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Missouri House approves bill aimed at blocking local EV charging station mandates
A bill that would require cities and counties across Missouri to pay for electric vehicle chargers in order to mandate businesses install them won House approval on Thursday. The bill, which is sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim Murphy and heads to the state Senate after Thursday’s 105-36 vote, also says local governments could only mandate […]
As Missouri Republicans gather in Springfield, 2024 primary fights begin piling up
With nearly every statewide office up for grabs next year, Missouri Republicans are jockeying for position in what promises to be crowded primary campaigns. Gov. Mike Parson will leave office because of term limits. Two Republicans have already jumped into the race to replace him, with a third waiting in the wings and expected to […]
Missouri lawmakers debate limiting access to some public government records
It would be harder — and more expensive — for the public to get access to some taxpayer-funded government records under legislation debated Thursday by a Missouri Senate committee. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester, would permit government agencies to withhold more information from the public by creating new exemptions to […]
‘Ballot candy?’ Missouri GOP adds citizen-only voting into initiative petition changes
Missouri Republicans have long argued a successful 2018 initiative petition establishing a nonpartisan redistricting process duped voters by pairing it with politically popular proposals like limits on lobbyist gifts to legislators. Two years later, the GOP got in on the act, pushing its own ballot measure repealing the nonpartisan plan by tying it to a […]
Missouri House gives initial approval to raising bar for voters to amend the constitution
Legislation to make it harder for voters to amend the state constitution through the initiative petition process won initial approval in the Missouri House on Wednesday. After more than two hours of debate, the legislation sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson was approved 106-50. It will need to be approved one more time […]
Missouri bill would relax rules for receiving treatment from physical therapists
Physical therapists in Missouri would be allowed to evaluate and treat patients without a referral from a doctor under legislation that received initial approval in the state Senate Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Karla Eslinger, R-Wasola, only applies to physical therapists with doctorates in physical therapy or at least five years of experience in […]
Missouri lobbyist vs. Federalist Society: AG rivals building 2024 campaign war chests
In the likely 2024 GOP showdown for the Missouri attorney general’s office, the fundraising race has already begun. Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who was appointed to the office when his predecessor was elected to the U.S. Senate, began raising money through an independent political action committee even before officially launching his campaign last week. Will […]
Sunshine Law violations by AG’s office under Josh Hawley could cost Missouri $300K
Following a Missouri judge’s determination that the attorney general’s office “knowingly and purposefully” violated the state’s open records law while it was being run by now-U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, plaintiffs in the case say they are owed more than $300,000 in legal fees. In November, Cole County Judge Jon Beetem determined the attorney general’s office […]
Judge says Missouri House rule limiting access to public records is constitutional
A Cole County judge has concluded that a rule implemented by the Missouri House in 2019 allowing lawmakers to withhold certain information from public records does not violate the state constitution. The lawsuit was filed by Mark Pedroli, founder of the Sunshine and Government Accountability Project. He challenged a rule adopted by the Missouri House […]
Donor privacy law being used by Missouri agencies to conceal public records
Over the course of two nights in early December, Gov. Mike Parson hosted a holiday gala for individuals and corporations who donated money to the nonprofit that helps maintain the Missouri Governor’s Mansion. Who were the big donors who cut a check and got to dine with Parson and his taxpayer-funded staff? The Governor’s office […]
Missouri Democrats praise Parson’s speech — and four other State of the State takeaways
Early in his annual State of the State address on Wednesday, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson sang the praises of an income tax cut enacted by the Republican-dominated General Assembly late last year. Closer to the end of his nearly one-hour speech to a joint session of the legislature, Parson vowed to “support and defend our […]
Missouri attorney general’s social media lawsuit rallies anti-vaccine activists
Days after the death of baseball legend Hank Aaron in January 2021, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went on social media to seemingly suggest — without evidence — that his passing could be connected to the COVID-19 vaccine. Kennedy, the nephew of the former president, has been a major figure in the anti-vaccine movement for more […]