-
Jackson County Sports AuthorityKansas has been trying to sway the region’s NFL and MLB teams to cross the border. Lawmakers in both Kansas and Missouri have lobbed tax incentives and construction fund packages at the teams. -
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.
-
Lucas Cierpiot, a disability-rights activist, said he felt intimidated by the governor’s actions and too unsafe to attend any “No Kings” protests on June 14. -
Joining anti-Trump rallies across the country on Labor Day, workers, civil rights advocates and ordinary citizens gathered at Mill Creek Park Fountain on the Plaza. The Kansas City protests took aim at the president’s effort to maintain Republican control of Congress by altering blue districts to favor his party. -
A protest, led by organized labor in Missouri, is set for Monday at noon on the Plaza. They say the redistricting effort — which would carve up Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's Kansas City district — violates the Missouri Constitution. -
President Trump has been pressuring Gov. Mike Kehoe to call a special session for mid-decade redistricting. Republican lawmakers hope to gerrymander congressional lines around Kansas City, diluting Democratic voting power and making it harder for Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to win in the 2026 midterms. -
One ballot campaign hopes to amend the Missouri constitution to declare education a “fundamental right.” The other would prohibit most public funding of nonpublic schools, including charters. Both accuse the state's top election official, Denny Hoskins, of trying to mislead voters. -
The new requirements won't affect Missouri drivers until a new system from the Department of Revenue is put in place. -
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. -
The St. Charles County Republican was a strong supporter in 2022 of drawing a map that would have made it much harder for Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to win another term representing Kansas City. -
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.
Government
-
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that a panel of legislative leaders lacked the power to reverse Gov. Kelly’s controversial limits on church and funeral services. -
A few minutes of your time and about $100 gets you certified for Missouri’s medical marijuana program. A clinic near St. Louis even offered a “Pot of Gold… -
The coronavirus continues to spread in Kansas. The result of emergency orders is that many people are staying in their homes.The shutdown of businesses… -
Kansas lawmakers approved a basic budget this week before heading home to await whatever the coronavirus has in store for the state and their… -
TOPEKA, Kansas — The week started with a Kansas House Democrat making an unusual request to not just his fellow lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but… -
As federal and state courts cancel in-person proceedings amid concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, one court remains open for business, albeit not… -
LAWRENCE, Kansas — Kansas’ prisons and many of its county jails have suspended in-person visits indefinitely to keep down the risk of coronavirus… -
A Kansas City Council committee on Wednesday advanced a $1.7 billion city budget in a chaotic, difficult-to-follow meeting in which most of the committee… -
Kansas lawmakers are making contingency plans in case the spread of the coronavirus forces an early end to the 2020 legislative session. A shortened… -
Renters in Kansas City, Missouri, are giving Mayor Quinton Lucas a Friday deadline to find money to fund an office that would enforce tenants’…
Elections
-
This is a big election year for Missouri and Kansas, and the 2024 KC Voter Guide can help you make sense of it all. KCUR, the KC Media Collective and The Kansas City Star put together all of the information you need to make informed decisions as a voter in Jackson, Johnson, Clay, Platte and Wyandotte counties. -
Hundreds of candidates will appear on dozens of different ballots across the Kansas City metro during the August primary. They are precinct or county committee members, and they make up the backbone of their chosen party’s ability to build grassroots support and to set policy priorities. -
Pat Contreras and Patty Lewis are facing off in the 2024 Democratic primary for Missouri's 7th Senate District. The candidates joined KCUR's Up To Date for a debate and to discuss what issues are facing the district. -
A growing number of young potential voters are increasingly frustrated by the politicians they have to choose from. One Kansas City resident says the age of candidates is a big reason why. Plus: Two years after Kansas lawmakers reshaped the state’s four congressional districts, there’s a scramble for an open seat in the 2nd District. -
Republican Calvin Hayden has repeatedly criticized Johnson County's election system and recent increases in Democratic voter registrations, but his years-long probe into election results has failed to successfully present any charges of fraud. -
Attacks on poll workers have been on the rise since 2020. One local election worker is afraid that four years of conspiracy theories and harmful rhetoric are putting her in danger — and she’s not alone. -
A young Waldo resident says he won’t vote for either presidential candidate this fall because he thinks they're too old. He believes the increasing age of candidates shows America’s political system does not serve young people. A growing number of voters under 30 agree with him. -
One naturalized Kearney resident, originally from Mexico, is ready to make her voice heard in the 2024 election. Nearly 900,000 immigrants and refugees became U.S. citizens in 2023, and the rapidly growing population could impact elections. -
In last year’s election for mayor, county commission and other Wyandotte County races, 11 of the 337 people who were eligible voted in one section of the 2nd Precinct. But it wasn't because they don't care, as non-voters are often portrayed. They have reasons for staying home on Election Day. -
Kansas Citians had much to say after the first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. After the face-off between 81-year-old Biden and 78-year-old Trump, some KCUR listeners expressed concern about both candidates' health and integrity.
