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Harkim Wright Sr./APThe number of bans and restrictions in the U.S. rose 33% in the last school year, according the report from free speech group PEN America. Florida had more bans than any other state, followed by Texas and Missouri. -
Nat Thomas/St. Louis Public RadioMissouri's legislature declined to reinstate a state-run presidential primary this year, meaning that the parties are responsible for planning how delegates will be divided up in 2024.
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Despite the Missouri House voting to overturn multiple budget vetoes — including on funding for law enforcement — the Senate did not take any further action, leaving those vetoes intact. -
Lawmakers convene on Wednesday for the annual veto session, where they will have the opportunity to override any of the vetoes issued by Gov. Mike Parson this year.
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Kelly Broniec’s appointment to the state’s highest court creates a women-led majority. Gov. Mike Parson also appointed Broniec to the Eastern District Court of Appeals in 2020.
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A judge heard arguments over a series of proposed amendments to Missouri's constitution seeking to legalize abortion, this time over the ballot language proposed by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. The ACLU argued that Ashcroft's summary was biased against the amendments, like a "referee playing for one of the teams."
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Officials on Monday announced Washington University's Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital would no longer offer puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or surgeries to minors — even those who are exempted from Missouri's new ban.
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Thousands of retired public employees in Kansas have never seen an increase to their pension pay, and inflation is eating away the value of those payments. Advocates argue the Legislature owes them a boost.
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The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded a lower court’s wide-ranging order barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies was “vague and broader than necessary.”
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Previously, dispatchers were classified as clerical workers, which didn’t give them access to the benefits other first responders receive. Experts hope this will attract more candidates to the job.
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After the Missouri legislature voted to block Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements last year, Planned Parenthood sued. A judge concluded it was unconstitutional for the state to deny access to funds available to other health care providers, but the attorney general's office is appealing.
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The Weldon Spring Republican has been critical of Senate Republican leadership since he entered the Missouri legislature in 2017.
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A letter from Mayor Quinton Lucas to Jackson County cited high costs as one of the main reasons the city will pursue an independent jail facility, ending months of talks with county officials.
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Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker is asking a judge for permission to raise her own legal challenges to Missouri's near-total ban on abortion, which she says is vague and inconsistent. Baker said the law flips the burden of proof required in criminal cases from the prosecutor to the defendant.
Government
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The police raid on the Marion County Record potentially violated federal law and constitutional rights. It could leave taxpayers covering a big legal settlement.
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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.
Elections
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The charges in Fulton County implicate the former president as the head of a sweeping conspiracy to subvert his defeat. It's the fourth indictment in as many months for Trump.
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Fresh shrimp historically comes from the coasts. But some Missouri farmers think they can produce tastier shrimp far from the ocean. Plus, former Democratic Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is getting back in the political fray — and not everyone in his party is pleased.
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Recently re-elected Mayor Quinton Lucas and the new Kansas City Council will be sworn in Tuesday morning — signaling the start of their four-year term. But for the six newcomers, including Johnathan Duncan and Crispin Rea, preparation began weeks ago.
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Tuesday is a primary election in Kansas. Voters in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties are heading to the polls to narrow the field for area city councils, county commissioners and school boards.
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Voters in the Central Plains school district near Great Bend will decide Tuesday whether to dissolve the district. If the measure passes, the Kansas Board of Education would redraw boundaries and assign the district’s territory into neighboring districts.
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Johnson Countians who want to cast ballots early have a number of options, including in-person advanced voting, drop boxes and by mail.
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Missouri state Rep. Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat who serves as the House minority leader, announced her gubernatorial candidacy earlier this week. She says her primary issues are childcare and health care access, and defending public education.
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A diverse — and growing — pool of Republican candidates hope to unseat Davids. Davids has won her seat with an increasing margin since 2018, even when the district was redrawn to be more Republican last year.
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As the dust settles on another municipal election, Kansas City residents can expect a city council that will focus on housing, violence and city services. The members also reflect shifting ideas of what's important to Kansas City voters.
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All 12 seats on the city council were up for grabs in Tuesday's election. Current Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas easily won reelection.
