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Cara Penquite/Columbia MissourianStarting 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. -
Leah and Lane HensleyLatinos are expected to be 70% of net new homeowners in the U.S. by 2040. Several local programs — mostly in Spanish, but some in English — are designed to help Latinos jump the hurdles that can stand between them and homeownership.
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Boone County residents questioned Republican Rep. Mark Alford about his vote for Medicaid cuts in the "Big Beautiful Bill," Trump's deployment of the National Guard, and other GOP priorities. -
A proposed amendment written by Missouri Republican lawmakers would repeal the reproductive rights measure passed by voters last year — but makes no mention that it would ban abortion. The ACLU of Missouri argues the proposal violates the state constitution and misleads voters. -
At a time when Congressional Republicans are generally opting against town halls, Kansas City-area Rep. Mark Alford is embarking on a four-day, 15-stop tour to meet with constituents. Some of his events have been met with contentious protests. -
Missouri's capital gains tax cut will apply to all gains since Jan. 1, and will be reflected in the income tax returns due in April. It's the first state to exempt profits from the sale of assets such as stocks, real estate, and cryptocurrency from income taxes. -
Missouri lawmakers overturned the mandated sick leave law that voters approved by a wide margin. Two Kansas City workers are part of the effort to put sick days back on the ballot, this time as a constitutional amendment lawmakers can’t repeal. -
Redistricting critics warn that efforts to redraw maps mid-decade risks fueling further gridlock in Congress, and ceding more power to the executive and judicial branches. Missouri Republicans appear ready to jump into the gerrymandering game. -
Newly appointed Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is now representing the office she sued as an attorney for the Grain Belt Express. -
The Trump administration requested assistance from the Missouri National Guard for clerical, transportation and logistical tasks for immigration authorities — not arrests. The Guard would remain under the authority of Missouri's governor. -
Lawmakers voted to repeal the Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement Act, a 1988 law now seen as a property rights violation and a barrier to a fresh start after prison. -
The Cass County Republican represents a safe GOP seat in the Kansas City area and mid-Missouri. But that could change if the Missouri legislature decides to redraw the state's congressional districts. -
The audit into the city’s communications department investigated issues with transparency. The department was consolidated and controlled by former City Manager Brian Platt, who was fired in March. -
An open letter signed by a majority of Kanas bishops encouraged Kansans to see immigrants as humans, not criminals. Meanwhile, the Kansas Legislature is pushing the governor to "fully cooperate" with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
Government
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Gov. Mike Parson and four statewide officials took their oaths of offices on Monday — ushering in four more years of near total Republican rule over Missouri. -
An ordinance introduced by Mayor Quinton Lucas would force some taxpayer-funded organizations to pay employees at least $15 an hour by 2022. -
The officer is charged with using excessive force against the teenager, who pleaded ‘I can’t breathe.’ -
Kansas City officials are deliberating who will become the next city manager, overseeing everything from snow removal to the annual budget. -
Federal authorities say the effort led to over 500 arrests in Kansas City, but that included arrests under other operations. Civil rights leaders were highly critical of it, calling it "undue civilian terror." -
Currently, only the governor and state auditor are restricted to two consecutive terms in Missouri. Opponents of the Amendment 1 ballot measure say it's a solution in need of a problem. -
Members of the city’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee refused to attend Wednesday’s meeting, stalling city business. They’re calling on Teresa Loar to be removed as committee chair. -
Most of the money will go towards supporting small businesses in Clay County, in the form of grants of up to $50,000 each. -
Changing who is ultimately responsible for the department’s actions requires support from the Missouri General Assembly or a statewide vote. -
Most of the cuts will effect higher and K-12 education. The Office of Administration, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Department of Social Services will also see cuts in funding.
Elections
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Racist and nativist rhetoric has made headlines in the 2024 election, and immigrants and refugees around Kansas City have taken notice. Plus: One of Missouri's few openly gay Republican lawmakers says his vote on transgender rights cost him his party's support — and reelection. -
The strip of about seven blocks in Overland Park is represented by a Republican, in a district where almost half the registered voters are Republican. But more than half the yard signs on that strip favor the Democratic challenger. -
Ahead of the 2024 election, learn how Missouri and Kansas keep voter registration lists up to date, count and protect ballots, and certify election results. -
Americans are more stressed than normal about this year's presidential election. If you're feeling anxious waiting for results to come in, here are a few tips. -
Democrat Andrew Mall and Republican Sen. Mike Thompson squared off on issues important to Johnson County in a debate on KCUR's Up To Date. The tight race could help determine the fate of the Kansas Legislature's GOP supermajority. -
A 2020 Census survey found that 2.4% of potential voters didn’t cast a ballot because they couldn’t get to the polls. To address this problem, a number of local organizations are offering free or discounted rides for this Tuesday’s election. -
As nativist rhetoric hits a fever pitch ahead of the 2024 election, immigrants and refugees in Kansas City question their safety, and their future, in the U.S. -
Missouri voters will soon decide whether GOP lawmakers went too far by banning most abortion in the state. We'll go inside the high-stakes battle over Amendment 3. Plus: That and other ballot issues have been drawing millions of dollars in campaign funds from outside the state.
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Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman discusses how his office has handled high early voting turnout, and how they plan to prepare for a busy Nov. 5. -
The Midwest Newsroom analyzed the funders behind high-profile proposed ballot measures and the amount they’re spending. Abortion and sports betting campaigns are the leading targets for out-of-state money.
