Through proposed constitutional amendments on issues like property taxes and initiative petitions, lawmakers outline their vision for Missouri’s long-term future.
Ceilidh Kern
Ceilidh Kern is The Beacon’s Missouri statehouse reporter. She came to The Beacon from the Jefferson City News Tribune, where she covered state and county government. Before that, she covered a variety of beats for the Columbia Missourian, Kansas City Flatland and Euractiv. A Maryland native, she came to Missouri to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she studied journalism, political science and environmental health and graduated in 2024.
Posted inState Government
Missouri lawmakers will grapple with property tax system in 2026
As property owners contend with rapidly rising assessments and higher tax bills, state lawmakers say they want to change the system and provide some property tax relief.
Posted inRural
Taxpayers paid millions to clean up hazardous waste in Missouri warehouse
Who was held accountable for the hazardous powder left near the town of Berger, Missouri?
Posted inRural
‘Nobody here knew’: Dozens were exposed to hazardous material in Missouri warehouse before EPA cleanup
Children, homeless people and even city officials entered the building unaware they were inhaling toxic dust.
Posted inRural
How 13 million pounds of hazardous powder wound up in an abandoned Missouri warehouse
Sandblasting material used to strip paint was trucked 500 miles or more to a remote warehouse near the Missouri River.
Posted inState Government
‘Bet accordingly’: Missouri sports betting likely to change betting patterns, impact neighboring states
Missourians who have long traveled to other states to bet on sports are now able to bet from their homes, keeping money in the state and impacting Missouri’s neighbors.
Posted inState Government
As Missouri wildfire risk grows, regulators and utilities take ‘proactive’ steps on prevention and preparedness
Missouri may not be known as a wildfire-prone state, but there have been more the 2,700 this year. One culprit is power lines.
Posted inEducation
KC-area schools get mixed scores in state’s performance rankings. See how your district did.
While many districts, including Hickman Mills, saw improvements in their scores, some public and charter schools in the Kansas City area fell short of state targets.
Posted inState Government
Missouri gives ‘one of the biggest millionaire tax cuts’ this year, report says
This year, Missouri became the first state in the country to tax income but not capital gains. That could present a challenge as the state prepares to face a budget shortfall.
Posted inMissouri
Missouri governor signs new congressional redistricting map into law
Even with the governor’s signature, the map faces several legal challenges amid allegations of gerrymandering.