Freedom Caucus

In a little more than a week, the idea of redrawing Missouri’s congressional district lines has gained momentum among Republicans — with the explicitly partisan purpose of watering down Democratic voting power in the Kansas City-area 5th District, and forcing U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver out of his seat.

After Republican lawmakers rolled back sick leave benefits and targeted abortion rights, a bipartisan coalition called Respect Missouri Voters started pushing an initiative petition seeking to undermine the legislature’s ability to overturn voter-approved measures.

Missouri's Freedom Caucus is pressing Gov. Mike Kehoe to call a special session to redraw Cleaver's Kansas City-based district. Cleaver said that mid-decade redistricting would "tear up the country" by creating a "MAGA government."

Missouri state Sen. Rick Brattin stepped down as chair of the Missouri Freedom Caucus just days after voting in favor of a Kansas City stadium funding deal. The conservative group criticized the plan as a "handout to billionaire sports team owners."

The Senate Freedom Caucus is demanding tax cuts in exchange for not blocking stadium funds for the Royals and Chiefs, while Democrats retaliated for slights during the regular session by derailing the routine work of signing bills. The tensions don't bode well for next week's special session.

Many in Missouri wondered whether the bickering and infighting of the past few sessions would derail Gov. Mike Kehoe’s ambitious agenda. But the new governor got many of his priorities passed, including a state takeover of St. Louis Police and funding private school scholarships.

Schisms between GOP leadership and more conservative members have been an ongoing storyline in recent legislative history.

Eigel, a state senator from Weldon Spring and a member of the far-right Missouri Freedom Caucus, was previously considered unlikely to win the Republican nomination to replace Gov. Mike Parson, but polls now show a tighter race. Here's where he stands on some of the biggest issues facing the state, including abortion, immigration, and tax cuts.

A gridlocked Missouri Senate was unsuccessful in passing a measure to change how voters can amend the state constitution. But the legislature did pass measures relating to public safety and ranked-choice voting.

In a rare instance of triumph for Missouri Democrats, an effort to raise the bar to amend the state constitution — a central GOP priority — was defeated.

In a win for abortion rights advocates, Missouri lawmakers admit that a bill making it harder to change the Missouri Constitution looks unlikely to pass this session.

Missouri Senate Democrats ended their 50-hour-long, round-the-clock filibuster after a proposal restricting citizen initiative petitions got sent back to committee. Members of the far-right Freedom Caucus said the decision showed a lack of courage from fellow Republicans.