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Missouri lawmakers seek to remedy concerns with donor privacy law
A Missouri House committee on Monday debated a pair of bills seeking to fix issues with a donor privacy law that critics argue have undermined key activities of certain government agencies. The bills — sponsored by Republican state Reps. Sean Pouche of Kansas City and Ben Baker of Neosho — seek to address concerns raised […]
Bill carving some legislative records out of Missouri Sunshine Law advances in Senate
Nearly five years after voters amended the state Constitution to require the legislature to abide by transparency laws, the Missouri Senate is advancing a bill allowing lawmakers to withhold a wide swath of records from the public. Any record of a state lawmaker or their staff pertaining to “legislation or the legislative process” would be […]
Missouri Senate dysfunction reappears after committee votes down gambling bill
Action in the Missouri Senate briefly ground to a halt Thursday morning, after a Republican lawmaker used procedural maneuvers to gum up the legislative process in retaliation for one of his bills dying in committee. Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, staged a filibuster for most of Thursday morning after a Senate committee voted down his bill […]
Missouri legislators seek to expand law providing restitution for wrongful convictions
Lamar Johnson was exonerated less than a week ago after serving three decades in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He walked out of prison with little more than the clothes on his back. “Having been home just a few days, the difficulties of starting a new life after a wrongful conviction are fresh […]
State senator throws first punches of 2024 Missouri governor’s campaign
In a series of digital ads focused on Chinese farmland and taxes, state Sen. Bill Eigel has launched the opening salvo of a likely contentious 2024 Republican gubernatorial primary. Eigel, a two-term GOP legislator from St. Charles County, began running ads on Facebook this month criticizing two of his fellow Republicans — Lt. Gov. Mike […]
As Wash U faces renewed GOP criticism, Anthony Fauci to deliver commencement address
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert and a medical adviser to seven U.S. presidents, will address graduating students at Washington University School of Medicine in May, the school announced Thursday. But the speech by Fauci — who became a figure of scorn among some Republicans for his actions during the coronavirus pandemic […]
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 […]