Missouri

Missouri state lawmakers talk funding, legislation impacts with South Kansas City community

Published

12 months ago

July 15, 2025

Missouri state lawmakers talk funding, legislation impacts with South Kansas City community

KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne covers issues surrounding government accountability, solutions and consumer advocacy. Share your story with Isabella.

The Missouri General Assembly approved a lot of funding bills that have a direct impact in Kansas City, but Governor Mike Kehoe used his line-item veto power to cut some of those items.

Missouri state lawmakers talk funding, legislation impacts in South Kansas City

Kehoe issued 208 vetoes, totaling nearly $300 million, on the General Assembly’s approved funding. The statewide cuts impact nearly 30 programs in the Kansas City area.

“As Governor, I have a constitutional obligation to balance the budget, and our administration will always follow the Constitution and rule of law,” Governor Kehoe said. “We support funding for education, and have proudly championed tax cuts for hard-working Missouri families and the desperately needed resources for our fellow Missourians affected by natural disasters this spring. However, these initiatives do not come without budgetary consequences.”

Jake Weller/KSHB 41

Missouri lawmakers at Monday night’s meeting in South Kansas City

Several Missouri lawmakers met Monday night with their constituents in South Kansas City to discuss the budgetary measures and bills approved in the 2025 legislative session.

Democratic Representative Tiffany Price, Republican Senator Mike Cierpiot, Democratic Representative Anthony Ealy, Democratic Senator Patty Lewis, Democratic Representative Pattie Mansur, and Democratic Representative Mark Sharp were at the meeting to hear their citizens’ concerns on this year’s legislative action.

Price expressed her concerns about Governor Kehoe’s vetoes and cuts in federal funding.

“If we want our people to be better, then why are we suddenly cutting everything?” Price said. “If we want our children to be better, if we want our city to be better, then everybody has to be taken care of as a whole.”

State funding is an important issue for the dozens of people who met with state legislators, whether the money is for fixing roads in South Kansas City or fixing the lack of affordable childcare.

Kids Win Missouri is a statewide organization that advocates for accessible childcare and works on solutions for families in need. Kansas City resident Jessica Tran now works with the organization’s outreach team, but saw the metro’s childcare crisis firsthand when she was a childcare provider.

“We had so many wait lists, we had them broken down by age groups and siblings,” Tran said. “We had people calling every single day.”

Kids Win Missouri is launching a program with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) called Child Care Exchange. It shares money between the state, providers, and local cities to help open up spots for accessible childcare.

“It’s really exciting to be able to hopefully start this new innovation in Missouri and to make childcare more affordable for families, not only in Kansas City, but all throughout the state,” Deputy Director Casey Hanson said.

The Missouri General Assembly approved $5 million for the program, but it was cut to $2.5 million.

Hanson said the funding is better than nothing, but expects fewer kids to get into Missouri childcare this year.

“With $5 million, you’re able to do more,” Hanson said. “With $2.5 million, you’re able to do half of that. We’re still really positive about having that $2.5 million to work with and just getting the program launched, and then hopefully next year, going back and getting a bigger appropriation.”

A veto override is possible, but legislators at South KC’s meeting on Monday night explained it was unlikely in the upcoming September session.

Representative Price sees funding for South Kansas City as a priority.

“The money is there, so let’s put it where it needs to go,” Price said.

A lack of childcare and childcare funding are two of the issues South Kansas City neighbors hope legislators address in their upcoming session. For Tran, it’s a personal mission to show legislators the impact funding childcare and the Child Care Exchange has in South Kansas City.

“[Missouri] did half, and we’re going to take that half and we’re going to be appreciative of that half,” Tran said. “We’re going to show them that it works and we’re going to show that it’s a great program and it’s going to do everything that we want it to do and probably more.”

Kids Win Missouri expects to have the program running in Kansas City within the next few months.

Source link

Click to comment

Missouri

Missouri realtors hold statewide rally to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5

Published

1 hour ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Missouri realtors hold statewide rally to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5

COLUMBIA — Hundreds of Missouri realtors were in Columbia Thursday to show their opposition to a couple of proposals on the August 4th ballot. The Missouri Association of Realtors hosted a statewide rally against Amendments 4 & 5. Realtors distributed tens of thousands of yard signs, bumper stickers, buttons, and literature.

More than 26,000 Missouri realtors want Missourians to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5. They said the proposals ignore tax restrictions that Missouri voters put into the Missouri Constitution. Amendment 4 would modify the current requirements for a simple statewide majority vote. Amendment 5 would require the phase out of the individual state income tax. Matthew Becker is the Treasurer-Elect for the Missouri Board of Realtors and said Amendment 5 would give too much power to state government.

Becker said, “Amendment 5 is nothing more than a bait and switch. Amendment 5 literally wants to go out and give our legislature a blank checkbook for the next 5 years.”

Jefferson City Realtor Logan Gratz said Amendment 4 favors politicians and destroys majority rule for Missourians.

Gratz said, “Realtors have always been major advocates of property owners, of property rights, good business, and good tax policy.”

Springfield area State Representative Bishop Davidson said Missouri realtors were wrong when they opposed Amendments 4 & 5. Davidson said Amendment 5 would improve Missouri’s tax system.

