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The law targets a plan by KC Recycle & Waste Solutions to build a landfill at Kansas City’s southern border. For more than a year, Raymore and other suburban municipalities have pushed legislation designed to block the landfill, arguing it would hurt the environment, property values and residents’ health.
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Veterans who helped test nuclear weapons are fighting to renew a 34-year-old law meant to help compensate for the long-term health effects of their work. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has spotlighted the issue in Missouri, where generations of people have been exposed to radioactive waste tied to the Manhattan project.
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In order to work in Missouri, 14 and 15-year-olds must obtain a certificate from their school, with information from their prospective employer about the job, as well as parental consent and age verification. But a Republican-sponsored bill would eliminate that formal process, and only require a signed permission slip.
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The Missouri Freedom Caucus, a faction of the state GOP, has vowed to debate the budget in detail and attempt to cut hundreds of millions in spending. That could push final votes on spending past the constitutional deadline of May 10.
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El Concejo Municipal de Kansas City renovó su contrato anual con el Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA-organismo de transporte del Área de Kansas City), que mantiene la tarifa de transporte en cero, pero da instrucciones al Gerente Administrativo de la Ciudad, Brian Platt, para considerar los costos y beneficios de un programa alternativo de “una tarifa gratuita funcional”.
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The Missouri House Speaker is already being accused of obstructing the work of an ethics committee. Recently, lawmakers have raised concerns about whether the ethics rules in the House need to be reworked in cases where the chamber’s most powerful member is the focus of an investigation.
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The lawsuit, led by Republican attorneys general from 17 states, comes after federal regulations were published on implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The language means workers can ask for time off to obtain and recover from an abortion.
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Missouri House votes to make it harder to amend constitution, with controversial language reinstatedCurrently, a simple majority of votes is needed to pass a proposed constitutional amendment once it makes it onto the ballot. The proposed resolution would increase that threshold to both a simple majority of votes and the majority of Missouri’s eight congressional districts — but the bill also includes unrelated "ballot candy."
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The two-page proposal states that beginning in the 2026 federal elections, a candidate running to represent a congressional district in Missouri may do so only if they live in that district. But it may violate the U.S. Constitution.
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Kansas City Council renewed its annual contract with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, which keeps zero-fare in place but directs City Manager Brian Platt to weigh the costs and benefits of an alternative "functional free fare" program.
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The Republican legislation comes after several unsuccessful attempts to stop public funds from going to abortion providers or affiliates through the budget process. The bill now goes to Gov. Mike Parson.
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Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signed the Kansas law that denies civil asset forfeiture in cases of lower level crimes like simple possession of drugs. It also forces police to return seized property faster.
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The Missouri Senate has begun work on the state's roughly $50 billion budget, with questions still swirling around renewing a tax that funds Medicaid and GOP infighting that could derail the process. Meanwhile, many appropriations require matching funds from the recipient.
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Missouri counties told state lawmakers that they needed more information when it comes to putting the freeze in place. Some revisions were made this year, but some lawmakers contend that it will take a third try to get the program right.
Government
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The police raid on the Marion County Record potentially violated federal law and constitutional rights. It could leave taxpayers covering a big legal settlement.
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Mirroring federal legislation passed on Dec. 8, Missouri Rep. Chris Sander, a Republican from Lone Jack, has pre-filed a bill to recognize marriage between two individuals.
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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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The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer's latest book examines the moral evolution of the 16th president from childhood through his time in office.
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The comprehensive collaborative plan would work on reducing homelessness not only in Kansas City but in the region.
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Kansas City attorney Stacy Lake has a plan to do better than the incumbent. That plan focuses on putting county residents first.
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David A. Paterson says he was ready to be governor, but the media's focus on his blindness obscured what he was trying to accomplish.
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Mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde have reinvigorated gun control advocates across the country. March For Our Lives rallies in hundreds of U.S. cities will take place Saturday to 'demand a nation free of gun violence.'
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A deep dive from the 2020 election through Joe Biden's first year as president reveals the struggle to hold the country together.
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Veterans were exposed to toxic air from burn pits overseas and comedian Jon Stewart and the Veterans of Foreign Wars say Congress needs to approve funds to treat them.
Elections
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On May 7, voters in Kansas City, Kansas, will decide whether to approve a ballot measure that would raise property taxes for the next 30 years. The bond would pay to consolidate elementary schools, build new buildings, increase early childhood education, and fund additional renovations.
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In 2022, KCUR brought together a politically diverse group of people to share their views on election issues and politics. It's 2024. Where are they now?
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As November 2024 nears, Kansas and Missouri pollsters say that transparency is one key factor for determining a poll's quality.
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Voters soundly rejected the question that would have extended a 3/8th-cent stadium sales tax for 40 years, allowing the Royals to fund their proposed downtown ballpark and the Chiefs to renovate Arrowhead Stadium. Plus: Families of the people incarcerated at Leavenworth are worried as visits and phone calls have been cut off.
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Incumbents prevailed in some Missouri school board elections, while other Kansas City-area boards saw shakeups that could shift how they handle book challenges, diversity initiatives, class instruction time and how to best support students.
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Kimberly Dragoo, who pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor for her activities at the U.S. Capitol, hopes to focus on bringing up test scores rather than spending money. Her conservative campaign for a seat on the school board is prompting fierce debates online and off.
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KCUR asked members of the Kansas City Council and the Jackson County Legislature how they plan to vote on the stadium sales tax on April 2.
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Both the Royals and groups opposing the extension of a 3/8th-cent sales tax for a downtown ballpark are ramping up their campaigns with public appearances, gatherings and ads.
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Candidates for two open seats on the Lee's Summit school board talk about the district's finances, cellphone in the classrooms and mental health services for students.
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Three candidates will be on the ballot April 2 for two open seats in the Park Hill School District. Here's what they think about mental health for students, cell phones in classrooms and issues regarding transgender students.