Missouri

Courts in Nebraska and Missouri weigh arguments to keep abortion measures off the ballot

Published

1 year ago

September 9, 2024

Courts in Nebraska and Missouri weigh arguments to keep abortion measures off the ballot

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — With ballot deadlines approaching, courts in Nebraska and Missouri are weighing legal arguments that could take measures seeking to expand abortion rights out of the hands of voters.

The Missouri Supreme Court will hear arguments this week in an appeal over a proposed amendment to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution. And on Monday, the Nebraska Supreme Court heard arguments in three lawsuits that seek to keep one or both of the state’s competing abortion initiatives off the ballot.

One initiative would enshrine in the Nebraska Constitution the right to have an abortion until viability, or later to protect the health of the pregnant woman. The other would write into the constitution Nebraska’s current 12-week abortion ban, passed by the Legislature in 2023, which includes exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the pregnant woman.

Two lawsuits — one brought by an Omaha resident and the other by a Nebraska neonatologist who both oppose abortion — argue that the measure seeking to expand abortion rights violates the state’s prohibition against addressing more than one subject in a bill or ballot proposal. They say the ballot measure deals with abortion rights until viability, abortion rights after viability to protect the woman’s health and whether the state should be allowed to regulate abortion, amounting to three separate issues.

But lawyers opposing the abortion rights measure spent much of their time challenging the language of the proposal, with attorney Brenna Grasz insisting that its wording that “all persons” shall have a fundamental right to abortion would extend abortion rights to third parties. An example would be parents seeking to force a minor child to get an abortion.

“Is this a single-subject argument?” Chief Justice Mike Heavican asked.

Attorney Matt Heffron with the conservative Chicago nonprofit Thomas More Society, which has filed lawsuits across the country to challenge abortion rights, argued that the Protect Our Rights initiative logrolls competing subjects into one measure. It would force voters who support abortion up to the point of fetal viability to also support abortion after that point to protect the health of the mother, which they may not want to do, he said.

“This is a sea change in the current Nebraska law, which was popularly enacted by representatives, and each one of these should be voted on by the voters separately,” Heffron said.

Heavican countered that “virtually every bill that has gone through the Legislature” dealing with abortion has also included the subjects of exceptions and state regulation.

Heffron answered that lawmakers had the benefit of time and expertise to “hash out the terms” of those bills and that voters will go into the voting booth much less informed. But the justices noted that a nearly identical single-subject argument on an abortion rights ballot measure before the conservative Florida Supreme Court earlier this year failed.

An attorney for the lawsuit challenging the 12-week ban initiative argued that if the high court finds that the abortion rights measure fails the single-subject test, it must also find that the 12-week ban initiative fails it, too.

Attorney David Gacioch, of Boston, said that under the theory floated by opposing attorneys, the 12-week ban measure would loop in at least six separate subjects to include regulating abortion in the first, second and third trimesters and separate exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.

Gacioch acknowledged that insisting on separate ballot measures for each of those issues would be as specious as trying to break down the abortion rights measure into separate issues.

“We don’t think that’s what this court has articulated under a single-subject test,” Gacioch said. “We think that would frustrate the rights of the voters to pass constitutional amendments as reflected in the Constitution.”

The state’s high court has offered a mixed bag on single-subject law challenges. In 2020, the Nebraska Supreme Court blocked a ballot initiative seeking to legalize medical marijuana after finding that its provisions to allow people to use marijuana and to produce it were separate subjects that violated the state’s single-subject rule.

But in July, the high court ruled that a hybrid bill passed by the Legislature in 2023 combining the 12-week abortion ban with another measure to limit gender-affirming health care for minors does not violate the single-subject rule. That led to a scathing dissent by Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman, who accused the majority of applying different standards to bills passed by the Legislature and those sought by voter referendum.

The court agreed to expedite Monday’s hearing as state law requires the November ballot to be certified by Friday.

In Missouri, the state’s high court will hear arguments Tuesday in its proposed abortion rights initiative, following that state’s enactment of a near-total abortion ban in 2022. The proposal had been slated for the November ballot, but a judge ruled Friday that the abortion-rights campaign did not properly inform voters during the signature-gathering process about the range of abortion laws the amendment could undo.

Tuesday is also the deadline to make changes to Missouri’s November ballot, so judges will have hours to rule on whether abortion will go before voters this year.

Abortion is currently on the November ballot in nine states. Additionally, a measure in New York would bar discrimination based on pregnancy outcomes but does not mention abortion specifically.

Abortion rights advocates have historically prevailed most of the time it’s been before voters – including on all seven ballot measures since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and ended a nationwide right to abortion. Since the ruling, most Republican-controlled states have implemented bans or restrictions – including 14 that now bar abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

With such high stakes, there have been court fights over most of the measures. An Arizona Supreme Court ruling is letting the state refer to an embryo or fetus as an “unborn human being” in a pamphlet; courts in Arkansas found paperwork problems with initiative submissions and kept the measure off the ballot. A measure is on the ballot in South Dakota, but an anti-abortion group is trying to keep the votes from being counted.

