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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. -
Leah and Lane HensleyLatinos are expected to be 70% of net new homeowners in the U.S. by 2040. Several local programs — mostly in Spanish, but some in English — are designed to help Latinos jump the hurdles that can stand between them and homeownership.
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The massive legislation extends tax cuts and increases safety nets for farmers who grow commodities, like corn, wheat and rice. But deep cuts to federal food assistance spending could hurt specialty growers who benefit from programs like Double Up Food Bucks. -
Missouri's Freedom Caucus is pressing Gov. Mike Kehoe to call a special session to redraw Cleaver's Kansas City-based district. Cleaver said that mid-decade redistricting would "tear up the country" by creating a "MAGA government." -
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it plans to relocate thousands of employees to five offices around the country. But the Trump administration's previous plan to move staff to Kansas City, back in 2019, caused a mass exodus and a significant drop in productivity. -
The so-called Crown Act was signed by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on July 9. Missouri became the 28th state to pass legislation that makes it illegal to discriminate based on the texture or style of one's hair. -
If Missouri Republicans revamp their map to oust Kansas City Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, it could backfire at the ballot box — and in court. President Trump is publicly urging Republican-led states to pursue mid-decade redistricting to win more U.S. House seats. -
A hearing for two court actions over the election date is scheduled for Aug. 1, while the Jackson County Legislature has an ordinance setting a new election day to consider. -
The field is growing more crowded as Republicans and Democrats line up to seek the Kansas governor's office. -
Verifiable numbers are hard to come by in the bidding war for the Royals and Chiefs. Last year, the two teams generated nearly $70 million in city, county and state taxes, but it would take decades to generate enough revenue to make up the price tag of new stadiums. -
The Trump administration’s budget bill authorizes $45 billion for more detention centers like the one CoreCivic plans in Leavenworth, Kansas. Groups around Kansas City have organized demonstrations against the ICE facility. -
The court ruled 6 to 1 that counties cannot levy a 3% tax on marijuana dispensaries in cities and towns — only in unincorporated areas. -
Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford is among those calling for the release of documents related to the investigation, urging U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to release any files in the Department of Justice’s possession. -
A federal judge ruled that Kansas lawmakers were suppressing free speech when they passed a law targeting mail-in ballots. The law was passed one month after the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Government
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Known as SB8, the highly restrictive law has spawned a copycat bill for consideration in Missouri. -
Attorney General Eric Schmitt is using a judge's ruling against state and local public health officials to go after school districts requiring masks. -
Platt is happy with the progress Kansas City has made, but knows there's more to be done. -
The new legislation will bring $3.8 billion to Kansas for infrastructure projects and create two million jobs per year for the next decade. -
On Sunday, December 5th, former U.S. Senator from Kansas Bob Dole passed away at the age of 98. -
As the Strickland evidentiary hearing continues at the Jackson County Courthouse, Mayor Lucas remains critical of Strickland's continued imprisonment. -
The former Republican U.S. senator from Missouri talks about President Biden, the Jan. 6 insurrection, Donald Trump and Josh Hawley. -
The Gilded Age saw an America much like today. Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett examine how the country recovered then and how it can do so again. -
Republicans are pushing Gov. Kelly to eliminate the $300 additional weekly unemployment payments because they say the money makes it harder to fill open jobs. -
Heating bills for school districts spiked during the cold snap earlier this year, leaving some districts unable to pay.
Elections
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The Kansas legislature has taken up several bills this session that the ACLU says would make casting ballots harder. The House Committee on Elections' chair says the goal is to improve Kansans' confidence in elections, and that many of the measures won't make it to a vote on the floor. -
Jackson County voters will see a question in the April 2 election asking to repeal and replace a sales tax, which would help pay for a new Royals ballpark. Here is a guide to the stadium ballot measure, including whether the Royals needs taxpayer dollars and who would own it. -
Big wins in statewide offices and the legislature have helped create bitter factionalism within the Missouri GOP. But since former President Trump is likely to take the state easily in November, many GOP officials aren’t worried about what’s to come. -
Jackson County voters will decide in April whether to fund the Chiefs' and Royals' stadiums through a 3/8th-cent sales tax for the next 40 years. However, two legislators worry their constituents won’t have enough information to cast their ballots. -
Jackson County voters will decide in April whether to fund the Chiefs' and Royals' stadiums through a 3/8th-cent sales tax for the next 40 years. However, two legislators worry their constituents won’t have enough information to cast their ballots. -
State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, a Republican, issued an audit of Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft's office and downgraded his administration to the second-lowest rating because it illegally withheld documentation about election cybersecurity. Ashcroft, who is also a Republican, criticized the report as a political attack. -
In the few days since the 2024 Kansas legislative session started, bills governing mail-in ballots and advance voting applications have already been filed. There is still zero evidence that widespread election fraud happens at the state or national levels. -
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft threatened to unilaterally kick President Joe Biden off of the Missouri ballot if Donald Trump is disqualified in other states for violating the U.S. Constitution's insurrection clause. But an appeals court ruling found Missouri law did not give the secretary of state that power. -
A local baseball fan created a Facebook group to "save Kauffman Stadium" over two years ago. Now, their movement claims over 7,500 members, even as the campaign to build a new downtown Royals ballpark gains momentum and legislative support. -
Across the U.S., thousands of children and young adults serve as informal interpreters for family members that don’t speak English. For kids of Latino immigrants in Kansas City, being the family interpreter is an honor and burden. Plus: Gov. Laura Kelly is again calling for lawmakers to expand Medicaid to provide health care to about 150,000 low-income Kansans.
