KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson sent a letter to the State’s Commission of Administration urging the State Legal Expense Fund (LEF) not to certify payments on behalf of a trio of senators being sued.

Parson sent the letter to Ken Zellers and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Monday regarding what he called “potential payments… to cover an adverse judgment against elected officials who falsely accused an American citizen of a heinous act and related it to his immigration status.”

The man who filed a defamation lawsuit is Denton Loudermill, an Olathe man who was accused of being an illegal immigrant and a shooter during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade rally shooting in February.

Loudermill applauded Gov. Parson after he defended the Olathe man’s defamation case when Bailey said he would represent the three Missouri Senators. Those three senators are Sens. Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg and Nick Schoer of Defiance.

“I think that he’s doing the right thing by stepping up and letting them know that they’re not supposed to be doing this,” Loudermill, who is also suing Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, told KCTV.

READ MORE: ‘He’s doing the right thing’: Loudermill applauds defense from Gov. Mike Parson

Parson’s letter to Zellers continued: “As Commissioner of Administration, you are responsible for certifying payments from the LEF. Under my authority over the Office of Administration… I implore you not to certify any payments from the LEF for ‘payment of any amount required by any final judgment rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction against’ these senators.”

Parson said Missourians shouldn’t have to pay for the attacks senators made on a private citizen.

“Missourians should not be held liable for legal expenses on judgments due to state senators falsely attacking a private citizen on social media,” Parson wrote.

Parson also said it’s his responsibility to spend taxpayer dollars fairly.

“I cannot justify money spent in this way,” he said, noting that Brattin, Hoskins and Schoer voted against authorizing expenditures from the LEF, “highlighting the fact that they also do not financially support the fund that would be responsible for covering their conduct.

“Accordingly, you shall not certify any payments from the LEF in this instance without my approval or a court order.”

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.

Missouri State will hope to recapture the magic it caught in 2022 when it made a run from the first day of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament before winning it all and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

After an 18-11 loss to Southern Illinois to wrap up the regular season on Saturday, the Bears locked up the eight-seed in the MVC Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Evansville, Indiana.

The Bears will play fifth-seeded Illinois Chicago at 2:30 p.m. for a chance to play regular-season champion and nationally-ranked Indiana State the following day. The double-elimination tournament will see the Bears play at least one game on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It will be Missouri State’s final chance at extending Keith Guttin’s career as he’s set to retire once it ends. The 42-year head coach has led the Bears to 21 regular-season or conference tournament championships since 1983.

More: Missouri State celebrates Keith Guttin and the baseball family he created

When is the 2024 MVC Baseball Tournament?

• Dates: Tuesday, May 21 through Saturday, May 25
• Location: German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville, Indiana

2024 Missouri Valley Conference final regular-season standings

1. Indiana State (39-11, 22-5)
2. Murray State (37-18, 17-10)
3. Evansville (31-23, 17-10)
4. Illinois State (28-25, 16-11)
5. Illinois Chicago (33-18, 16-11)
6. Southern Illinois (31-25, 12-15)
7. Belmont (25-30, 12-15)
8. Missouri State (23-32, 11-16)
9. Valparaiso (14-38, 6-21)
10. Bradley (13-37-1, 6-21)

The top eight teams in the Missouri Valley Conference qualify for its postseason tournament.

2024 MVC Baseball Tournament schedule

All times central

First round: Tuesday, May 21

• Game 1: No. 5 UIC vs. No. 8 Missouri State, 2:30 p.m.
• Game 2: No. 6 Southern Illinois vs. No. 7 Belmont, 6 p.m.

Second round: Wednesday, May 22

• Game 3: No. 3 Evansville vs. No. 4 Illinois State, 9 AM 
• Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:30 PM 
• Game 5: No. 1 Indiana State vs. TBD, 4 p.m.
• Game 6: No. 2 Murray State vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m.

More: What Keith Guttin means to Missouri State baseball and the many lives he’s touched

Third round: Thursday, May 23

• Game 7: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 9 a.m.
• Game 8: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, 12:30 p.m.
• Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7, 4 p.m.
• Game 10: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 6, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals: Friday, May 24

• Game 11: TBD, 11 a.m.
• Game 12: TBD, 2:30 p.m.
• Game 13: TBD, 6 p.m.

Championship: Saturday, May 25

• Game 14: MVC Championship, 2:30 p.m.
• Game 15: MVC Championship (If Necessary), 6 p.m.

More: Keith Guttin: A timeline of the Missouri State baseball coach’s career

2024 MVC Tournament format

This year’s format gives the top four seeds based on regular-season finish a bye into Day 2 of the tournament, while seeds five through eight will play on Tuesday, May 21. The tournament is a double-elimination format.

How to watch MVC Baseball Tournament live:

2024 Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament bracket

Close, but no cigar. A bill that was close to passing this legislative session would have raised the legal age to marry in Missouri. The bipartisan effort from Sens. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Scott City, and Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, would have banned marriages for anyone under 18 without exceptions.

Currently, in Missouri, you can get married at age 16 with a parent’s consent.

Rehder lamented the fact that House Republicans took such a hardline stance on the issue.

“When you look at the statistics that show for a girl that gets married as a teenager before she’s an adult, the divorce rate is almost 80%,” she told Missourinet. “Why would we do that? Why would a parent knowing that, why would the legislators in this building not want to ban child marriage?”

House Republicans like Rep. Mitch Boggs, R-LaRussell, were concerned that the bill gives the government an excuse to “intrude” in family marriage.

Arthur expressed embarrassment over this stalling in the House of Representatives.

“My friends who are apolitical or live in different parts of the country send me messages and say, ‘What is happening in Missouri?’ It makes Missouri look bad, but more importantly, we are not doing enough to protect young girls who are forced into marriages and whose lives are worse in every way as a result,” she said.

The legislation would not have affected any marriages that have already taken place.

Rehder explained that the issue will be reintroduced next year due to a national push from women’s groups.

“Women want to, number one, help solve the problems that we have with sex trafficking,” she said. “Women, today, in 2024, realize that we have so much more opportunity, our girls have so much more opportunity. We want them to be able to make lifetime commitment decisions when their brains are fully developed.”

Rehder’s reasoning for wanting the bill’s passage is due to the divorce rate being “incredibly high” among couples who got married when they were children.

“It’s shameful, in my opinion, and I think it represents the very ugliest parts of politics and I am hopeful that this is not the last attempt that they make to do right and raise the age to 18,” Arthur added.

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