Jay Ashcroft

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft tweeted that a job posting for a “diversity, inclusion and belonging leader” was an example of “left-wing indoctrination in the workplace” and the wrong use of taxpayer dollars. State agency leaders say inclusion and belonging programs help retain employees during a severe staffing shortage.

Florida, Missouri and West Virginia announced they're pulling out of the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, the only system states have to share voter registration data. The system has been the target of a sustained misinformation campaign from the far-right.

The public comment period is ending for proposed rules from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, which threaten to take away state funding from libraries unless they restrict "non-age-appropriate materials" from minors. Ashcroft says the rules are meant to empower parents, but library administrators call it a slippery slope.

Public comment is closing soon on a proposal from the Missouri Secretary of State, who wants to crack down on which materials children can access in public libraries. But former library administrators are speaking out against what they see as government overreach.

The proposal by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft would threaten the funding of libraries over "non-age-appropriate materials" for minors. But former library administrators say the rules are "redundant and unnecessary."

A bill that would enshrine recognition of same-sex and interracial marriage into law passed the U.S. Senate this week, with support from Republican Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt. That's despite a last minute plea from Missouri's Secretary of State to vote against the legislation.

Since the end of the 2022 election cycle, there’s been increased talk from proponents and opponents of abortion rights about putting a constitutional amendment about the issue on the 2024 ballot. But a proposal from Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft would raise the bar for passing those amendments to 60%.

Jay Ashcroft’s proposed rules would deny state support to libraries that don’t adopt policies allowing patrons to challenge book selections for minors.

The Department of Justice announced Monday that it would be in Cole County and 63 other jurisdictions around the country to monitor compliance with federal voting laws. The U.S. Attorney's office previously notified election officials that was opening an investigation over voter accessibility issues in the county.

Some have raised suspicions about the security of the election process nationwide. In Missouri, election materials and the certification of the vote are constantly managed by a bipartisan team of election judges.

Under the proposed rule, Jay Ashcroft’s office said in a news release, “state funds could not be used to purchase or acquire inappropriate materials in any form that appeal to the prurient interest of a minor.”

The office of Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, filed an amicus brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case that could give state lawmakers the power to set election rules, draw congressional maps without any review by state courts, and potentially refuse to certify presidential election results.