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The Jackson County Legislature will appoint an interim county executive to serve until November 2026. Former County Executive Frank White Jr. was recalled by voters on Sept. 30, and former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes is serving for up to 30 days as temporary county executive.
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Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' proposed ballot language was "fair and sufficient," even though it does not explicitly state that the constitutional amendment would again ban most abortions in Missouri.
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Bailey’s short tenure as attorney general was defined by confrontation with the federal government and local officials, as well as accusations of corruption, incompetence and grandstanding.
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In a battle started by President Trump, Texas, California and even Missouri could redraw lines that change whose votes really matter in the 2026 congressional elections.
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Gov. Mike Kehoe wouldn't say whether he would call a special session to gerrymander the congressional map around Kansas City, and make it difficult for a Democrat to win in the 5th District. But he did say he shares Trump's vision for Republicans keeping control of the U.S. House.
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State leaders in both parties say they're ready to redraw political lines ahead of 2026, but state laws and constitutions make mid-decade redistricting virtually impossible in many places. In Missouri, Republicans are taking aim at Kansas City's U.S. House seat.
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Shawnee Mission, Olathe, Topeka and Kansas City, Kansas, public school districts allegedly allowed students to participate in sports and use restrooms that align with their gender identity. The districts also permitted teachers to maintain confidentiality with transgender students.
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Missouri Republican lawmakers seem to have all the leverage to gerrymander congressional districts in September, with the explicitly partisan aim of making it difficult for Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to win reelection. But if they succeed, it could unleash a torrent of legal and political consequences.
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St. Louis is losing population, driven largely by a lack of investment and housing opportunities for families with children. SLU professor Ness Sándoval says the city should follow the lead of Detroit.
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The donation comes roughly two months after the Missouri legislature approved a $1.5 billion stadium funding plan aimed at convincing the Chiefs and Royals to stay in the state.
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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is appealing an order from a Jackson County judge that currently prevents the state from enforcing numerous abortion regulations. But the state supreme court unanimously refused to take up his request.
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Democratic state Sen. Patty Lewis of Kansas City says a special session on congressional redistricting could backfire on Republicans in a number of ways.
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Private prison company CoreCivic is temporarily barred from holding detainees at its dormant Leavenworth facility. Yet preparations to reopen are going full steam ahead.
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Because Proposition A, which included a minimum wage hike and mandated paid sick leave, was a statute change, lawmakers were able to repeal it. If it returns as a constitutional amendment, it would be harder to change again.
Government
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TOPEKA, Kansas — Gov. Laura Kelly appointed lawyer Keynen “KJ” Wall to the Kansas Supreme Court on Wednesday.Wall will fill the seat of former Justice…
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TOPEKA, Kansas — The state lost 13% of its public defenders over the past year.That’s actually an improvement. Nearly a fourth of the state’s public…
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A federal judge in Washington state issued a temporary injunction on Friday blocking Trump administration rule changes that could allow people to share…
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Kansas health officials say the state is ready to deal with the new coronavirus now that Kansans are starting to get sick.Lawmakers still aren’t ready to…
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TOPEKA, Kansas — A pressure campaign led by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly aims to force Republican Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle to drop her blockade…
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TOPEKA, Kansas — Kansas has one of the highest rates of suspended drivers in the country, and the majority of those more than 215,000 licenses are…
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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is rethinking some of his proposed budget cuts.The budget Lucas announced earlier this month included major cuts to arts,…
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Kansas lawmakers sped through dozens of bills this past week to keep them alive past a “turn around” deadline marking the midpoint of the session.Measures…
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TOPEKA, Kansas — From 2000 to 2019, the women’s prison population in Kansas rose by 60%. Over the same time period, the men’s population rose by only…
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Conservative Republicans at the Kansas Statehouse are attempting to block passage of Medicaid expansion until lawmakers send a constitutional amendment on…
Elections
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Kansas City resident Nathan Kline is the Green Party's candidate for the U.S. Senate race in Missouri. He is running on a platform focused heavily on campaign finance reform.
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With early voting well underway and Election Day next Tuesday, KCUR's Up To Date breaks down what you need to know about some of the biggest races in Missouri and Kansas.
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Jackson County voters will elect a new county prosecutor in just over one week. Republican Tracey Chappell and Democrat Melesa Johnson met for a debate on KCUR's Up To Date about how they’d approach criminal justice.
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Democrat Patty Lewis and Republican Joey LaSalle are running for Missouri Senate District 7 in western Jackson County. Both candidates joined KCUR's Up To Date to debate who would best represent voters.
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Johnson County has a number of competitive down-ballot races, including elections for sheriff and district attorney. But the county also has competitive races in the Kansas House and Senate, which could determine if Republicans preserve their total control of the legislature.
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All of Missouri's statewide offices are currently held by Republicans. One of the closest contests this election is the race for attorney general, between incumbent Republican Andrew Bailey and Democrat Elad Gross.
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This fall, Jackson County voters will elect the first Black woman to serve as Jackson County Prosecutor. Republican Tracey Chappell and Democrat Melesa Johnson are both running for the office — which is garnering a lot of attention due to the rise in property crimes.
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Even in the highest turnout years, a third of the eligible voters in Kansas stay home. A nonpartisan group of voter advocates is working to close that gap by nudging their families, friends, book clubs and exercise buddies to get to the polls.
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With many Republicans promoting anti-immigrant and racist messaging in the 2024 election, and support for deportations and other tough immigration policies, the director of KC For Refugees says her community feels increasingly isolated.
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Question 1 on Jackson County's Nov. 5 ballot would increase the average homeowner’s tax bill about $20 a year and bring in $8 million for senior services like free meals and transportation.