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The 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.
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Starting 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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Shannon Ellis, head of the union that represents Kansas City IRS employees, said the Trump administration won’t even confirm how many local federal workers have been lost. But she said that the layoffs and policy changes are demoralizing and delaying critical services.
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Business groups lobbied heavily to overturn Proposition A, passed by 58% of Missouri voters in November 2024, arguing it would cost jobs. The bill also repeals annual inflation adjustments for the minimum wage, which have been in effect since 2006.
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Legislation to restrict marriage for Missouri residents under age 18 had been stalled by Republican critics for years. The law also stops child sex abusers from using non-disclosure agreements to silence their victims.
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Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe also signed a bill that seeks to support victims of college hazing, and a bill expanding the use of baby safe boxes.
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This saga began in March 2021 when Geary County sheriff’s deputy Bradley Rose pulled over a motorist on Interstate 70 because he noticed half of the word “Illinois” couldn’t be easily read on the tag. But a unanimous Kansas Supreme Court said that wasn't enough to qualify as reasonable suspicion of a crime.
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Although the Supreme Court didn't weigh in on the legality of the Trump administration's plans to shrink the federal workforce, it allowed the firings to go forward while lawsuits play out. That will likely play out in Kansas City, which is home to nearly 30,000 federal employees at multiple government agencies.
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The election board says it is in limbo waiting for County Executive Frank White to sign or veto an ordinance unanimously approved Monday. There is not enough time to “build the election.”
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The teams have already had one year to negotiate with Kansas officials. But supporters say the deals are complicated — and are frustrated by delays.
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The Satanic Grotto sought a permit at the Kansas Statehouse to protest "Christian favoritism within our state government." State officials say they denied the permit because of safety concerns, after the group's last protest ended with several arrests.
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Republicans still support changing the process even after watching the most recent Supreme Court nominating process. Democrats say the process is working.
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Immigrants, including unaccompanied children, have little legal options once they're targeted for deportation — and no universal right to a government-appointed attorney. Kansas City's immigration court currently has a backlog of more than 52,000 cases.
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As it did in 2023, the ACLU of Missouri is arguing that the ballot summary for a constitutional amendment on abortion is misleading and should be rewritten
Government
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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.
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With a one-party majority and a bag of legislative tricks, Kansas lawmakers conceal much of their bill-making process.
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The leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the landmark case would see a complete ban on abortion in Missouri and offer Kansas legislators the opportunity to do the same.
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Local leaders from the Northland to Johnson County are working to make their communities more environmentally sustainable.
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Average starting pay for teachers in Missouri is already the lowest in the country. Now, teachers might not be receiving the raise they were hoping for.
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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the current system of state control over the KCPD undermines the voices of Kansas City residents.
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Facing a budget shortfall in 2020, Missouri cut 200 jobs at the Department of Social Services including positions in the division overseeing abused and neglected children.
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The Missouri senate bill, introduced by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder (R-Sikeston), aims to strengthen and broaden existing rape shield legislation.
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Marshall also signaled he was unlikely to vote for Ketanji Brown Jackson's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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A recent Mother Jones article highlighted a bill co-sponsored by Tracey Mann that would extend tax breaks in opportunity zones where he owns properties.
Elections
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Few election cycles in living memory have been quite as chaotic as the 2024 presidential election. A new book from journalists Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen looks at what happened behind the scenes in Washington as the campaign unfolded. The authors are in Kansas City for an American Public Square event on Wednesday.
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President Trump recently announced his intent to "lead a movement" to end mail-in ballots and the use of voting machines in states' elections. Both are used extensively in Missouri and Kansas, and election officials weigh in about what those changes would mean.
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A new Missouri law requires the school district to get voter approval to continue the four-day week. But whether Independence voters will weigh in on keeping the shorter schedule may depend on the outcome of a lawsuit the school district filed against the state.
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White sent a letter to all Jackson County employees Wednesday announcing his decision — and then, the next day, announced he had been battling kidney cancer.
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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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Voters in Prairie Village, Kansas, will be faced with an unusual question on their ballots in about three months: Shall the city abandon the mayor-council form of government? We'll hear about how a fight over zoning and housing wound up in a legal battle over the city government's structure itself.
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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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Former Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg is visiting Kansas City to speak at an American Public Square event. He spoke with KCUR’s Up To Date about the issues he sees in the modern Democratic party — and why he believes younger leadership and a focus on grassroots organizing can help the party in future elections.
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Last November, Missouri voters approved a measure that raised the minimum wage and allowed employees to earn paid sick leave. But state lawmakers have ensured that in less than a month, the sick leave requirement is going away.
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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.