Meg CunninghamRural health reporter

Despite what election officials and lawmakers across the state heralded as a secure and successful 2020 election, voters in Missouri could soon be subject to new photo ID and other voting requirements as part of Republicans’ push for what they call “election integrity.” Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, helped craft the more restrictive […]

For years, charter school educators and families in Kansas City and St. Louis have alleged their schools were being shortchanged in funding. Thanks to a new state law, their schools may soon see an increase in the dollars they receive from the state annually for each of their students.  In Missouri, charter schools have been […]

Kansas City was the center of plenty of debate this year inside the Missouri legislature. Among the legislature’s many priorities, lawmakers fielded multiple proposals to raise the minimum amount of money the city must give its police department. They set aside federal dollars to attract new airlines to a newly rebuilt Kansas City International Airport. […]

Missouri lawmakers finalized a plan to set aside $500 million of the state’s general revenue to return to taxpayers through a tax credit, Gov. Parson vetoed the line item on Thursday as he took action on the state’s budget. Individual income filers would have receive up to $500 under the now-vetoed plan, while joint filers […]

Update (Nov. 18, 2022): Missouri became the 21st state to legalize recreational marijuana on Nov. 8, 2022. The Beacon broke down Missouri’s next steps as the state begins the process of transitioning medical marijuana licenses to recreational licenses. Those hoping to see adult-use cannabis legalized in Missouri through legislative action may be out of luck this year, […]

Since 2016, the state of Missouri has relied on a federal grant to help purchase and distribute naloxone, often known as Narcan, a life-saving treatment that can reverse potentially fatal overdoses. That grant has expired, leaving treatment providers without a centralized resource to turn to for the medicine. With no long-term replacement for the same […]

Update (May 4, 2022): The joint committee responsible for finalizing Missouri’s 2023 budget passed both proposals. With just weeks to go until the Missouri legislature must approve the state’s budget, the outcome looks brighter for teachers and school districts. A joint committee of House and Senate members took another step toward finalizing the Fiscal Year […]

The advocates who successfully campaigned for a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana in Missouri in 2018 are continuing to push the state toward recreational legalization of cannabis, but sharp disagreements have arisen over fairness in the market. The House Rules Committee on Tuesday afternoon advanced HB2704, called the Cannabis Freedom Act. It awaits full […]

Update (April 21, 2022): This story has been updated to reflect the House’s passage of the bill. A $46 billion budget package passed out of the Missouri House earlier this month, after federal funds left the state flush with cash. The Republican-led House sent the Senate a budget proposal that leaves nearly $2 billion unspent […]