Some Missouri towns don’t have control over their main streets because they are state highways. When they want to pursue downtown revitalization projects, not having control over the road can make things complicated.
State Government
Posted inState Government
Missouri lawmakers lay out policy priorities for rest of session
Kansas City-area lawmakers say they’re focused on the state budget, Missouri sports teams, health care and the economy.
Posted inState Government
Gov. Mike Kehoe poised to sign legislation that could raise Missouri utility bills
Bill would allow utilities to seek rate increases for construction before projects are completed. Critics say this and other changes could cost consumers more than $1,100 a year.
Posted inState Government
Amid wide policy swings, Kansas and Missouri officials puzzle over big federal funding cuts
States, counties and cities are scrambling to assess the impact of the Trump administration’s federal funding cuts in their communities.
Posted inHealth
Medicaid cuts: What could happen in Missouri?
Republicans in Washington, D.C., are searching for ways to reduce federal spending to offset the cost of implementing parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda. One possibility already hinted at by the House of Representatives is cuts to Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for people whose income and resources […]
Posted inState Government
Leavenworth considers prison cells for Trump’s mass deportation plan
CoreCivic, through its Leavenworth prison, wants to hold up to 1,000 detained immigrants. The U.S. does not have enough prison cells to meet mass deportation promise.
Posted inCivic Engagement
How to contact your representatives in Washington, D.C., if you live in Missouri
It can be difficult amid all of the chaos in Washington to follow what your Missouri representatives in Congress are doing in the nation’s capital. For Missourians looking to contact or keep in touch with their representatives in Washington, The Beacon created a quick contact list that includes the information you need to know. Missouri […]
Posted inState Government
Mid-term report: Kansas lawmakers prioritize culture war, squeeze social services and reject medical weed
Kansas Republicans are cracking down on social services programs, creating new crimes and rejecting proposals by Democrats. It’s the halfway point through the state legislative session and Kansas lawmakers have passed dozens of bills through the House and Senate. Some bills could fail or be significantly altered when they get to the other chamber. Other […]
Posted inState Government
As Missouri teens get into deadly car wrecks, a lawmaker wants to require driver’s education
You’re more likely to fail your driver’s license test in Missouri than in nearly every other state in the country.
In fact, you’re more likely to fail your test than you are to pass it.
When Missourians line up to take the written test before getting their learner’s permit, only 39% will get a passing score. Compare that to Kansas, where 76% pass the test.
One reason for such poor performance? Missouri is one of just 10 states that do not require any driver to take driver’s education classes before getting behind the wheel.
Posted inState Government
‘State-sponsored child endangerment’: Advocates blast bill that they say hurts LGBTQ foster children
Kansas lawmakers are trying to strengthen religious protections for foster families looking to adopt kids. But the proposal could create what critics call “state-sponsored child endangerment” of LGBTQ youth. A bill would prevent the secretary at the Kansas Department for Children and Families from creating or enforcing policies that conflict with a foster family’s religious […]