Amid a flood of headlines from Washington, D.C., it can be difficult to keep track of what your elected officials are doing in the nation’s capital. For Kansans looking to keep in touch with their representatives in Washington, The Beacon created a quick contact list that includes the information you need to know. Kansas now […]
Civic Engagement
Posted inElections
From swing state to red state: A peek below the surface of county results in Missouri
An analysis of Missouri election results shows a steady shift to Republicans, including smaller movement in urban Democratic strongholds.
Posted inKansas City
Democrat Melesa Johnson elected Jackson County prosecutor
Melesa Johnson, who promised to combat Kansas City’s high violence rate with aggressive prosecution and crime prevention, easily won the Jackson County Prosecutor’s race on Tuesday to become the first Black woman in the job. Johnson, 35, who emphasized her roots in the city’s urban core, will replace prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who has held […]
Posted inElections
Would sports betting boost Missouri school funding? There’s no guarantee, experts say
Missourians are being asked to legalize sports betting by passing Amendment 2. The campaign promises tens of millions will go to Missouri schools.
Posted inElections
Sports betting in Missouri: Everything you need to know about Amendment 2
Missourians could soon legally bet on sports from their own homes — instead of driving to Kansas or Illinois to place bets. Legalizing sports wagering will appear as Amendment 2 on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. Missourians 21 or older would be allowed to bet if it passes. Read the full amendment here. Here’s […]
Posted inState Government
How to make your voice heard on the proposed 2025 Evergy West rate hikes
Evergy Missouri West is proposing a 13.99% increase in its rates starting in January, amounting to over $104 million for the utility provider. While the rate increase will need to be approved by the Missouri Public Service Commission, the state’s utility regulator, the public can let the commission know how it feels about the rate […]
Posted inState Government
Missouri Democrats, tired of seeing uncontested Republicans, recruit more legislative candidates
Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect the part of the state Melissa Viloria worked in as a volunteer and the first year House candidates ran in new districts after redistricting. When Melissa Viloria was growing up in northeast Missouri, few people in power that looked like her. Viloria was born in Hawaii to […]
Posted inHousing
Residents want input, concessions before backing a low-barrier homeless shelter in Northeast Kansas City
People gather near the Hope Faith Homeless Assistance Campus all day long. Some carry backpacks sagging with belongings. Others come empty-handed. Many have no interest in going inside. Instead, they hang out to chat, organize their belongings, or simply stare into space. In the blocks surrounding Hope Faith at 705 Virginia Ave., people sit in […]
Posted inState Government
Republican infighting kills effort to make it harder for voters to change Missouri law
After years of effort, Missouri Republicans were poised to take a step toward making it harder for initiative petitions to pass. For the majority of the spring, Republicans seemed on the same page about a plan they would send to voters on the August ballot. Then the little, fragile unity that remained among Republicans crumbled […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, State Government
Minimum wage, abortion, sports betting, an Ozarks casino: What will land on Missouri ballots?
Whether Missouri legalizes abortion and sports betting, allows a casino at the Lake of the Ozarks or raises the minimum wage hinges on whether state and local officials judge that most of 1.25 million signatures on four petitions are legitimate. The secretary of state’s office has three more weeks to process the petitions and ship […]