Segment 1: Missourians will vote on the first gas-tax increase in 24 years.
On the ballot this November will be a proposal to raise the gas tax by a dime over the next four years. It's hard to deny this tax has been a long time coming; the last increase was in 1994. Critics of the bill, who are relatively few and far between, say the tax will hurt the poor, but defenders are quick to point out Missouri has the second lowest gas tax in the country. Today, we spoke with one of the proposal's highest-profile boosters about how a failure to pass the increase would affect all Missourians.
Segment 2, beginning at 24:42: The segregation of students has been talked about for decades, but what about the segregation of teachers?
In August, the Brookings Institute published the finding that teachers in the U.S. are even more segregated than their students. How does that play out in the Kansas City area, and why should people be concerned? Today we discuss the issue of teacher diversity, how it affects students and faculty, and what is being done to fix the problem.
- Michael Hansen, Brookings Institute senior fellow and director of the Brown Center on Education Policy
- Tamecca Chester, Kansas City PLUS partner
