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The state's law requires women seeking divorce to disclose whether they're pregnant — and state judges won't finalize divorces during a pregnancy. Texas and Arkansas have similar laws on the books.
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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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Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office says three Republican lawmakers were acting in their official capacity when they made false social media posts about a Kansas Chiefs fan, and are protected by "legislative immunity."
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After recent losses in states like Kansas and Ohio, anti-abortion activists say they must take a more aggressive approach in Missouri, using a low-budget grassroots to stop an initiative petition from putting a constitutional right to an abortion in the hands of voters.
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If approved by voters, the petition would raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.75 beginning in January 2025 and $15 in 2026, with annual cost-of-living increases after that. It also seeks to set the minimum paid sick leave to one hour per 30 hours worked.
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Missouri is shaping up to be big battleground over abortion rights in November. Even in this solidly Republican state, where the procedure is almost entirely illegal, many Catholics say they support a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution.
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Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are suing the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco over a federal rule closing the gun show loophole.
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For nearly 30 hours, the conservative faction has blocked a vote on Medicaid funding, demanding that the Missouri Senate passes an unrelated resolution making it harder to amend the constitution. The Federal Reimbursement Allowance accounts for roughly a third of the funding for the state Medicaid system.
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Voters in Missouri could show that abortion rights initiatives are not a down-ballot Democratic dream everywhere, especially if GOP voters who dislike their party's views on abortion rights still like candidates on most other issues.
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Missouri voters passed a constitutional amendment in November 2022 that required Kansas City to increase its minimum funding of the police department. But the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the language on the original measure was so inaccurate that it casts doubt on the fairness of the election.
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Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed legislation that would have blocked teenagers from receiving hormone therapy and other gender-affirming treatments recognized as necessary by medical professionals. The Senate voted to override her veto, but the House fell short.
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Missouri House ethics panel ends investigation into Dean Plocher, after blocking release of evidenceThe committee voted to dismiss the ethics complaint, after removing language that blamed the result on “the inability of the committee to finish the investigation as a direct result of obstruction of the process and the intimidation of witnesses by” Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher.
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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 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.
Government
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With a one-party majority and a bag of legislative tricks, Kansas lawmakers conceal much of their bill-making process.
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The leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the landmark case would see a complete ban on abortion in Missouri and offer Kansas legislators the opportunity to do the same.
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Local leaders from the Northland to Johnson County are working to make their communities more environmentally sustainable.
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Average starting pay for teachers in Missouri is already the lowest in the country. Now, teachers might not be receiving the raise they were hoping for.
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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the current system of state control over the KCPD undermines the voices of Kansas City residents.
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Facing a budget shortfall in 2020, Missouri cut 200 jobs at the Department of Social Services including positions in the division overseeing abused and neglected children.
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The Missouri senate bill, introduced by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder (R-Sikeston), aims to strengthen and broaden existing rape shield legislation.
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Marshall also signaled he was unlikely to vote for Ketanji Brown Jackson's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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A recent Mother Jones article highlighted a bill co-sponsored by Tracey Mann that would extend tax breaks in opportunity zones where he owns properties.
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Kansas City’s new snow removal process has been tested as the city experienced several snowy days in recent weeks.
Elections
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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.
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Three candidates are running for two seats on the Liberty school board. Here’s what they think about mental health, cellphones in school and removing books from libraries.