The latest attempt at passing a Missouri photo ID provision will go into effect at the end of August, after Gov. Mike Parson signed a sweeping election bill into law. The new Missouri photo ID law won’t take effect until the end of August, so the changes don’t apply to Missouri’s Aug. 2 primary election. […]
Meg Cunningham
Meg Cunningham is The Beacon’s rural health reporter. She graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism, where she covered state government and health. She spent roughly three years covering national politics, including the 2018 and 2020 elections, at ABC News in Washington. She’s spent over five years covering politics and policy, with the last three of those years focused on Missouri state government, developing expertise on state policy and agencies, democracy and representation, and health outcomes in Missouri. She grew up in the Kansas City suburbs.
Posted inState Government
Parson vetoes tax credit for Missourians, but plans to call special session to bring tax relief
The largest budget in Missouri history was approved Thursday, with money going toward infrastructure improvements and raising teacher salaries. But one of the most anticipated items — $500 million for a Missouri tax rebate to people who paid state income taxes in 2021 — was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Mike Parson. The measure introduced in […]
Posted inState Government
How will the new federal gun law affect Missouri? It’s complicated
The federal gun safety bill passed with bipartisan congressional support in June was heralded as the first notable piece of federal gun legislation in nearly 30 years. Yet Missouri won’t feel its full impact — yet. Missouri will benefit from the millions of dollars in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act set aside for mental health, […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, Elections, Local Government, State Government
How to register to vote for the Missouri primary
The deadline to register to vote in the Aug. 2 Missouri primary election is Wednesday, July 6. August’s election will determine the party nominees for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Roy Blunt. The winners of the primary will be on the Nov. 8 general election ballots. For the first […]
Posted inHealth, State Government
Missouri’s new abortion law: no exceptions for rape, incest, and doctors may face charges
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that abortions are banned in Missouri, regardless of the length of pregnancy, because of a “trigger law” passed on June 24. A previous version of this story stated that abortions were banned in Missouri after 8 weeks of gestation. That part of HB 126, which included […]
Posted inHealth, State Government
‘We need more time’: Advocates want more Medicaid postpartum health care for Missouri moms
Missouri ranked 44th nationwide for its maternal mortality rate in 2019. And Black mothers in the state are four times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related issues, higher than the nationwide average. Yet Missouri is not among the many states that are seeking to take advantage of an offer from the federal […]
Posted inState Government
KC got the cup. What does that mean for Arrowhead Stadium?
Kansas City has reason to celebrate. After years of constructing a bid to host a portion of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA officials announced that the city will be one of 11 host cities in the United States. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will be the host venue for Kansas City’s portion of the series […]
Posted inState Government
What’s to come for Missouri’s use of federal COVID relief funds?
For months, cities across Missouri and the Kansas City region have been eyeing the billions of dollars sent to states as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, an effort by the federal government to provide some relief from the strains caused by COVID-19. The money is so expansive that many city officials […]
Posted inState Government
Missouri parents can still lose kids over pot. Legal cannabis could change that
When Missouri voters four years ago passed a constitutional amendment to allow for medical marijuana use, family court scenarios and protections for patients didn’t factor much into the debate. But lawyers say that parents involved in custody disputes and other legal issues can face judgment and criticism over their use of cannabis for medical purposes. […]
Posted inState Government
What the end of a pandemic-era policy could mean for Missourians on Medicaid
As Missouri struggles to catch its footing amid Medicaid expansion, officials are already looking ahead to what could be the next big problem in administering health care coverage for Missourians who are lower-income or disabled. A federal public health emergency declared during the pandemic is about to expire. And that would require the state to […]