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The ACLU filed a lawsuit after Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey attempted to convince the state auditor’s office to falsely increase the projected cost of the abortion amendment. Because Bailey refused to sign off on the fiscal note, the ballot summary can't be finalized — something that was supposed to be done by May 1.
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The proposals would amend the constitution to declare that the “government shall not infringe upon a person’s fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” Supporters of the abortion rights petition argue that the Missouri attorney general acted unlawfully when he pressed the state auditor to increase the projected cost of the proposal — holding up its approval and preventing supporters from gathering signatures.
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Missouri is one of a growing number of places where government funding is being deployed as the newest weapon in the fight over books. Beginning May 30, a new state rule could deny state funding to libraries over books deemed inappropriate for young readers — although it's not clear how it will be enforced.
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Missouri’s Republican secretary of state will take on Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and potentially state Sen. Bill Eigel and others in next year’s Republican gubernatorial primary. Recent, Ashcroft has been vocal on hot-button issues, pushing a rule banning "age inappropriate material" in libraries and supporting restricting health care for transgender kids.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Jay Ashcroft argues his proposed restrictions on "non-age-appropriate materials" in libraries will give parents more power over what their kids consume. Library administrators say the rule would force them to take on a “big brother status,” and threaten equal access to information for all children.
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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.
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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."
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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%.
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Missouri has changed its requirements for accepted forms of voter identification since the August primary and put new restrictions on get-out-the-vote efforts.