An income tax elimination proposal would allow the General Assembly to raise or expand sales taxes, which seniors say would increase their tax burden.
state government
Posted inState Government
‘Kansas City hangs in the balance’: Contentious hearing kicks off Missouri redistricting effort
Under the map proposed by Gov. Mike Kehoe and carried by Rep. Dirk Deaton, Jackson County voters would be split between districts stretching into eastern, southern and northern Missouri.
Posted inState Government
‘There’s still work to be done’: Missouri lawmakers return for special session to debate stadium funding and more
After a tense end to the regular session, lawmakers are coming back to Jefferson City for a special session to vote on stadium funding, disaster relief and construction projects.
Posted inState Government
Transgender Kansas Citians face growing restrictions and mounting fear
Suzanne Wheeler and her wife don’t want to leave the Kansas City area, their eight adult children and their seven grandchildren. They don’t want to walk away from their friends, their community and their support system. But they are making plans nonetheless. The middle-aged transgender couple already bought property in Portugal, where transgender rights are […]
Posted inState Government
Around 120 Kansas kids are abandoned by their families because their mental health needs are too high
An adoptive mother knew that caring for three children from the Kansas foster system meant nurturing those kids through some truly serious problems. Yet the mother dramatically underestimated what she was taking on. Particularly the danger. Two of the adopted children made shanks out of broken glass and damaged toys. They busted up the bedrooms […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas lawmakers pass tax cuts. Here’s how they compare to past plans
This article was updated after the governor signed the bill. Kansans will see income and property tax relief after a tax cut plan became law. Passing taxes has been a headache all session, but lawmakers returned to Topeka on Tuesday and approved a plan that was negotiated by the Democratic governor and Republican leaders in […]
Posted inKansas State Government
Kansas public defenders got raises. But their dissatisfaction with pay almost doubled
Takeaways: Kansas lawmakers gave public defenders a historic raise in recent years, yet a survey of those attorneys found that their concerns over pay almost doubled. In 2019, the State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services lost a fourth of its attorneys. In 2022, it lost another fifth. That led lawmakers to raise wages last year, […]
Posted inEnvironment, State Government
Missouri Republicans go after ‘woke’ investing to prevent state funds from being used in the fight against climate change
Some Missouri officeholders want to make sure that state funds aren’t used to promote “woke political agendas.” An effort is underway to ban state involvement with banks that prioritize climate action or other socially driven investments. Conservative legislators have joined peers in other Republican-run states in a movement against environmental, social and governance investing. Known […]