Missouri
New Sunshine Law requests delayed as Missouri AG continues work on backlog
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has nearly completed work on a backlog of requests for records submitted to his office by the public last year.
That means work can finally begin processing requests submitted this year.
The 2023 requests were initially supposed to be completed by May. But a spokeswoman for the attorney general said staff turnover, coupled with a huge spike last year in the number of requests for the office’s records, meant the process took longer than anticipated.
As of last week, there were 15 pending requests left from 2023, said Madeline Sieren, Bailey’s spokeswoman.
Bailey was sworn in as attorney general in January 2023, taking over the office after his predecessor was elected to the U.S. Senate. And from the early months of his tenure, Bailey faced criticism over how his office has handled public requests for records.
Those concerns were amplified by the fact that the attorney general’s office enforces Missouri’s Sunshine Law, as well as Bailey’s involvement in crafting a failed proposal to weaken public records laws while working for Gov. Mike Parson.
There were 224 unfinished records requests still pending when Bailey took over, and last year the number of requests submitted to his office ballooned from 468 in 2022 to 784.
Five staffers were assigned to work through the backlog, but Bailey’s policy of handling requests on a first-come, first-served basis has created massive delays. Newer inquiries that are small and easily dispensed with sit in limbo for months, even up to a year, as staff works on older and more expansive requests.
More: Willard city officials required to undergo Sunshine Law training after complaints
For example, a request by The Independent in August for three days of Bailey’s official calendar — typically turned around in a matter of days by other government agencies — wasn’t completed for 10 months.
Sieren said the attorney general’s office is currently projecting new requests will take 60 days to complete. She has also noted the office does not charge for any public records requests, a practice that differs from nearly every other state agencies.
But that’s done little to soothe criticism.
By allowing requests to pile up, and forcing the public to wait months for records that could be quickly provided, the attorney general is not abiding by the Sunshine Law, said Bernie Rhodes, a First Amendment attorney who has represented numerous media outlets, including The Independent.
“Complying with the Sunshine Law is not optional,” he said. “The law states that, ‘each public governmental body shall make available for inspection and copying by the public of that body’s public records.’ The word ‘shall’ is mandatory.”
If government transparency were actually important to Bailey, Rhodes said, he would dedicate the resources needed to ensure his office is complying with the law.
“Choosing to file papers with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Donald Trump is optional, not mandatory,” he said, referencing Bailey asking the court to delay the former president’s sentencing for 34 felonies until after the November election.
“Every lawyer working on that matter,” Rhodes said, “could be working on complying with the Sunshine Law.”
More: Politician or the people’s lawyer? How the role of Missouri Attorney General has evolved
Rhodes notes he’s still waiting on a request he made in March for a copy of the office’s sunshine log — a list or spreadsheet that most government offices maintain that documents pending records requests.
This sort of narrow request historically can be turned around in a matter of days.
Rhodes is still waiting.
Meanwhile, an identical request was filed in August by Jeff Basinger, a Columbia attorney running as a Democrat for the Missouri House. While Rhodes hasn’t received his records, Basinger got a copy of the attorney general’s sunshine log late last month.
Why didn’t Rhodes get a copy of the same records?
“Good question,” Rhodes said. “I have no idea why.”
The sunshine log obtained by Basinger and provided to The Independent documents years of requests — from individuals, reporters, political operatives and organizations.
A frequent inquiry that shows up on the log involves records about companies accused of ripping off customers. The attorney general’s office enforces the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, which protects consumers from deceptive, unethical or illegal actions by businesses.
“Sunshine requests are used by Missourians to investigate problems and fix them,” Basinger said. “Denying prompt access to information negates the opportunity for citizens, journalists and public interest groups to effectively address the subject of their concern.”
This story was first published at missouriindependent.com.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 16, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 16 drawing
12-20-53-67-70, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 16 drawing
Midday: 1-1-3
Midday Wild: 0
Evening: 5-0-3
Evening Wild: 6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 16 drawing
Midday: 6-5-4-8
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 1-7-9-9
Evening Wild: 6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 16 drawing
Early Bird: 12
Morning: 15
Matinee: 07
Prime Time: 07
Night Owl: 06
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from June 16 drawing
03-25-26-30-36
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.
A skydiving instructor who had made over 6,800 jumps. A drummer who was meticulous about safety since falling in love with the sport that helped him sober up. A software engineer on the cusp of becoming a certified skydiving coach. A grandfather honoring his sister lost to cancer.
Family and friends of the 11 jumpers and pilot killed when their plane crashed shortly after taking off in Missouri said they loved their hobby — whether it was to find personal peace or to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience with others. They remembered the experienced skydivers as people who may have had regular jobs to pay their bills but free falling brought both the thrill and the serenity they craved.
Blake Thacker, 25, jumped for seven years since first skydiving on his 18th birthday. He was set to get his skydiving coach certification over the weekend, his mother Sherry said.
