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Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3The Jackson County Legislature will appoint an interim county executive to serve until November 2026. Former County Executive Frank White Jr. was recalled by voters on Sept. 30, and former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes is serving for up to 30 days as temporary county executive. -
Anna Spoerre/Missouri IndependentCole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' proposed ballot language was "fair and sufficient," even though it does not explicitly state that the constitutional amendment would again ban most abortions in Missouri.
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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. -
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.” -
The teams have already had one year to negotiate with Kansas officials. But supporters say the deals are complicated — and are frustrated by delays. -
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. -
Republicans still support changing the process even after watching the most recent Supreme Court nominating process. Democrats say the process is working. -
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. -
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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Kansas City voters will decide in April whether to increase the city sales tax to help maintain buildings and buy new vehicles for the fire department.The… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — The same kids who end up in trouble with the law often come from families in disarray.Those families, in turn, regularly turn to the… -
The KCUR news staff presents the State of Kansas City series as a look ahead to 2020 on topics of importance to the region. Find the State of Kansas City… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s budget wish list is long: boosting spending on higher education, public safety and human services. She'd… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — The 2020 Kansas Legislature is underway. And while Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly laid out some of her top priorities during the State of… -
The Kansas City Council this week will discuss an ambitious proposal to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2030.The measure, dubbed Vision Zero, was… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — Natalie Zarate entered state custody when she was 11 years old, removed from a physically abusive mother and placed in a group home for… -
Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday a plan to form a singular agency — the Kansas Department of Human Services — that would absorb social welfare… -
Kansas City Councilwoman Teresa Loar has come under fire for comments she made about a bike infrastructure plan in the wake of a well-known bicyclist’s… -
As construction continues on a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, aviation officials are considering different ways to make the trip from…
Elections
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Kansas City officials have said the bulk of the money generated by the quarter-cent public safety sales tax will go toward a new municipal detention center. -
Voters overwhelmingly approved the measure that will provide nine charter schools and traditional Kansas City Public Schools campuses with nearly $500 million to address longstanding maintenance needs and improve learning environments. -
The SAVE Act could force eligible voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register and vote. But the lack of resources, potential to disenfranchise applicants and criminal penalties worry some county clerks in Missouri. -
Kansas City Public Schools will ask voters on April 8 to approve $474 million in higher property taxes to help the district update classrooms, build new schools and address long-standing maintenance needs. In order to pass the bond measure, the district will have to convince 57% of voters to sign off. -
Missouri will hold municipal elections on April 8. Voters across the Kansas City area will weigh in on issues like investing in public safety, improving infrastructure and electing their school board members. Here's a guide to what's on your ballot, plus what you need to vote. -
Westwood residents voted 441 to 394 to keep the tiny park. The result puts an end to plans to sell the land to a developer for an office park and retail shops. -
Kansas City voters will decide on April 8 whether to renew the public safety sales tax for 20 more years. Officials plan to use the bulk of the money to build a new municipal detention center. Despite concerns about property crime and gun violence, some residents don’t want a new jail built. -
Voters in Independence, Missouri, will consider whether to approve a $197 million general obligation bond on April's ballot. The majority of the money would fund building a new police campus, but money for infrastructure and the city's youth sports complex are also under consideration. -
Kansas City is asking voters to buy into its public school system for the first time in nearly 60 years. Even after Kansas City Public Schools regained accreditation and turned the tide of student performance, crumbling buildings offer a persistent reminder of the city's disinvestment. It's a relationship strained by decades of racism, a history-making desegregation case and plenty of internal turmoil. -
Voters in the Park Hill School District will see two tax measures on their April 8 ballot. Proposition G would raise the operating tax rate to support teacher salary increases. Proposition O would allow the district to borrow money for building renovations and replacements.
