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The state's new congressional map uses Troost Avenue as a dividing line, and groups majority Black neighborhoods in east Kansas City with rural communities in the middle of the state. Community leaders worry the new divide will mean the needs of underserved urban neighborhoods go ignored.
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Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe mobilized Guard members to assist ICE with "data entry, case management, and logistical support." Military experts say they also worry how these new deployments will affect recruitment and public trust.
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Less than 24 hours after Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced he was resigning to join the Trump administration. Gov. Mike Kehoe selected Hanaway, who was also the first woman to serve as Missouri House Speaker, to fill out more than three years of the GOP statewide official’s term.
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After the resignation of Andrew Bailey to serve in the Trump administration, Catherine Hanaway will be Missouri's fourth attorney general since 2018. She was the first and only woman to serve as speaker of Missouri House of Representatives, and unsuccessfully ran twice for statewide office.
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Legal experts say President Trump lacks the constitutional authority to stop states from offering mail ballots. Both Missouri and Kansas currently allow absentee voting by mail, but Kansas Republican lawmakers recently made it harder by eliminating a three-day grace period.
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The USDA has requested Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses and more personal information of Kansans who have received food assistance. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has joined a lawsuit with other states challenging the Trump administration's demands.
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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.
Government
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Proposition C supporters say changing the form of government will bring needed reform to the county while opponents say the problem is the current commissioners.
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Lucas plans to enforce his rules, which allows businesses to increase their capacity to 50%, over more restrictive measures announced by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday.
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City voters have traditionally supported firefighters, but critics worry the city's tax burden is already too high, especially for low-income residents amid the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.
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An estimated 200,000 people could receive coverage if the program was expanded.
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The fire department, whose employees include numerous relatives, had pressed for the changes
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Councilmembers cited a memo by Police Chief Tim Schwartzkopf, who said he was against the ordinance because of the strains it was likely to put on his department.
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Jackson County received nearly $123 million in the first round of CARES Act funding, but Kansas City didn’t receive a dime.
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KCPD has curtailed contact with the public in order to protect investigators from COVID-19. At the same time, homicides and shootings are up over last year.
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Lawmakers say they expect to come back soon, especially if Congress passes a bill allocating money to help state and local governments with budget shortfalls.
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In 2018, voters overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment known as Clean Missouri, which included state redistricting and ethics changes.
Elections
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In 2022, residents of this district told reporters they felt forgotten by elected officials. On a return visit, we heard from voters that long-serving U.S. Rep. Sam Graves doesn’t spend much time connecting with constituents here. Still, with wide support, he’s destined for a 12th term.
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Will Scharf, an attorney for former President Donald Trump is challenging Andrew Bailey, the current attorney general, as he seeks his first full term in the office. So far, Trump has yet to endorse either candidate.
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World-renowned crop artist Stan Herd is almost finished with the portrait of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee outside Lawrence, Kansas, near the Kansas River.
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The former Missouri Secretary of State and co-host of the podcast Majority 54 says Harris' presumptive nomination for the presidential race is energizing Democrats to "do the work."
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Democratic delegates who had pledged themselves to Biden following Kansas and Missouri’s presidential primary votes were largely united around Harris before they met Monday night to endorse her. The votes helped give Harris enough support to secure the party's presumptive nomination.
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News of President Joe Biden ending his presidential re-election run leaves many Democrats rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, and the Kansas Democratic Party chair both say they will both back her campaign.
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Fundraising in the Republican and Democratic primaries for Missouri governor has exceeded $21 million, with the majority going to Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe. But the race for attorney general is also proving pricey.
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Three Democrats are facing off in the 2024 Democratic primary for Jackson County Prosecutor, after Jean Peters Baker announced she would not run for re-election. John Gromowsky and Melesa Johnson joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss issues facing the office.
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This is a big election year for Missouri and Kansas, and the 2024 KC Voter Guide can help you make sense of it all. KCUR, the KC Media Collective and The Kansas City Star put together all of the information you need to make informed decisions as a voter in Jackson, Johnson, Clay, Platte and Wyandotte counties.
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Hundreds of candidates will appear on dozens of different ballots across the Kansas City metro during the August primary. They are precinct or county committee members, and they make up the backbone of their chosen party’s ability to build grassroots support and to set policy priorities.