Meg Cunningham
Meg Cunningham is The Beacon’s Missouri Statehouse reporter. Previously, Meg worked as a national politics reporter for ABC News in Washington, D.C., where she covered campaigns and elections. Meg is a Kansas City native and graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking and yoga.
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On August 6, Amendment 1 will ask Missourians to amend the state constitution to allow the General Assembly to pass a property tax exemption for child care providers.
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In the two years following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned abortion protections nationwide, the practice was almost entirely banned in Missouri. Meanwhile, clinics in Kansas have seen out-of-state abortion patients skyrocket.
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This year’s Missouri General Assembly session was defined by fighting among factions in the Republican Party amid campaigns for other offices ahead of the November general election. It resulted in a recent low for passing legislation. Most laws are still waiting a signature or veto from Gov. Mike Parson.
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Republican statehouses like Missouri’s increasingly limit what rules places like Kansas City can adopt — typically shutting down more progressive policies on issues like minimum wage and housing.
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Mayor Quinton Lucas said that he was in talks with cities like Denver and New York to bring immigrants who are authorized to work to Kansas City. Despite uproar from anti-immigration politicians in Jefferson City, that doesn't mean Kansas City is becoming a "sanctuary city."
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Missouri counties told state lawmakers that they needed more information when it comes to putting the freeze in place. Some revisions were made this year, but some lawmakers contend that it will take a third try to get the program right.
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The Missouri House advanced a bill that would prevent pregnant inmates in their third trimester from being restrained, except under extraordinary circumstances. The bill would also create certain health care requirements for pregnant inmates and reverse the prohibition on nonviolent drug offenders receiving SNAP benefits.
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Missouri is one of 19 states that has banned gender-affirming care for minors. The state has proven to be ripe for laws limiting transgender rights, which are often engineered by a network of out-of-state conservative advocacy groups.
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A Kansas City lawmaker has tried for years to crack down on celebratory gunfire with Blair's Law, named for a Kansas City girl who lost her life from a bullet fired randomly skyward. The problem gets worse when the Chiefs play — and win — playoff games.
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Before Missouri voters have the chance to enshrine the right to an abortion, Republican lawmakers might pass legislation aimed at making it harder to amend the state constitution. Another bill would close off public access to legislative records.