Jon Patterson

Missouri's House Speaker declined to sign a letter calling for passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill," citing its potential impact on the state's Medicaid program. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said the latest proposal "needs work."

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.

Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson, a Republican representing Lee's Summit, says that next year's vote on whether to ban abortion again might not be the end of efforts around how the state regulates the procedure.

Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson, who represents Lee's Summit, says next year's vote on whether to ban abortion again might not be the end of efforts around how the state regulates the procedure.

The proposed amendment, if passed by the Senate and approved in a statewide election, would repeal the reproductive rights measure passed by voters in November. It would allow some exceptions in the first 12 weeks of gestation, but House Speaker Jon Patterson said that doesn't go far enough to protect assault victims.

The amendment, if passed by the Senate and then voters, would repeal the abortion rights amendment currently in Missouri's constitution, which voters just approved in November. Abortions would be illegal again in Missouri, with limited exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies.

The Republican-led legislature is considering changing or repealing some voter-approved measures, including abortion legalization and the minimum wage hike. Lawmakers also need to pass a budget, which may look much smaller than previous years.

Missourians approved Proposition A, which raised the minimum wage and mandated paid sick leave, with 57% of the vote. The legislation passed by the Missouri House entirely repeals the mandated sick leave portion.

Elected officials from Jackson County will travel to the state Capitol this week to meet with legislative leaders and Gov. Mike Kehoe about stadium funding ideas. Meanwhile, Clay County is working to establish its own sports complex authority.

One bill being discussed in the Missouri Senate would include life imprisonment without parole as a punishment for immigration violations, and would allow Missourians to collect $1,000 bounties for reporting people who are in the country without legal status.

The constitutional amendment approved by Missouri voters protects abortion access until the point of fetal viability, when a fetus can survive on its own outside the womb without extraordinary medical interventions. But the phrase does not have a precise definition — or date.

A Lee’s Summit Republican is the first Asian-American to be Missouri’s speaker of the house. We'll get to know Rep. Jon Patterson, who hadn’t even held elective office until coming to the House six years ago.