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Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public RadioRep. Sam Graves of Tarkio is trying to pass a major overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including taking it out of the purview of the Department of Homeland Security. -
Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public RadioA Missouri group is working to overturn the map that gives the state one more Republican seat in Congress. If they get enough signatures, the map cannot take effect unless Missourians approve them.
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"Free buses" is one of the big ideas that helped Zohran Mamdani win the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City. But in Kansas City, the bus system is going the opposite direction after years of free fares — mostly because of a lack of transit funding. -
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is arguing that the referendum is usurping the legislature's power to redraw congressional districts. But lawyers with the anti-redistricting group say Hanaway is "absolutely wrong" about the constitution. -
Jackson County's new executive outlines his plan for property taxes and stadiums: 'Relief is coming'Phil LeVota was sworn in this week as Jackson County executive after a nomination process that was criticized by some as “smoke and mirrors.” Taking over the rest of Frank White Jr.'s term, he will face the daunting task of fixing the property tax assessment process. -
The Kansas City Council moved forward with a plan to build a modular jail with about 100 beds. Officials say the temporary facility is necessary, as plans to build a permanent municipal jail will take years. -
Opponents fear that Kansas Republican lawmakers will break Johnson County into multiple Congressional districts in order to push out Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids. GOP leaders were at the White House this week after approving funding for a special session. -
Gov. Mike Kehoe has repeatedly said the plan was drafted in his office. A filing by the attorney general's office says only that "various governmental actors" worked on the plan to give a seat to the GOP. -
Missouri Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said any signatures gathered before Wednesday to place a new congressional map up for a vote won't count. Proponents of the redistricting referendum say that's an unlawful attempt to shorten the signature gathering window. -
Politico exposed racist and homophobic messages sent by leaders of the Kansas Young Republicans. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said the state GOP modeled similar behavior in its own social media posts. -
As the shutdown of the federal government stretches into its third week, employees are starting to feel the financial strain of being furloughed or working without pay. Many federal workers live paycheck to paycheck, and food assistance programs in the region are starting to prepare for an influx of need. -
A Supreme Court case over Louisiana's congressional map could determine the future of Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination and allow Republicans to draw 19 more House seats — including in Missouri. -
A jury found Lance Shockley guilty of a 2005 murder but deadlocked on the punishment. A judge in Carter County issued the death sentence. -
Kansas GOP leaders have condemned offensive messages sent in a national Young Republicans group chat. They said the group is now inactive.
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. -
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. -
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. -
An estimated 200,000 people could receive coverage if the program was expanded. -
The fire department, whose employees include numerous relatives, had pressed for the changes -
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. -
Jackson County received nearly $123 million in the first round of CARES Act funding, but Kansas City didn’t receive a dime. -
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. -
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. -
In 2018, voters overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment known as Clean Missouri, which included state redistricting and ethics changes.
Elections
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Missouri voters passed a constitutional amendment requiring Kansas City to increase its funding to the KCPD, but rejected a measure allowing property tax exemptions for child care centers. And the contenders are set for November's elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Missouri governor and other statewide races. -
Today is the primary for Missouri and Kansas, with a lot of critical races on the ballot. At polling places, election officials will be on hand to ensure everything goes smoothly for voters. We'll hear from two of them about what they do and why it's so important.
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Missouri polling places are open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, Aug. 5. See live primary election results as they come in for governor, U.S. Senate and more. -
Kansas polling places are open from at least 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, Aug. 5. See live primary election results as they come in for U.S. House and more. -
Competitive primaries are driving the onslaught of negative political ads — particularly among Missouri Republicans. University of Missouri-Kansas City political scientist Dr. Beth Vonnahme analyzes the rhetoric this campaign season. -
On Tuesday, Aug. 6, Missouri voters will decide on Amendment 1, which grants the legislature power to exempt childcare facilities from property taxes. -
Primary races for Missouri governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General and more could determine the political course of the state for the foreseeable future. -
Kansas Republicans and Democrats are targeting the suburbs of Kansas City as it becomes increasingly purple in the Republican-dominated state. -
Kansas City experienced its deadliest year on record in 2023, although homicides are down so far in 2024. With longtime Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker stepping down, multiple Democrats and a Republican are proposing ways to refocus the office. -
The number of polling places around Kansas City has rapidly declined since 2020, when COVID closed much in-person voting and the spread of conspiracy theories caused safety concerns for election officials.
