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Missouri Democrats gathered in St. Louis on Saturday for their annual Truman Dinner, the biggest event of the year for a party that remains on the outs in state politics. The 2026 midterms will also include critical votes on a proposed abortion ban and a measure making it harder to change the constitution.
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The Kansas City Council ended its years-long agreement to stop the economic tug of war between the Kansas and Missouri sides of the metro. Both states offered big incentives to the Chiefs and Royals, but neither team have said yet where they'll go.
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The mayor's acknowledgement on Monday confirms what St. Louisans had suspected and feared: Residents were not given a warning for the first deadly tornado in the city since 1959.
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Crime around the Linwood Shopping Center is steering customers away from the Sun Fresh grocery store at 31st Street and Prospect Avenue. The store's operators say the city needs to address infrastructure and public safety improvements in the area.
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Missouri lawmakers are making it more difficult to take water out of the state without a permit, after raising concerns about drought and water scarcity in the west.
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Gov. Mike Kehoe said Friday that he will call back lawmakers for a special session to consider a counteroffer that would keep both Kansas City teams in Missouri. He called it an economic development package.
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Colyer officially announced his run for office at a rally on Thursday in Wichita. He previously served as governor for one year in 2018, following the resignation of former Gov. Sam Brownback, but then lost in the GOP primary.
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It's the first time in more than 70 years that the House has adjourned early. The session had been scheduled to end on Friday.
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After GOP lawmakers repealed parts of a voter initiative on paid sick leave and minimum wage, and added an abortion ban to the ballot, protesters say they will look at passing a constitutional amendment that legislators can't touch.
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The Missouri legislature approved a law that would ban the sale of multiple invasive plants, including burning bush and Callery pear. The species choke out native plants and cause issues for ecosystems and landowners.
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The governor's plan to convince the Chiefs and Royals to stay in Missouri hit a wall of resistance in the Senate. It now appears to be dead after Republican lawmakers cut off debate and forced through measures to ban abortion and repeal paid sick leave.
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Legal complaints against adult sites are mounting in Kansas as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs whether age verification laws are constitutional.
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The legislation repeals the entire earned sick leave portion of Proposition A as well as a portion of the minimum wage increase. Only one Republican joined all Democrats in voting no.
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Voters will likely see the issue on the ballot in 2026. The amendment would ban most abortions, with limited exceptions before 12 weeks of pregnancy, and also includes language banning gender-affirming care for minors — something that's already in state law.
Government
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Proposition C supporters say changing the form of government will bring needed reform to the county while opponents say the problem is the current commissioners.
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Lucas plans to enforce his rules, which allows businesses to increase their capacity to 50%, over more restrictive measures announced by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday.
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City voters have traditionally supported firefighters, but critics worry the city's tax burden is already too high, especially for low-income residents amid the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.
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An estimated 200,000 people could receive coverage if the program was expanded.
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The fire department, whose employees include numerous relatives, had pressed for the changes
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Councilmembers cited a memo by Police Chief Tim Schwartzkopf, who said he was against the ordinance because of the strains it was likely to put on his department.
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Jackson County received nearly $123 million in the first round of CARES Act funding, but Kansas City didn’t receive a dime.
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KCPD has curtailed contact with the public in order to protect investigators from COVID-19. At the same time, homicides and shootings are up over last year.
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Lawmakers say they expect to come back soon, especially if Congress passes a bill allocating money to help state and local governments with budget shortfalls.
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In 2018, voters overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment known as Clean Missouri, which included state redistricting and ethics changes.
Elections
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The bond question in North Kansas City's April 8 election would help build new performing arts centers and two high schools and fund renovations at middle schools. The district says the tax rate would stay the same whether or not voters approve the bond.
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The bond plan calls for building new elementary schools, major renovations and reopening Southwest High School as a middle school. Kansas City voters have not passed a bond for KCPS since the 1960s, and the district has been left with more than $600 million worth of repair needs.