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Federal court hears arguments on Missouri abortion ban with no rape, incest exception
The fate of Missouri’s ban on abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy, with no exception for rape or incest, rests in the hands of a panel of federal judges. Arguments Tuesday before the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, and questions from the judges, focused almost exclusively on another provision of the […]
The ‘Big Lie’ remains a big part of Missouri U.S. Senate race
Seconds into a web ad supporting Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s U.S. Senate bid, footage of former President Donald Trump alleging a stolen election is juxtaposed with headlines touting Schmitt’s role in lawsuits challenging the 2020 results. A largely discredited audit of the presidential election in Arizona has become a key piece of Eric Greitens’ […]
‘Clown show’ vs. ‘tyranny’: Missouri Senate GOP divide on display during veto session
On one side were tyrannical oligarchs. On the other, petulant children. Or at least that was the takeaway from the Missouri Senate’s day-long rules debate Wednesday. Gathered for the legislature’s annual veto session, the demons that have haunted the upper chamber for more than a year didn’t take long to reappear. The seven members of […]
GOP lawmaker blasts Missouri governor’s veto of funding to combat child sex abuse
Missouri Rep. Randy Pietzman nearly choked on his words as he tried Wednesday to explain why $300,000 means so much to the children of Lincoln County. Pietzman, R-Troy, was asking the Missouri House to override Gov. Mike Parson’s veto of that funding in the state budget, which was slated to add two investigators and a […]
LGBTQ history exhibit goes unmentioned by Missouri board governor cited for its removal
When news broke that an LGBTQ history exhibit was suddenly and without warning removed from the Missouri Capitol, Gov. Mike Parson contended the reason was that it didn’t get pre-approval from a board he chairs. But at that board’s first meeting in more than a year on Monday, neither the exhibit nor the state Capitol […]
Missouri GOP vow to push back against Biden’s announced vaccine mandate
Missouri Republicans assailed President Joe Biden’s push to require employees of private businesses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing, vowing a legislative response and legal action. Gov. Mike Parson promised to “fight back against federal power grabs and government overreach” in a tweet Thursday afternoon, calling Biden’s plan “an insult to our […]
Missouri AG won’t defend state officials in lawsuit, citing undisclosed conflict
When Missouri’s treasurer and secretary of state face off in court this month over a proposed constitutional amendment set to be on the 2022 ballot, both sides will be represented by private attorneys — at a cost to taxpayers of more than $800 an hour. The reason: Attorney General Eric Schmitt bowed out of the […]
Democrats demand LGBTQ exhibit return to Missouri Capitol or other exhibits be removed
If an LGBTQ history exhibit was removed from the Missouri Capitol because it didn’t get pre-approval from a specific board, then every exhibit on display that didn’t get approved must also be removed, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade argued in a letter to state officials on Wednesday. That would mean, she said, that there would […]
Parson rationale for removing LGTBQ exhibit from Missouri Capitol called into question
Fireworks this week over the sudden removal of an LGBTQ history exhibit from the museum in the Missouri Capitol caught the attention of John Cunning. For 24 years before he retired in 2018, Cunning oversaw the museum as part of his job at Missouri State Parks. So when he read Gov. Mike Parson’s explanation for […]
Exhibit on history of LGBTQ rights removed from Missouri Capitol
A state senator from Kansas City is demanding answers about why an exhibit on the LGBTQ-rights movement was removed from the Missouri Capitol after only a few days on display. Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, released a statement Thursday decrying the move, saying he was “disappointed and angry that Missouri State Parks would bend to […]
Eric Burlison announces run for Billy Long’s seat in Congress
State Sen. Eric Burlison officially joined the GOP primary for the Congressional seat of U.S. Rep. Billy Long on Wednesday, becoming the third candidate to enter the race in the heavily Republican southwest Missouri district. Burlison served eight years in the state House before being elected to the Missouri Senate in 2018. In a series […]
Mike Moon joins race for Congress in southwest Missouri
State Sen. Mike Moon has jumped into what promises to be a crowded race for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Billy Long. Moon, a former state representative elected to the Senate last year, unsuccessfully ran against Long in 2010 and 2012. Long is leaving Congress to run for the U.S. Senate seat […]