Legislation

Voters around Kansas City are headed to the polls to decide the fate of a critical earnings tax, local school board races and more. Plus: The Missouri House is considering bills regulating AI-generated intimate depictions of minors, and requiring adult content websites to verify the age of users. But critics have raised free speech concerns.

Missouri lawmakers are returning from a break at the midway point of this year’s legislative session. Among the biggest issues are a Republican proposal to end the state income tax and expand sales taxes, a criminal justice overhaul, and a bipartisan bill to crack down on "date rape" drugs.

A Senate committee heard testimony Wednesday on legislation that would require watermarks on AI-generated content and target chatbots that provide mental health advice.

Some legislators were unclear if Kansas law already requires the use of turn signals in a roundabout. "As much as I hate them stupid things," Berryton Republican Sen. Rick Kloos said, "I like the bill."

The bill is part of a recent push to reconsider how screen time affects the developing minds of students.

The Missouri House unanimously approved the registration legislation Monday for vehicles less than six years old. Currently, state law requires motorists to renew their registration every one or two years.

Missouri Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn told state lawmakers that the department and courts need options to get defendants treatment in their communities.

The bill would prevent the seizure of firearms from people who are deemed a risk to themself or others.

The bill has support from more than two-thirds of the Kansas Senate, including leaders from both parties.

After the state's education department oversaw a pilot program teaching science through agriculture, lawmakers saw an opportunity for more.

A bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley to update the museum's designation has passed the U.S. Senate unanimously.

Kansas has lost about 50 newspapers in the past 20 years. And as the owners of many small, family-owned papers get older, it’s uncertain who will keep the presses running when they retire. Plus: Missouri Republicans shattered norms when they pushed through redistricting and amendment changes in a special session — and it could have long-term consequences.