Takeaways: Missouri voters will likely soon be asked by the lawmakers they elected to strip themselves of some power to put initiative petitions on the ballot — to take action when politicians won’t. Voters could be asked to place further restrictions on the already difficult, and costly, job of passing an initiative petition. One proposal […]
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 inCivic Engagement, Elections, Local Government
What the stadium tax defeat says about teams, their subsidies and Jackson County voters
Editor’s note (April 4, 2024): This story has been corrected to reflect an error about a Virginia tax package to attract stadiums. The Royals and the Chiefs had everything. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce — fresh off of a Super Bowl victory — endorsed a “yes” vote in ads airing on TV and on YouTube. […]
Posted inState Government
When social issues stall Missouri lawmakers, statewide officials make their own rules
Who needs legislators? Especially when they can’t even pass laws on the hottest of hot-button issues? Instead, conservative Republicans who hold every statewide office in Missouri increasingly show they can limit what materials libraries can stock, toss aside rules on socially responsible investments and shut off access to gender-affirming care. When lawmakers in the Missouri […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, DIY Democracy, State Government
Missouri lawmakers break new ground to stop constitutional amendments — and abortion
Editor’s note (March 25, 2023): This story has been corrected to reflect that the proposal would require a majority support from voters statewide, plus a majority vote in five of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. While state lawmakers across the country stumbled when trying to make it harder for voters to amend state constitutions, Missouri lawmakers […]
Posted inHealth, State Government
Missouri considers banning county jails from shackling some pregnant inmates
Takeaways: The Missouri House stands poised to pass a bill largely prohibiting city and county jails from shackling women in their third trimester of a pregnancy. In state prisons in Missouri and 39 other states, the practice is already banned. The legislation would extend that rule to city and county jails. The bill, sponsored by […]
Posted inEnvironment, State Government
South KC landfill opponents prepare for a potential Senate battle, after a win in the Missouri House
Takeaways: When Rick Meyers started knocking on neighbors’ doors to talk about a proposed landfill about a mile from his home, he didn’t appreciate the scale his campaign would take on. The door-knocking turned into an email list. That begat a Facebook group with nearly 5,000 members. Then a political action committee came online to […]
Posted inHealth, State Government
National conservative groups are working to limit transgender rights. They’re finding success in Missouri
Missouri may offer a prime example of a red state primed for plug-and-play laws restricting transgender rights. A robust network of conservative advocacy groups stretching across the country has eagerly seized the chance to show the Show Me State just how to do that. Last year, lawmakers passed a ban on access to gender-affirming care […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, DIY Democracy, State Government
Missouri House and Senate OK two plans making it harder for voters to amend the state constitution
The Republican-controlled Missouri House and Senate advanced two different proposals Thursday that would make it harder for voters to change the state constitution using a constitutional amendment. The Senate passed a bill on a party-line vote that would dramatically crank up the difficulty of passing a constitutional amendment proposed by voters using an initiative petition […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Local Government, State Government
Missouri House Democrats launch uphill push to give cities more power over gun control
Takeaways: Missouri House Democrats reacted to the fatal shooting that followed Kansas City’s Super Bowl celebration by pushing to give mayors and city councils more leeway on gun control. House Minority Leader Crystal Quade and her Democratic caucus bristle at the way Missouri’s lawmakers refuse to consider legislation that would create more firearms restrictions in […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, DIY Democracy, Elections
FAQ: What to know about Missouri’s Democratic presidential primary
Missouri Democrats wanting to weigh in on the party’s nominee for president can either go to the polls this spring or mail in their ballots. A 2022 law eliminated Missouri’s state-run presidential primaries, leaving the parties to sort out their own ways to weigh in on the contests. Democrats decided on a presidential primary and […]