“Skydiving had given him the confidence to do other things in his life, to be successful and reach for things maybe he thought he wasn’t good enough to do,” she said.
Thacker was an aviation software engineer and his mother saw that same methodical safety-oriented focus in his hobby.
“He said, ’Mom the danger in skydiving is really not the diving it’s the plane,’” she recalled.
Plane crashed shortly after takeoff
The plane was barely off the ground Sunday — only about 100 feet (30 meters) in the air — when it made an abrupt left turn before crashing on a sunny day. It appeared to be losing power, witnesses said.
This Sept. 2024 photo provided by Kathryn Nold shows Nold and her husband, Dustin McKinney, and their two kids in Stilwell, Kansas. Credit: AP/Kathryn Nold
Skydive Kansas City operated the single-engine turboprop Pacific Aerospace 750XL built in 2010 out of an airport in the small town of Butler, roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Kansas City.
The plane arrived in Butler for the first time on June 5, according to data from FlightRadar24.com. Pictures of the aircraft posted on social media showed it still had advertising from Chattanooga Skydiving Co. Its flight history showed it had previously been flying for weeks at a time in Tennessee and Wisconsin.
A woman who answered the phone at the Chattanooga Skydiving Co. hung up Tuesday when a reporter identified himself.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating all factors leading to the crash including how much experience the pilot had with this model of plane and any mechanical or structural problems with the aircraft.
This undated photo provided by Gloria Shanahan shows Michael Shanahan in San Francisco. Credit: AP/Uncredited
The 12 people killed were identified as Thacker, Kurt John Roy, Michael Shanahan, David Hershberger, Sai Karthik Varma Datla, Matthew Swope, Dustin McKinney, Jen Sharp, Marcus Miller, Nicholas Nash, William Fischer and Dane Cordes, according to the Bates County Coroner’s Office.
Skydiving helped one jumper get sober
McKinney’s wife said her husband was meticulous about safety when he jumped after his love for skydiving prompted him to get sober seven years ago.
“It feels like this is the only way that skydiving could have taken out Dustin, because it was such a freak accident,” Kathryn Nold said. “It was the most horrific thing. It’s still very surreal.”
McKinney, 44, worked at a furniture store and played drums in Kansas City-area bands. The father of two also had a part-time paying gig as a videographer for Skydive Kansas City.
“He could just immediately make people feel seen and warm and want to be around him, and I just feel infinitely lucky that we were the center of his world and able to experience that love from him that he gave so effortlessly to everyone,” Nold said of her high school sweetheart.
Honoring his sister by jumping
Shanahan took up skydiving just before his older sister Nikki died from breast cancer in 2016, his mother said Tuesday.
“He wanted to live his life and make it worth having fun, having a good time, doing something he enjoyed, and skydiving was something he had always wanted to do, unbeknownst to us,” Gloria Shanahan told The Associated Press.
Shanahan honored his sister by skydiving on her birthday, Mother’s Day and the anniversary of her death. He then visited her grave.
Shanahan, 54, jumped Saturday just for fun. He booked Sunday’s jump as a backup in case the weather was bad but decided to go ahead and jump both days anyway, his mother said.
“We do not regret that he did. He got to live the life that he wanted to,” she said.
Shanahan’s skydiving instructor was Hershberger, who was on the plane with him Sunday. The two had another bond. Hershberger taught violin to two of Shanahan’s grandchildren.
Hershberger, 54, also taught orchestra and played trumpet with the Kansas City Wind Symphony. His summers were spent at Skydive Kansas City, often harnessed to inexperienced jumpers exhilarated and nervous to cross something off their bucket lists.
Skydiving to find out more about yourself
Sharp, 55, took her first jump in 1989 when she was 18. Some 6,800 jumps later, she was a legendary instructor at the highest levels of the sport and the coach for Thacker’s certification.
On her blog, Sharp wrote about how she jumped into Denver’s Coors Field ballpark while dressed as the queen of England and loved to go tandem with people skydiving for the first time and to see them test their resolve, grow personally and just feel alive.
“Being trained by Jen Sharp was like taking piano lessons from Beethoven,” her friend Greg Upper told The Associated Press, calling Sharp a philosopher. “That’s how big of a deal she was.”
Swope, 39, worked in IT, but every weekend he was up in the sky as he searched for any bit of fun, especially something he could share with others, his best friend, Justin Williams, said.
“He loved it. He gets to take people on their once-in-a-lifetime adventure every weekend, multiple times a day,” Williams said.
After Swope’s death, Williams said, he’s terrified to go skydiving again but also knows he has to because his friend knew to truly live is to take risks.
“It’s scary to be in the door, but the moment you let go, it dissolves away and induces a state of presence that you will not find anywhere else,” Williams said of free falling. “You don’t worry about the future. You’re not sad about the past. You’re just present, and it’s the most peaceful experience.”
The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record. The United States Parachute Association said that last year nearly 3.5 million jumps were completed and that 16 civilians died, the majority from human error.
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