Freedom Caucus

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.

While the Missouri Senate is expected to zero in on a measure making it harder for voters to amend the constitution, the House looks to finish work on reauthorizing a key tax to fund the state’s Medicaid program.

The deadline for the legislature to pass the budget for the upcoming fiscal year is 6 p.m. Friday.

Under protest by members of the far-right Missouri Freedom Caucus, the upper chamber adjourned without taking up any bills. But a state constitutional deadline is coming on Friday, a deadline that's only been missed once before.