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Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri IndependentThe 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. -
Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri IndependentState Senate Democratic Leader Doug Beck said Gov. Mike Kehoe should not have authorized a deployment just hours before the federal shutdown.
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The Missouri Hospital Association strongly opposed a plan to cap medical provider taxes at 3.5 percent. The tax helps hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies pay to treat low-income patients. -
Missouri is among several states that have tried to remove Planned Parenthood clinics from state Medicaid programs, even though Medicaid funds cannot generally be used to fund abortions. -
Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee pushed back against the Trump administration's bid to rescind federal funding for public broadcasting and international aid programs. Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt spoke in favor of revoking funding. -
Kansas' ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender minors takes effect next year. This family is trying to navigate the changes — and give their daughter a normal teen life. -
Rising housing costs have put property taxes are calculated under the microscope, with lawmakers looking to provide relief to taxpayers without bankrupting local governments. A property tax cap included in the governor’s stadium funding plan may not be constitutional. -
Critical mineral producers in Missouri are exploring extraction methods as international trade policies fluctuate, and the president's tariff regime plays out. -
Federal lawmakers from Kansas have introduced legislation that would transfer control of Haskell Indian Nations University from the U.S. Department of Interior to Haskell’s Board of Regents but continue federal funding for the school. -
Gov. Mike Kehoe appointed five people to a state board that would manage the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. But some St. Louis lawmakers criticized the governor for primarily choosing white men. -
The state could soon join 27 others banning hair discrimination if Gov. Mike Kehoe signs the proposal into law. -
Kansas and Missouri Republicans were quick to express their support for the attack, which came despite years of promises made by Trump to keep the U.S. out of conflict in the Middle East. -
The attack marks a major escalation in the burgeoning war between Iran and Israel and came despite years of promises by President Trump to keep the U.S. from entering another Middle East conflict. -
Experts say the Panasonic plant could tap the breaks on hiring while it waits out economic uncertainty. The company can still collect hundreds of millions of dollars from Kansas even if it does.
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. -
With a one-party majority and a bag of legislative tricks, Kansas lawmakers conceal much of their bill-making process. -
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. -
Local leaders from the Northland to Johnson County are working to make their communities more environmentally sustainable. -
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. -
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the current system of state control over the KCPD undermines the voices of Kansas City residents. -
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. -
The Missouri senate bill, introduced by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder (R-Sikeston), aims to strengthen and broaden existing rape shield legislation. -
Marshall also signaled he was unlikely to vote for Ketanji Brown Jackson's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. -
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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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. -
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. -
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly only has one more year in office, and candidates are already lining up to replace her. We’ll learn about the crowded race to succeed the Democratic governor.
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Those wanting merit-based selection of justices are keen to keep the status quo, while others seek to establish direct elections for justices. -
Rose Mulvany Henry and Christal Watson will face off in November's general election for mayor of the United Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City Kansas. Here's what happened in the Aug. 5 primary election. -
Legislators originally approved the recall vote for August 26, but the Jackson County and Kansas City election boards said they could not possibly meet legal balloting requirements in that short timeframe. -
Primary election day is Tuesday, Aug. 5. Learn more about candidates for a number of Wyandotte County positions, including mayor of the Unified Government. -
After Republican lawmakers rolled back sick leave benefits and targeted abortion rights, a bipartisan coalition called Respect Missouri Voters started pushing an initiative petition seeking to undermine the legislature’s ability to overturn voter-approved measures. -
Six candidates are hoping to replace Tyrone Garner as the next mayor of Kansas City, Kansas. KCUR's Up To Date spoke with Gwendolyn Thomas ahead of the August 5 primary — and we interviewed three other candidates in an episode last week. -
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.
