Missouri legislature

Bills have been introduced to add a 65-cent monthly charge on phone bills to create a permanent source of state funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Currently under federal law, convicted drug offenders are banned from receiving SNAP benefits. A proposed Missouri House bill would opt out of the federal ban.

The Missouri House passed over 20 bills on Thursday, sending most of them to the Senate. It is unclear how many of them will make it to Gov. Mike Kehoe.

A Missouri bill that would mandate the counting and tracking of an allergy to mammalian products passed the House on Thursday by a wide margin.

All intoxicating hemp products, including THC seltzers currently sold in bars and grocery stores, would be removed from shelves in November if Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signs the bill into law. Such products are not regulated by any government agency.

Missouri’s 2026 election cycle got a jolt last week when longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Graves announced his retirement. His departure could tell us a lot about where the GOP stands going into the midterm elections — and could make the 6th Congressional District race a lot more competitive.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway told KCUR’s Up To Date that she believes Missouri voters don’t have the authority to block the newly drawn congressional map through a referendum. “I think we know for 2026 what the congressional districts are,” Hanaway said. Legal challenges are still underway.

Retiring Congressman Sam Graves endorsed Chris Stigall, a nationally syndicated talk radio host, to replace him. But that brought a fiery response from Kansas City Councilman Nathan Willett, who dropped out of a race for an open state Senate seat to file for Congress.

Missouri lawmakers considered a bill Tuesday that would create competitive market for energy, so customers can choose from multiple providers. Evergy pushed back against the legislation, arguing that it could cause confusion.

Missouri lawmakers are debating new internet laws aimed at keeping minors safe online, but critics warn the rules could threaten privacy and free speech.

The constitutional amendment would establish that access to public education is a "fundamental right." But organizers say the controversy over the Missouri Secretary of State's ballot language, which a judge ruled was unfair and had to be rewritten, delayed signature collection.

The activists who tried and failed to defeat Missouri's 2024 abortion-rights amendment have regrouped under a new PAC called“Her Health, Her Future." They're betting that more time, tighter coordination and earlier backing from top Missouri Republicans can help them pass an abortion ban measure this fall.