When Missouri courts become the go-to destination for jackpot justice, it’s not just bad for business—it’s bad for every Missourian who depends on agriculture, science, and fairness under the law.
That’s exactly what happened in Anderson, et al. v. Monsanto, a three-plaintiff Roundup case tried in Cole County. A jury awarded $611 million in damages—more than half of it in punitive damages—to plaintiffs from California, New York, and Missouri. These out-of-state lawsuits, championed by trial lawyers looking for headlines and paydays, threaten to bankrupt companies doing business in good faith, with products still approved by federal regulators.
Let’s be clear: glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is one of the most tested and regulated herbicides on the planet. It remains approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and nearly every major regulatory body around the world. Yet plaintiffs’ lawyers are pushing juries to override science with emotion—arming them with cherry-picked experts, questionable theories, and inflated medical bills that violate Missouri law.
The Missouri Court of Appeals had an opportunity to correct these errors. Instead, it doubled down, upholding nearly every misstep made by the trial court—from admitting expert testimony on legal matters (a practice usually forbidden), to allowing “surprise” scientific theories, to ignoring clear Missouri statutes governing medical costs and punitive damages.
Now, all eyes turn to the Missouri Supreme Court.
This isn’t just about one case or one company. This is about Missouri’s role in a national strategy by trial lawyers to weaponize our court system against manufacturers and producers—which will ultimately lead to dependence on Chinese-manufactured products. And when those lawsuits succeed, it’s farmers, consumers, and rural communities who pay the price through higher input costs, restricted product access, and lost investment.
I represent the people of Rural Missouri, where agriculture isn’t a talking point—it’s a way of life. Our farmers depend on tools like glyphosate to protect their crops, steward their land, and feed the world. They shouldn’t be forced to watch activist juries tear down science in favor of scare tactics and billion-dollar paydays.
I urge the Missouri Supreme Court to take up Anderson v. Monsanto, reverse this dangerous verdict, and restore legal sanity to our court system. Because if we allow trial lawyers to set policy from the jury box, it won’t just be herbicide manufacturers who suffer—it will be the hardworking people of Missouri agriculture.
We cannot let Missouri become the next jackpot jurisdiction. The rule of law—and the future of science-based agriculture—depends on it.
Kurtis Gregory (R) represents State Senate District 21, which includes Cooper, Howard, Lafayette, Ray, Saline and part of Clay counties.
