It’s not what Gabrielle Griffie said, but how she said it, the city of Wichita argued before the Kansas Supreme Court Sept. 12. More specifically, how many people she said it with, and their reasons for saying it. Griffie was convicted of a misdemeanor — unlawful assembly — after leading a protest against police brutality […]
State Government
Posted inHealth, State Government
The pandemic put Missouri mothers at greater violence risk, even homicide — especially if they were Black
Social isolation during the pandemic put Missouri’s Black moms in greater danger that their partner would kill them. A report from the state’s maternal mortality review board found that from 2018 to 2020, homicide was the third-leading cause of death for Missouri moms. Black women made up 75% of those deaths. Among those homicides, guns […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Elections, Health, State Government
Missouri groups look for the strongest abortion rights that voters would back
Update (Nov. 22, 2023): After two losses in lower state courts, the Missouri Supreme Court on Nov. 20 denied hearing Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s appeal, effectively ending the court battles over language for a set of initiative petitions aimed at restoring access to abortion in Missouri. The fight over the Missouri abortion ban begins […]
Posted inData, State Government
Data dive: What spending more money on elections means for Kansas voter turnout
A county-by-county examination by The Beacon showed counties that spent more per voter got some payoff on turnout — with limits. Counties that spent less than $20 per registered voter tended to see turnout of about 40%. Those that spent more than $30 per voter could generally expect turnout north of 50%.
Posted inEconomics, State Government
Kansas taxpayers — not casinos — are underwriting ‘free’ sports bets that entice gamblers
Kansas taxpayers subsidize the millions of dollars nationwide sports gambling apps hand out to bettors for their initial wagers that get them in the habit of gambling. The new sports betting industry also makes hardly any revenue for the state, amounting to a small drop in the bucket of the state’s multi-billion dollar operating budget. […]
Posted inEconomics, State Government
Kansans can lose big on sports betting with a single click. Experts want more protections
Online sports betting poses a heightened danger of addiction to Kansans. The new industry makes it legal and easier to place bets on things ranging from the outcome of games to the coin toss during the Super Bowl.
Posted inEconomics, State Government
Missouri’s secretary of state reins in environmentally minded investing
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says his rule is the first of its kind, placing Missouri on the cutting edge of how some states might think about regulating ESG, or “environmental, social and governance,” investing. The practice takes into account social concerns and personal beliefs.
Posted inHealth, State Government
“We’ve got hell coming”: Missourians in state prisons fear consequences of summertime heat
As heat waves sweep across the Midwest, incarcerated people in Missouri are increasingly afraid of the rising temperatures inside prisons. They live in concrete buildings that retain heat. People share close quarters, making cooling all the more difficult. As Earth’s temperatures reach their hottest recorded numbers this summer, people incarcerated in Missouri’s prisons describe conditions […]
Posted inState Government
Missouri has a $500k incentive for urban farmers –– if growers can figure out how to get it
News that the Missouri legislature has authorized $500,000 for urban farming grants ought to be welcomed by small growers like Darian and Nicolette Davis, who run an orchard in Kansas City’s Swope Park to provide fresh fruit to their community. The couple hatched the idea of the Kansas City Urban Farm Co-op during the unrest […]
Posted inHealth, State Government
“I can’t wait.” Missouri moms face waitlists, access problems when looking for mental health care
Geornesha Clayton is a social worker. So when she was undergoing a difficult pregnancy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, with morning sickness so severe it put her job at risk, she understood that problems could carry over after she gave birth. Her delivery was also rocky. Clayton, who lives in Kansas City, ended […]