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Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri IndependentVolunteers at protests across the state focused on collecting signatures for a 2026 ballot measure that would overturn Missouri's recent redistricting plan. The new map was drawn by Republican lawmakers to weaken Democratic voting power around Kansas City. -
Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri IndependentSince 2023, access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones has radically diminished in Missouri, thanks in part to national attention and political outcry.
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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. -
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe's office is requesting to change the state's SNAP program and restrict certain food and beverages. The governor's office says the changes would promote healthier food, but it may add headaches for customers and grocers. -
LeVota succeeds Frank White Jr., who was recalled by voters on Sept. 30. LeVota will serve until January 2027, which is the remainder of White's term. He used to work in the county prosecutor's office.
Government
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The state of Kansas is canceling a contract that administered an elementary-school reading program because of what state officials call inappropriate… -
Kansas will send 360 of its male prisoners to a privately owned and operated prison in Eloy, Arizona, starting this summer.The Kansas Department of… -
A new era of Kansas City, Missouri, government has officially begun.Mayor Quinton Lucas and new city council members were sworn in on the 26th floor of… -
A Wyandotte County jury found a high-ranking official of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, guilty of misdemeanor battery… -
Missouri Rep. Rebecca Roeber Dies; Ex-Educator From Lee's Summit Pushed For Charter School ExpansionMissouri state Rep. Rebecca Roeber, a Republican from Lee's Summit, died Tuesday in her sleep. Doug Thaman, the executive director of Missouri Charter… -
The Jackson County Board of Equalization (BOE) will decide Tuesday whether to yet again extend the deadline for property owners to appeal their… -
TOPEKA — Courtney Train spends her days going to nail salons, the pool and the dog park.As a paid mentor and advocate for children ages 8 to 18 who’ve… -
TOPEKA― Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss announced Friday he’ll retire in mid-December after serving on the state’s highest court since… -
The fight over the Jackson County reassessment mess is dragging on and becoming even more contentious as critics alleged the assessment discriminated… -
Before Kenneth Wilson became a Missouri House member, he worked his way up the ranks in the Platte County Sheriff’s Office. It was there, he said, his…
Elections
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During the Super Bowl, money changes hands based on the result of almost everything — the coin toss, the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach and even the length of the national anthem. Kansas' attempt to cash in on sports betting has yielded paltry results so far, and Missouri voters are considering a similar measure this November. -
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the coalition behind Amendment 3, has raised more than $16 million since launching in January. The largest donations have come from four out-of-state progressive nonprofits that are supporting abortion rights campaigns in several states. -
Former President Trump was the target of what the FBI said “appears to be an attempted assassination” at his West Palm Beach golf club. President Biden said he was briefed and a person has been detained. -
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican who serves as the state’s chief elections officer, told Postmaster General Louis DeJoy there was cause to be “extremely concerned” about “a troubling pattern that persists in the U.S. Postal Service’s processing and handling of ballots.” -
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft decertified a November ballot measure to legalize abortion, and pulled it from the state website, before the Missouri Supreme Court had the chance decide whether it violated state law. -
Unhoused people face unique challenges in voting. Learn how to register to vote with a step-by-step guide tailored for homeless people in Kansas City. Here's how to get necessary documents like a birth certificate and state ID. -
The campaign behind the reproductive-rights amendment plans to appeal the decision, and as part of the judge’s stipulations, Amendment 3 will not yet be taken off the ballot -
An increasingly popular way for political campaigns to connect to voters is through text messaging. And while you may find them annoying — they're probably working. Plus, Kansas Democrats are hoping to flip enough seats in the state Legislature to get rid of the Republican supermajority. -
World renowned crop artist Stan Herd completed his images of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz on Sunday, on a farm near the Kansas River in north Lawrence. -
Missouri doesn’t have a particularly robust history of supporting third party or independent candidates. Jared Young, a member of the newly-formed Better Party, hopes to change that in the U.S. Senate race.
