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Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public RadioThe new map breaks the Kansas-City-based district of Democrat Emmanuel Cleaver into three in an effort to make it more Republican-leaning. It's already facing a torrent of legal challenges plus an initiative petition campaign to defeat it at the ballot. -
Cara Penquite/Columbia MissourianStarting in late 2026, Missouri drivers will no longer leave car dealerships with a temporary tag, and buyers will have to pay sales tax at the time of purchase.
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In a little more than a week, the idea of redrawing Missouri’s congressional district lines has gained momentum among Republicans — with the explicitly partisan purpose of watering down Democratic voting power in the Kansas City-area 5th District, and forcing U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver out of his seat. -
Primary election day is Tuesday, Aug. 5. Learn more about candidates for a number of Wyandotte County positions, including mayor of the Unified Government. -
The proposal from Secretary Brooke Rollins calls for cutting 2,600 of the department's 4,600 jobs in the D.C. area and expanding the department’s footprint in five regional hubs, including Kansas City. -
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funnels federal money to public media stations such as KCUR and Classical KC, says it's winding down operations after President Trump signed a law rescinding all funding. -
The lawsuit charges that Missouri's hastily passed Show-Me Sports Investment Act is unconstitutional and "a direct gift or bribe to the owners of the Chiefs and Royals to stay in Missouri." -
Local leaders are addressing AI’s impact on water, surveillance, transparency and more. A mostly hands-off approach at the federal level means regulating complex AI issues is–so far–evolving in a patchwork of laws. -
Two Democratic candidates recently launched their campaigns against Cleaver for his seat in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District. That race will only get more challenging as a battle looms for possible redistricting that would make the seat more conservative. -
The bill from Missouri Republican Rep. Bob Onder is called the "Make Entertainment Great Again Act," but it focuses on one particular venue: the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Significant obstacles stand in the way. -
The governor said Missouri is "always trying to make sure that we have as much Republican representation" as possible in Congress. President Trump is pressuring the state to redraw district lines around Kansas City and force out Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. -
The Republican senator from Missouri is teaming up with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal on legislation aimed at deterring tech companies from training artificial intelligence models on content they didn't receive permission to use. -
After Republican lawmakers rolled back sick leave benefits and targeted abortion rights, a bipartisan coalition called Respect Missouri Voters started pushing an initiative petition seeking to undermine the legislature’s ability to overturn voter-approved measures. -
State lawmakers must soon decide whether to cover the extra costs to provide food assistance. If they don’t, food banks and pantries alone can’t make up the difference.
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… -
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… -
A federal judge in Washington state issued a temporary injunction on Friday blocking Trump administration rule changes that could allow people to share… -
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… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — A pressure campaign led by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly aims to force Republican Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle to drop her blockade… -
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… -
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,… -
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… -
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… -
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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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and former federal prosecutor Will Scharf both repeated lies that the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate. That's despite numerous independent studies and government reviews proving there was "absolutely no evidence" of fraud. -
New Republican-backed laws in several states — including Missouri and Kansas — threaten large fines or criminal penalties for minor mistakes in voter registration work. As groups pull back, they're reaching fewer voters. -
The sheriff's admission that no judge signed his search warrant for old election ballots came in the middle of a Republican candidate forum. For years, Hayden has claimed he is investigating voter fraud, but his probe has not yielded any charges or evidence. -
On May 7, voters in Kansas City, Kansas, will decide whether to approve a ballot measure that would raise property taxes for the next 30 years. The bond would pay to consolidate elementary schools, build new buildings, increase early childhood education, and fund additional renovations. -
In 2022, KCUR brought together a politically diverse group of people to share their views on election issues and politics. It's 2024. Where are they now? -
As November 2024 nears, Kansas and Missouri pollsters say that transparency is one key factor for determining a poll's quality. -
Voters soundly rejected the question that would have extended a 3/8th-cent stadium sales tax for 40 years, allowing the Royals to fund their proposed downtown ballpark and the Chiefs to renovate Arrowhead Stadium. Plus: Families of the people incarcerated at Leavenworth are worried as visits and phone calls have been cut off.
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Incumbents prevailed in some Missouri school board elections, while other Kansas City-area boards saw shakeups that could shift how they handle book challenges, diversity initiatives, class instruction time and how to best support students. -
Kimberly Dragoo, who pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor for her activities at the U.S. Capitol, hopes to focus on bringing up test scores rather than spending money. Her conservative campaign for a seat on the school board is prompting fierce debates online and off. -
KCUR asked members of the Kansas City Council and the Jackson County Legislature how they plan to vote on the stadium sales tax on April 2.