Davidson said, “Right now, the way our tax structure works is old and archaic. It discourages economic growth. When it comes to Amendment 4, what I would say is protecting our Missouri Constitution is important.”

Governor Mike Kehoe’s communication director sent KRCG a statement that said, “Governor Kehoe supports Amendment 5 because it is a revenue-triggered, constitutionally protected path to eliminating Missouri’s individual income tax, allowing workers to keep more of every paycheck.”

Source link

Missouri

Missouri Farm Bureau to host agritourism conference in Hermann | Fulton Sun

Published

11 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Missouri Farm Bureau to host agritourism conference in Hermann | Fulton Sun

Missouri Farm Bureau’s 2026 Agritourism Conference will be held Sunday through Tuesday in Hermann, bringing together agritourism stakeholders to explore opportunities in Missouri’s growing agritourism sector.

The conference usually draws 60-70 attendees annually, said Janet Adkison, director of public affairs and advocacy with Missouri Farm Bureau. This includes farmers, agribusiness leaders, tourism professionals and local economic development partners.

At the conference, participants will see firsthand how farms, wineries, orchards and other value-added agriculture business and rural destinations are connecting tourists and consumers with the state’s agriculture scene, while diversifying revenue streams for farm families and rural communities.

“Whenever folks think of agritourism, they think of a pumpkin patch or a flower farm,” Adkison said. “But agritourism is really anything that gets folks to connect with the agriculture industry. So from your Airbnbs that are out in rural Missouri to the wineries that you see across the countryside, to even a tree farm or just a simple orchard, those are all part of Missouri’s agritourism industry.”

The conference kicks off Sunday with welcome remarks by Missouri Farm Bureau president Garrett Hawkins and a dinner at Hermann Farm Store Barn. Participants will spend the nights at The Inn at Hermannhof.

Monday will include an agritourism bus tour, with stops at Thierbach Orchard, Heritage Valley Tree Farm, White Mule Winery & BNB and Cool Cow Cheese, where participants have the opportunity to speak to business owners.

It will be followed by a farm-to-table, wine-pairing dinner at Hermannhof Winery Court with the Missouri Wine & Grape Board.

“If you are somebody who’s interested in agritourism, you get to hear from somebody who’s been there and done that, and some of the hurdles that they may have experienced along the way,” Adkison said. “You’ll have that exposure both on the tour and also during the programs that they’ll provide on Tuesday.”

On the final day of the conference, participants will attend educational workshops and network with other vendors at Hermannhof Festhalle. Topics discussed in the workshops include marketing, risk management, USDA Rural Development resources for agricultural businesses.

“You’ll hear from some folks as far as the missteps or wins that they had while trying to market and get those crowds to come to the farm, and sometimes something might work, (or) something surprises you and it doesn’t work,” Adkison said.

The conference location rotates around the state each year — past stops have included northeast and west central Missouri, which Adkison said gives the conference a chance to showcase how agritourism looks based on the terrain and agricultural strength of each region.

Find out more about the event or register for it at mofb.org/event/2026-agritourism.

Source link

Missouri

Missouri politicians champion unity, diversity on America’s 250th

Published

22 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Missouri politicians champion unity, diversity on America’s 250th

Former Missouri Gov. Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon followed in his ancestor’s footsteps, 250 years to the day.

On July 8, 1776, Colonel John Nixon was the first person to publicly read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall.

Jay Nixon, along with other Missouri officials from local, state and national offices, participated in a semiquincentennial celebration at the Historical Greene County Courthouse on July 8, 2026.

“As we commemorate 250 years of American independence, may we remember not only the courage of those who signed the declaration, but also our responsibility to preserve the freedoms they declare,” said Connie Yen, director of the Greene County Archives and Records Center.

While the reading of the Declaration of Independence was the main event, patriotic music from the Salvation Army Band, Springfield Sound, the Patriotic Chorale — as well as the national anthem sung by former U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft and former judge and representative Max Bacon — rang throughout the courthouse’s rotunda, which was packed with people. The music itself, Ashcroft said, was a metaphor for the nation.

“There is something charming about America that doesn’t require that we be uniform. There’s a difference between unity and uniformity. As a matter of fact, you can’t have harmony if you only have one note. You have to sing different notes for things to be harmonic and it’s much more beautiful,” he said. “Maybe America is America not because of uniformity or everybody being in unison, but America may be America because we have disparity, but we’re in harmony. We believe in unity, not uniformity.”

Before reading the Declaration of Independence, Nixon shared part of a speech he gave at Fulton’s Westminster College in August 2025, where he encouraged people to “resist apathy with action” through involvement with civic and faith organizations, and by voting. Like others, he emphasized diversity as the strength of America.

“(We’re) a nation of immigrants. Many of our ancestors fled poverty, injustice and tyranny to build something better. We are the great-great-great-grandchildren of slaves, and those who enslaved them; the first families who inhabited these lands, and those who drove them from it,” Nixon said. “A nation of scrappy strivers stitched together by our ideals, marked by original sins, but redeemed by the courage and sacrifice that saved us from fascism and unleashed freedom and prosperity — the envy of the world. That is the true story we all need to tell, the promise we made to each other that we work every day to keep.”

The reading was followed by an ice cream social, co-hosted by the Greene County Democratic and Republican women’s clubs.

Source link