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Associated Press writer Summer Ballentine contributed to this report from Columbia, Missouri.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for March 3, 2026

Published

8 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing

07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing

Midday: 5-8-9

Midday Wild: 8

Evening: 8-8-2

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing

Midday: 0-3-5-7

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 0-9-9-5

Evening Wild: 6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 3 drawing

Early Bird: 13

Morning: 15

Matinee: 09

Prime Time: 14

Night Owl: 14

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 3 drawing

04-07-09-17-21

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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Missouri

Missouri auditor to probe St. Louis arts funder after whistleblower complaint

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Missouri auditor to probe St. Louis arts funder after whistleblower complaint

Missouri state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick has launched a review of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis’ finances.

The audit is in response to complaints from a whistleblower who alerted the office to possible misuse of funds, Fitzpatrick said Tuesday. The auditor’s office then reviewed documents provided by RAC during an initial investigation before launching a full audit.

“We have verified the veracity of the whistleblower complaint, and have seen with our own eyes at this point records that give us enough concern that we want to proceed with an audit,” Fitzpatrick said.

The auditor’s report could be released late this year or in early 2027, he added. It would then be up to state and local authorities to follow up on any potential misconduct.

In an unsigned statement, RAC said it receives an annual audit from a firm selected by the offices of the St. Louis mayor and St. Louis County executive and that it shares the results publicly. “[We] are confident the findings from the state will mirror the success we have come to expect at the local level,” the statement says.

“We welcome the opportunity to provide documentation and context regarding our financial practices and grantmaking processes. As always, RAC will continue to focus on serving the St. Louis region’s arts and cultural community and maintaining the public’s trust,” the statement adds.

Potential issues identified in the state auditor’s initial investigation include the possibilities that RAC’s administrative expenses exceed what is allowed by statute, that leaders issued bonuses disallowed by the state constitution and that large grants were issued with no follow-up to ensure the money was used properly.

Fitzpatrick said his actions are not related to the commission’s choice of grant recipients.

Changes to the grant process

RAC distributes annual grants to arts organizations in St. Louis and St. Louis County. It is funded by a tax on hotel and motel stays. The commission distributed $3.7 million last year.

The organization suspended grant applications for fiscal 2026 due to “continuing financial volatility” and a new five-year plan, according to a note on its website. It will use applications received in 2025 as a guide for its 2026 grants.

Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis

Vanessa Cooksey took leadership of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis in 2021.

“This pause allows RAC to support eligible and high-scoring 2025 grantees and applicants while navigating financial challenges and planning for a stronger, more sustainable grant program in the future,” the note says.

RAC publishes a list of its annual grants online.

Vanessa Cooksey became president and CEO of the organization in 2020 after it spent a year without a permanent leader. Previous chief Felicia Shaw had stepped down in November 2019. Neither Shaw nor RAC provided a public explanation for Shaw’s departure.

Some smaller organizations had complained that during Shaw’s tenure they stopped receiving annual grants.

The Regional Arts Commission had a $13.4 million budget in 2024, according to tax documents. Cooksey received a $196,253 salary and $28,652 in additional compensation.

Continuing a process begun by Shaw, Cooksey oversaw changes to grant applications that she said were meant to simplify the process – including removing a longstanding split between its funding mechanisms for large and small organizations.

A key arts funder after the coronavirus pandemic

In November 2022, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to direct $10.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to RAC. A measure that would have allocated another $1.6 million failed to pass the St. Louis County Council, so RAC was statutorily required to distribute ARPA funds only to groups based in St. Louis.

RAC has distributed $9.5 million of the ARPA money so far, funding 195 individual artists and 75 organizations.

Arts leaders said in 2022 that the sector supports more than 19,000 jobs and generates nearly $600 million a year – more than all local sports franchises combined.

The federal money was a boon to St. Louis artists and arts organizations following a steep decrease in funding at the height of the coronavirus pandemic due to decreased tourism in the region.

Tax revenues earmarked for RAC decreased from $9.5 million in fiscal 2019 to $2.8 million the next year. Tax revenue directed to RAC have increased but still lag behind the pre-pandemic total. The commission reported $7.5 million in tax revenue received in fiscal 2024.

RAC presented a new five-year plan with much fanfare in March 2020 but had little initial opportunity to implement it. Not long after, St. Louis officials put limits on public gatherings to tamp down spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Commission officials released a new five-year strategic roadmap in December 2025.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for March 2, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing

Midday: 3-3-4

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 4-8-9

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 2 drawing

Midday: 6-4-2-2

Midday Wild: 5

Evening: 2-8-2-4

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 2 drawing

Early Bird: 08

Morning: 12

Matinee: 05

Prime Time: 04

Night Owl: 02

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 2 drawing

13-17-18-23-28

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing

21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play 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

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

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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