked alongside affected families, community advocates, and federal leaders to push
LEADERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE OF MISSOURIANS
Career lobbyists want to control Jefferson City.
Tricia Byrnes has spent her time in the legislature doing the opposite — fighting for taxpayers, defending conservative values, and winning when government failed. Now she’s ready to take that fight to the Missouri Senate.
"Missouri doesn't need a lobbyist writing laws. We need someone willing to stand up to them. Tricia will."
- Danelle Uebinger, Auxvasse, MO
July 2023, State Rep. Tricia Byrnes, speaks at a press conference in Weldon Spring about radiologically contaminated sites in the St. Charles and St. Louis region. To her left stands U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, who promised to introduce legislation to compensate residents who became ill because of radiation exposure.
The Fight For Reca In Missouri
In 2018, following her son’s cancer diagnosis, Tricia Byrnes founded Chasing Answers to advocate for families in St. Charles and St. Louis affected by nuclear weapons waste. She became a steadfast voice alongside hundreds of advocates seeking justice for illnesses linked to the region’s role in producing materials for the nuclear weapons program during World War II and the Cold War. Her goal was to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include Missouri, and she took that fight to the Missouri Capitol after being elected State Representative in 2022.
In 2023, Rep. Byrnes organized and led a press conference outside the Department of Energy’s Weldon Spring Interpretive Center in St. Charles County. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley attended and pledged to make RECA expansion his top priority in Congress.
On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Senator Hawley’s RECA bill into law — a historic step that finally secured long-overdue recognition and support for Missouri victims.
"True service means listening to the voices that have been ignored for far too long."
- Tricia Byrnes
REFORM IS NEEDED
Cut Property Tax
Strengthening our middle class by cutting taxes for working families and stop charging rent on our cars. End state control of taxation on our homes.
Lower Energy Costs
Create energy policy that puts rate payers first and does not force costly subsidize on Missouri families. Families should not have bills skyrocetting.
Reform Education
Focus on restoring fundamentals - reading, writing and teacher led instruction not computer screens. Strentghen parental controls.
Community Safety
Support law enforcement, enforce the rule of law on our roads, and invest in real solutions to mental health and addiction that improve community safety.
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TURNING POINT USA COLLEGE CHAPTERS HOSTED BY REP. BYRNES - FIRST CAPITOL IN THE NATION
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