JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – It’s been a little over one week since Missouri’s lawmakers called it quits for the year, but that doesn’t mean they’re all happy with what was accomplished, or what was not accomplished.
Artificial intelligence continues to spread into every area of our lives, and it’s largely unchecked by government regulations.
In Missouri, 100 bills were passed this year, but none of them regulate the use of artificial intelligence. Over a dozen ideas on how to regulate AI were presented by lawmakers, but all the bills died before the end of the regular legislative session.
State lawmakers cannot explore AI or data center regulations again until the new legislative session starts in January 2027.
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AI regulations are popular with Missouri voters. Only 16% of Missouri voters polled by YouGov and SLU believe recent AI innovations had a positive effect on society. Regulating artificial intelligence is also popular with both parties.
Bolivar Republican Rep. Christopher Warwick wants to see protections for children.
“My heart is is to make sure that we’re protecting our kids. We want to protect Missourians in general, but when the AI starts affecting our kids,” Warwick said.
While St. Louis Democratic Sen. Doug Beck says we need to make it clear what is and isn’t AI.
“That can be very scary, and some of the things they can do with it, you don’t know what’s real and what isn’t real,” Beck said.
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The explosion of AI is leading to more and more data centers, including many projects here in Missouri. Though many in Missouri are currently fighting to keep data centers from their neighborhoods, their growth is something Gov. Mike Kehoe appreciates.
“As President Trump said, AI is the space race of our time. And certainly Missouri wants to be involved in that race and wants to continue to lead,” Kehoe said at an event in Montgomery County to celebrate a new Google data center.
President Trump issued an executive order telling states to rely on federal AI regulations, but Congress is on a summer vacation without having passed any AI bills.
The executive order President Trump put out says funding for rural broadband could be at risk if state lawmakers don’t align with his plan. A Utah lawmaker was told by the Trump administration that his bill doesn’t fit into their AI plan.
The executive order reads, “United States AI companies must be free to innovate without cumbersome regulation. But excessive State regulation thwarts this imperative. First, State-by-State regulation by definition creates a patchwork of 50 different regulatory regimes that makes compliance more challenging, particularly for start-ups.”
Two Affinia Healthcare employees were recognized for their work in community health during the recent Community Health Workers Association of Missouri conference.
Candace Henderson, Affinia’s director of community health, received the organization’s Individual and Community Capacity Building Award after being nominated in eight categories. Henderson leads a team of community health workers who connect residents with health screenings and other services.
Naila Hudson, a community health worker with Affinia, received the Individual and Community Assessment Award. Her duties include coordinating mobile mammography events, conducting health screenings and assisting with the organization’s food pantry.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Jackson County grand jury indicted a man in connection with a 2024 hit-and-run that left one mad dead.
Carleno Gonzales has been indicted for first-degree involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and leaving the scene of an accident, according to an indictment filed Thursday.
These are the same charges Jackson County prosecutors filed against Gonzales in December 2025.
The crash occurred on Nov. 19, 2024, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 71 and East 59th Street.
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Gonzales, driving a Chevrolet Cruze, fled the scene on foot after he struck a Chrysler 200, driven by Terrell Williams, that was stopped at a traffic light.
Witnesses at the scene saw the Cruze “driving erratically at a high rate of speed” before the crash, per court documents.
Williams died from the injuries he sustained in the collision. Court documents said a passenger in Gonzales’ vehicle was seriously injured.
Gonzales is currently in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center on a $150,000 cash-only bond.
He is set for an arraignment at 9 a.m. on June 16.
