-
The proposed amendment drafted by Republican lawmakers will appear before voters in November 2026, two years after Missourians codified the right to reproductive health care in the state constitution.
-
State Senate Democratic Leader Doug Beck said Gov. Mike Kehoe should not have authorized a deployment just hours before the federal shutdown.
-
The governor’s budget vetoes included money for tutoring programs, road infrastructure improvements, workforce development, food assistance and arts organizations. "These losses are huge," says Arts Asylum director Evie Craig.
-
The Trump administration had appealed a decision that had directed it to stop gutting the U.S. Education Department and to reinstate many of the workers the government had laid off.
-
Problems with Tesla, tariffs, and tax breaks have electric vehicle investors worried, even as Panasonic unveiled a massive new battery plant in De Soto, Kansas, on Monday. Leaders at the factory say it’s just a bump in the road.
-
President Donald Trump’s new budget package cuts funding for programs like Medicaid and SNAP through work requirements.
-
Missouri Republicans say it’s a ‘mistake’ to cut tax that funds Medicaid. Trump’s bill did just thatGov. Mike Kehoe is hopeful Congress will reverse course on major restrictions on medical provider taxes, which were included in the "Big Beautiful Bill" that President Trump signed. All of Missouri's Republican members of Congress voted in favor of it.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.”
Government
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.