Missouri
Jay Ashcroft draws bipartisan attacks over comments about veterans benefits • Missouri Independent
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is facing criticism from Republican and Democratic rivals over comments he made at a candidate forum this weekend calling into question the fairness of special benefits for veterans.
During a panel for gubernatorial candidates at the annual Missouri Republican Party Lincoln Days in Kansas City over the weekend, Ashcroft was asked how the state can better support veterans and active duty military personnel.
Ashcroft said “we need to do what we promised them,” before acknowledging he was about to say something that “probably isn’t what you want for the answer to your question.”
“I don’t think we ought to treat people based on classifications,” he said. “I think we ought to treat everybody equally. And I don’t think we ought to say that if you live here, we’re gonna charge you this, but if you live here, we charge you this. I don’t think we ought to say if you’re in the military, we’ll give you this discount, but everybody else has to pay twice as much. I don’t think that’s good government.”
When someone is a member of the military and moves into the state, Ashcroft said, “it’s harder sometimes to get licensed and make sure you have licensing reciprocity. What I always said was, why don’t we just make that rule for everybody? Why don’t we just say that government is the problem, and let’s get government out of the way, let people make their own decisions and not keep picking and choosing winners and losers.”
He concluded: “I appreciate veterans. I have veterans in my family. I like what they’ve done. But what we ought to do is say, if it’s good for veterans, it’s good to do it for everyone.”
This answer from @JayAshcroftMO was the most discussed answer from the @MissouriGOP forum yesterday.
Jay Ashcroft comes out against military discounts for our state’s veterans. Shameful. #MOGOV pic.twitter.com/g1iUBym36a
— West STL Republican (@WestStLouisGOP) February 18, 2024
State Sen. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican who served in the Air Force, responded to Ashcroft’s comments during the forum by saying he was “stunned to hear one of the candidates here say he’s not interested in looking into veteran’s issues or helping them out.”
He continued his criticism Wednesday, as footage of Ashcroft’s comments began to spread on social media.
“I lost friends. I saw the struggle upon returning to the states,” he said. “I disdain the ruling elite who send our men and women to die in their wars, all while doing nothing to ensure their sacrifice is honored when they return home.”
Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican from Jefferson City who also participated in the candidate forum, said Wednesday evening that for Jay Ashcroft to “treat our veterans as anything less than heroes is disrespectful to all veterans and their families. Communities across our state value our nation’s heroes and their service and sacrifice to our country, and they would want their governor to do the same.”
Democrats also piled on.
Emma O’Brien, press secretary for the Democratic Governors Association, called Ashcroft an “insider politician who only looks out for himself, but wants to rip away benefits from members of the military and veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom.”
In a statement to The Independent Wednesday evening, Ashcroft did not address the criticism but said it is “shameful that we have failed to fulfill our commitment to our veterans.”
“No Americans make a greater sacrifice for our freedoms and security than the men and women who wear the uniform of our armed forces,” the statement read. “The sacrifices that they and their families make are unimaginable for those of us who have not served. I honor that service and as governor will make our commitment to them a priority, without qualification.”
In the spring of 2021, Cecilia Williams lost her son, daughter-in-law and grandson to a drunken driver.
Williams, who lives in Bonne Terre, is now raising the two orphaned grandchildren who survived, Bentley and Mason.
A year later, Melanie Wankum was hit head-on by a drunken driver, killing her instantly and injuring a passenger on their way back from a wedding.
In both tragedies, families of the victims became advocates on their behalf, championing tougher laws in Missouri against drunken driving.
Soon after the crash that killed her son and his family, Williams found herself in Jefferson City lobbying for a bill that would hold drunken drivers responsible for children left without a parent after an accident.
It would require convicted drunken drivers to pay child support to the surviving children until they are at least 18, or 21 if they are still in school.
Named after Williams’ grandsons, the legislation was introduced in 2021 and signed by the governor five years later on July 9. Tennessee was the first state and Missouri was the eighth to pass a version of “Bentley Law.”
The child-support provision was included this year in Missouri House Bill 1740, which also stiffened other drunken driving laws. The additional provisions have become known as “Melanie’s Law,” to recognize the woman killed in 2022 by a drunken driver in Jefferson City.
Melanie’s Law changed felony classifications for DWI cases that cause injury or death to require longer prison sentences. It also expanded the mandatory use of ignition interlock devices for those involved in alcohol-related incidents. Missouri is one of 35 states with similar laws.
“The pain a family feels when a loved one is killed by a drunk driver is one that never goes away,” said state Rep. Dave Griffith, who sponsored the legislation.
The bill went through a number of revisions before it was passed, Griffith said.
“At each one of those steps, I think we’re very thoughtful about how we can make the bill better and how it’s going to affect the families that suffer and deal with this,” Griffith said.
“Driving while intoxicated is a choice,” he said. “It’s my hope that when people know the ramifications of making those bad decisions they will think twice before getting behind the wheel.”
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a national organization with offices in Missouri, has been consistently involved in pushing for enactment of the stricter legislation. Working closely with Cecilia Williams, the organization supported the Missouri bill until it passed.
“Cecilia has been dedicated to turning the tragic crash into a way to honor her loved ones, as well as raise awareness of the dangers of driving impaired,” said Tabitha Perkins, state executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
“For Missouri, we hope this bill will serve as a deterrent to individuals who drink and drive,” Perkins said. “Knowing that even after they are released from prison, they will still have a financial obligation to complete will make drivers think twice before they get behind the wheel of a deadly weapon in an impaired state.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fire crews battled a house fire Saturday morning in Kansas City, Missouri, that sent an occupant and a firefighter to the hospital.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department responded to a house fire around 10:10 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of West 85th Street.
KCFD said one occupant was trapped inside the residence. Upon arrival, crews began battling the fire and entered the house to rescue the occupant.
Firefighters located an elderly woman and got her out of the house. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital in serious condition.
A KCFD firefighter was taken to the hospital for a minor injury.
A dog inside the residence was able to evacuate safely.
The fire department reported the fire was brought under control around 10:25 a.m. City Planning and Dangerous Buildings were requested at the scene.
KCFD is investigating the cause of the fire.
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The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 17 drawing
22-34-45-48-55, Mega Ball: 14
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 17 drawing
Midday: 3-2-3
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 6-5-7
Evening Wild: 3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 17 drawing
Midday: 2-5-9-9
Midday Wild: 8
Evening: 2-2-1-1
Evening Wild: 3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 17 drawing
Early Bird: 08
Morning: 06
Matinee: 06
Prime Time: 07
Night Owl: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from July 17 drawing
01-06-11-19-21
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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