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Sarah Kellogg/St. Louis Public RadioThe legislation, which includes blocking transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming health care like hormones or puberty blockers, has been held up with a filibuster over several days. Another bill would bar transgender athletes in schools from participating in sports that align with their gender identity. -
Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3It’s already illegal for health care providers to practice so-called conversion therapy in parts of Jackson County, but the failed ordinance would have outlawed use of the discredited practice on minors across the county and made it easier to report abuse.
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Gov. Laura Kelly rejecting the bill sets up a showdown with the Republican-dominated Kansas Legislature. The original vote on the bill fell two votes shy of a veto-proof majority. -
The April 4 election is the first under redrawn Kansas City Council districts, which means residents may be voting in a different district than they have in the past. Several races, while non-partisan, have become heated and intense.
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The Kansas House approved a bill that would create an independent commission that sets the compensation package for lawmakers. Supporters argue the commission could increase pay to help more everyday Kansans to run for office.
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Citing the hefty burden on low-income shoppers and rising cost of food, states like Kansas and Illinois have begun reducing or phasing out grocery sales taxes. But in Missouri, a bipartisan effort to eliminate the state tax has hit a roadblock.
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Lawyers for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner have asked a judge to throw out an effort by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to forcefully oust her from office, arguing that he has not met the high standard for removal under state law.
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A pair of bills were debated by the Senate education and workforce development committee aimed at expanding access to activities like sports and clubs to students who are homeschooled.
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Missouri courts need state funds to expunge marijuana convictions by deadline: 'It's a mammoth task'A huge selling point for those who voted for Amendment 3 in November was the automatic expungement provision — meaning people who have already served their sentences for past charges will have their records cleared. All marijuana-related misdemeanors must be expunged by June 8 and felonies by Dec. 8.
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Kansas City voters are narrowing the field for mayor and city council seats in redrawn council districts. Plus, residents will decide whether to approve taxes on recreational marijuana and Airbnbs.
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Members of the Missouri House and Senate have adjourned for spring break, marking the halfway point of the legislative session. So far, the GOP-controlled chambers have passed bills to raise state employee pay, restrict how schools can teach about race, and limit voter-led ballot initiatives.
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The bill would require students in Kansas to be assigned to male and female sports teams based on biological evidence at birth, including a person’s genitalia, chromosomes or reproductive potential. Among 41,000 girls competing in Kansas high school athletic events, only three are known to be transgender.
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Backed by the group Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the measures would amend the Missouri Constitution to declare that the “government shall not infringe upon a person’s fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” That would include childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion services, and miscarriage care.
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Sponsored by Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, the legislation would block certain gender-affirming health care services, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, for transgender Missourians under the age of 18. Democratic lawmakers filibustered the bill for two days, before the Senate adjourned early for spring break.
Government
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Mirroring federal legislation passed on Dec. 8, Missouri Rep. Chris Sander, a Republican from Lone Jack, has pre-filed a bill to recognize marriage between two individuals.
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The proposal by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft would threaten the funding of libraries over "non-age-appropriate materials" for minors. But former library administrators say the rules are "redundant and unnecessary."
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer's latest book examines the moral evolution of the 16th president from childhood through his time in office.
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The comprehensive collaborative plan would work on reducing homelessness not only in Kansas City but in the region.
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Kansas City attorney Stacy Lake has a plan to do better than the incumbent. That plan focuses on putting county residents first.
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David A. Paterson says he was ready to be governor, but the media's focus on his blindness obscured what he was trying to accomplish.
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Mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde have reinvigorated gun control advocates across the country. March For Our Lives rallies in hundreds of U.S. cities will take place Saturday to 'demand a nation free of gun violence.'
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A deep dive from the 2020 election through Joe Biden's first year as president reveals the struggle to hold the country together.
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Veterans were exposed to toxic air from burn pits overseas and comedian Jon Stewart and the Veterans of Foreign Wars say Congress needs to approve funds to treat them.
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With a one-party majority and a bag of legislative tricks, Kansas lawmakers conceal much of their bill-making process.
Elections
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Kansas City's municipal elections are coming up on April 4, with three ballot questions and three dozen candidates up for a vote. The election will determine the direction of the city for years to come.
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A primary contest in April kicks off a 2023 election cycle that will add several new members to the Kansas City Council, the results of which could affect the direction of the city and Mayor Quinton Lucas’ agenda.
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A Chicago-based Catholic law firm called the Thomas More Society has spent decades focused on their main mission: outlawing all abortions. Part of their strategy also includes casting doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections. Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, whose law license was suspended indefinitely by the Kansas Supreme Court in 2013, is among their strategists.
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Hickman Mills school board candidates discussed accreditation, conflict on the board and their priorities for the district.
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Missouri's municipal election day is April 4, 2023, less than a month away. Thousands of residents will vote in general and primary elections to choose who represents them in their city governments. Here's a list of opportunities to meet some of the candidates running in these races.
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That there are fewer candidates this year may be a return to the status quo, but it prevents the public from weighing in on who should govern local school districts.
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Missouri Democrats are at a low point in statewide politics. But an influx of money for the U.S. Senate race could help their 2024 hopes.
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Jeanna Repass lost the race for Kansas secretary of state and now faces criticism from her former campaign manager.
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Three dozen candidates are vying for a seat on the City Council. But first, they have to get through the April primaries.
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The GOP chose Mike Brown, a fiery conservative from Johnson County, as the new head of the state party.
