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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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Kansas City is a regional hub for federal offices and the almost 30,000 federal workers who make up the largest workforce in the area. Many of those workers are furloughed without pay, their agencies closed until the government reopens. -
Tuesday's election saw 85% of voters supporting the recall of Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr., which will set off a rush by county legislators to appoint his replacement. But White is asking the Missouri Supreme Court to stop the vote certification. -
Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins will have to rewrite the ballot summary for a proposed constitutional amendment a third time, because the judge ruled that it "fails to adequately alert voters" that the measure would ban abortion. -
The Unified Government could vote this week on an ordinance that would make it illegal for people to sleep outside on public and private property. But without a single overnight shelter in Wyandotte County, community groups say the crackdown will only worsen conditions for unhoused residents. -
The Democratic National Committee announced it will send people and money to Missouri, to help a referendum effort aimed at blocking a new congressional map from going into effect. -
White has served as county executive since 2016. Tens of thousands of signatures were gathered to trigger the special election, which White believes was called illegally. -
Kansas Republican lawmakers are circulating a petition for a special session to redistrict. The goal is to defeat the state's only Democrat in Congress. -
The move comes amid President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement practices garnering increasing criticism. Kehoe said that Missouri National Guard troops will help with "administrative, clerical and logistical duties." -
The federal shutdown will affect people across the United States. NPR's network of member stations explains what will be impacted and where. -
Federal Medicare and Medicaid regulations mandate staff vaccinations for employers that receive funding. But the high court ruled that Katlin Keeran was protected by a 2021 Kansas law making it illegal for employers to question the sincerity of religious beliefs for opting out of vaccines. -
A rarely-used maneuver could force a vote in the U.S. House on a bill requiring the Justice Department to publicly disclosed unclassified records and documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver has signed onto the petition, but of Missouri's GOP representatives, only Rep. Mark Alford says he will vote to advance the bill. -
The fourth lawsuit to be filed over the recent redistricting plan, this one argues that the Missouri Constitution does not allow lawmakers to revise congressional districts without new census data. It also argues that the districts are not legal because they stretch for hundreds of miles across the state.
Government
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TOPEKA, Kansas — When Gov. Laura Kelly signed a proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month in Kansas this week, she hailed the culture and diversity… -
Over the last three years, millions of dollars generated by COMBAT, the anti-drug and anti-violence sales tax in Jackson County, has been spent with… -
Mold. No heat in the winter. Leaking roofs.The most common complaints Teresa Baker hears about rental housing in Kansas revolve around poor living… -
Most Americans believe climate change is a serious problem, according to a CBS poll released over the weekend. But few solutions seem to be coming from… -
The Roeland Park City Council is considering an ordinance that would prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using city resources for immigration… -
Following a series of high-profile shootings this summer, many have called on Congress to respond to mounting public pressure and enact new gun… -
The Kansas City Zoo billed it as a big announcement—a remodeled home for its seven elephants—but it wasn't the huge announcement the zoo was hoping to… -
Update, August 29, 5:11 p.m.: The full Kansas City Council approved both ordinances on Thursday.Kansas City, Missouri, could take a step toward stricter… -
In a major ruling with implications for employers of undocumented immigrants, a federal judge in Kansas said a law making it a crime to "encourage" or… -
TOPEKA — One of the United States’ largest and oldest private prison companies will house up to 600 Kansas inmates in a facility in Eloy,…
Elections
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Wichita district officials say another bond issue is the only reasonable way to finance needed repairs and upgrades. Board members gave initial approval to put a new bond issue on next year's general election ballot. -
GOP lawmakers are trying again to exclude millions of non-U.S. citizens living in the states from census counts that the 14th Amendment says must include the "whole number of persons in each state." Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt and Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall are co-sponsors of one of the bills. -
Frank White Jr., a former star second baseman for the Kansas City Royals who won eight Golden Glove Awards during his career, infuriated county legislators and a citizens group with his veto. "Eight Golden Gloves mean nothing!" said the Rev. Dr. Vernon Percy Howard, leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. "Bench Frank White!" -
Business groups lobbied heavily to overturn Proposition A, passed by 58% of Missouri voters in November 2024, arguing it would cost jobs. The bill also repeals annual inflation adjustments for the minimum wage, which have been in effect since 2006. -
Jackson County’s top elected official is facing a recall election. County Executive Frank White Jr. says it’s a political vendetta, while lawmakers say it’s actually aboutproperty taxes. But will it actually happen next month? -
Jackson County's legislature has certified a recall election against County Executive Frank White Jr., although the date has yet to be determined. Legislative Chair DaRon McGee says the recall vote is about White's mishandling of property taxes, but White says the campaign against him is politically motivated.
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The election board says it is in limbo waiting for County Executive Frank White to sign or veto an ordinance unanimously approved Monday. There is not enough time to “build the election.” -
Republicans still support changing the process even after watching the most recent Supreme Court nominating process. Democrats say the process is working. -
County Legislator Sean Smith helped lead the recall effort of Jackson County Executive Frank White, which local election officials confirmed had enough signatures Monday to go to a vote. White has accused Smith of illegally using taxpayer-funded staff to promote the petition campaign. -
Kansas City Public Schools and three other districts saw bond issues passed by voters Tuesday, allowing them to fund construction projects and pay for maintenance. Five districts in the Kansas City area also held school board elections.
