Jason Hancock
Editor, The Missouri IndependentJason Hancock has been writing about Missouri since 2011, most recently as lead political reporter for The Kansas City Star. He has spent nearly two decades covering politics and policy for news organizations across the Midwest, and has a track record of exposing government wrongdoing and holding elected officials accountable.
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Rising housing costs have put property taxes are calculated under the microscope, with lawmakers looking to provide relief to taxpayers without bankrupting local governments. A property tax cap included in the governor’s stadium funding plan may not be constitutional. -
Missouri state Sen. Rick Brattin stepped down as chair of the Missouri Freedom Caucus just days after voting in favor of a Kansas City stadium funding deal. The conservative group criticized the plan as a "handout to billionaire sports team owners." -
With no clear indication of when — or if — access to abortion will be restored in Missouri, and a GOP-crafted amendment banning the procedure heading for the ballot next year, advocates on both sides are navigating the uncertainty and gearing up for the fight ahead. -
The Senate Freedom Caucus is demanding tax cuts in exchange for not blocking stadium funds for the Royals and Chiefs, while Democrats retaliated for slights during the regular session by derailing the routine work of signing bills. The tensions don't bode well for next week's special session. -
The governor's plan to convince the Chiefs and Royals to stay in Missouri hit a wall of resistance in the Senate. It now appears to be dead after Republican lawmakers cut off debate and forced through measures to ban abortion and repeal paid sick leave. -
Under the plan from Gov. Mike Kehoe, the state would help pay up to half the cost of a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals and a refurbished Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs, though the overall cost was not clear. Mayor Quinton Lucas said Kansas City "strongly supports the legislation." -
The tentative plan would commit Missouri to paying $15 million a year to a newly created Clay County sports authority for the two decades. That money would be used to help finance a new stadium in order to prevent the Royals from moving to Kansas. -
A new lawsuit alleges World Wide Technology, founded by a long-time Missouri political donor, was given preferential treatment — and a state employee was demoted for raising concerns about the arrangement. -
Elected officials from Jackson County will travel to the state Capitol this week to meet with legislative leaders and Gov. Mike Kehoe about stadium funding ideas. Meanwhile, Clay County is working to establish its own sports complex authority. -
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang previously struck down a number of “targeted regulation of abortion provider” statutes, but left state licensing requirements in place. Planned Parenthood argued the state licensing rules were an obstacle to providing abortions in Missouri.
