Congress

The office of Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is arguing in court that Missouri's 2022 congressional map, which was drawn by the Republican-dominated legislature, should not have preserved a majority-Black district in the St. Louis area. But that argument may also hurt the GOP's newly-redrawn map as well.

Missouri doesn't have a marquee statewide race next year. But the results of some contests, including a Republican-written ballot measure to undo abortion rights, could be a big sign of a Democratic wave or continued GOP dominance.

Kansas Republican leaders couldn't rally enough support this fall for a special session on redistricting. It's just one example of lawmakers pushing back on a new round of partisan gerrymandering.

During the record-setting 43-day government shutdown, Missouri Republican Rep. Sam Graves said he got a lot of calls from air traffic controllers — who had to work without pay, despite already being overworked and understaffed. But another shutdown could just be a few months away.

Opponents argue the Missouri Constitution is clear that lawmakers can only redraw congressional maps after a certified census, while the state said nothing prohibits mid-decade redistricting.

The Republican senator said a bipartisan contingent of senators is trying to find a way to end the shutdown. But Schmitt is against extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that could prevent scores of people from losing health insurance — a major sticking point in negotiations.

As the government shutdown stretches its way into the record books, Americans are feeling its worsening impacts. Many of Kansas City's 30,000 federal employees remain furloughed or working without pay.

Unless courts intervene, it's looking more likely that Missouri voters will ultimately get to decide the fate of the GOP's congressional map — meaning the gerrymandered districts might not take effect for the 2026 election cycle.

The federal government remains shut down. Soon, that could affect Head Start educational programming and SNAP benefits in the Kansas City region.

Si el cierre del gobierno federal continúa, el Consejo Regional de Mid-America ha declarado que podría verse obligado a cerrar temporalmente los centros de enseñanza preescolar Head Start que atienden a más de 2,300 niños de la Ciudad de Kansas City a partir del 1 de noviembre.

If the federal government shutdown continues, the Mid-America Regional Council said it may need to temporarily close Head Start centers serving more than 2,300 Kansas City children beginning Nov. 1.

Rep. 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.