Missouri
Missouri Democrats want to put gun safety measure on the ballot after Chiefs parade shooting
Republicans are shelving bills allowing concealed weapons in churches and exempting firearms from sales tax to avoid a public “freak out” in the wake of Wednesday’s mass shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration, Missouri House Democrats said Monday.
During his weekly news conference Monday, House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, said the bills have merit but are opposed by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.
Democratic leader Crystal Quade of Springfield, at a press conference calling for stricter gun laws, said GOP leaders are worried about voter reaction if they move legislation to loosen restrictions on firearms.
The GOP’s real worry, she said, is losing the supermajority of more than two-thirds that they enjoy.
“All they care about is winning their elections,” Quade said. “That’s it.”
The bill allowing guns in churches, which is awaiting debate near the top of the House agenda, would also allow people with a concealed weapons permit to carry a gun on public transit. It would also lower the age for obtaining a concealed weapon permit to 18 and loosen the restrictions on when someone should be denied a gun because of a past criminal conviction.
“The thing that really struck me was that we offered the Kansas City mayor thoughts and prayers, and then how could we take up a bill that he specifically has said that Kansas City does not want?” Patterson said at his weekly news conference. “I just thought that it would be very disrespectful to do that.”
Republicans are not concerned about whether Lucas or other local officials support or oppose any measure, Quade said at a news conference with most members of the Democratic caucus.
“That is not an honest answer,” she said. “The real answer is that they know that if they move those bills right now that the public will freak out. They know that we will freak out.”
The explosion of gunfire stemming from a personal dispute between two juveniles left one woman dead, 23 wounded and 16 suffering from other injuries sustained in the effort to flee. It put a pallor of tragedy on a celebration that brought hundreds of thousands together to revel in a rare repeat championship.
There was little direct discussion of the Kansas City tragedy in the state Senate. The Senate remembered the dead and injured with a moment of silence before resuming debate on legislation to make it harder to pass a constitutional amendment.
Long before the shootings, officials in the state’s major cities were asking for authority to write local gun laws that are stricter than state laws.
Quade said Monday she is introducing a proposed constitutional amendment granting that authority and it will be similar to an initiative currently being circulated to allow cities to regulate concealed weapons, cooperate with federal law enforcement on gun investigations and seize weapons in certain circumstances.
State law currently requires cities to allow anyone with a concealed weapons permit to openly carry a firearm in any city and bars police from stopping anyone carrying a gun unless there is suspicion of criminal activity.
“Last year, we tried to offer an amendment to make it so that law enforcement officers, when they see a juvenile with a gun, they can take the gun from them,” Quade said. “And they said no, they were okay with children walking our streets with guns and they said that on the floor.”
Two juvenile suspects are in custody in the shooting but restrictions on information about juvenile offenders means most details have been withheld.
Kansas City has an ordinance banning minors from possessing concealable guns “without the consent of the minor’s custodial parent or guardian.” The city’s ordinances allow a juvenile to be charged with unlawful possession of a gun unless the young person “has the prior written consent in the minor’s possession at all times when a handgun is in the possession of the minor.”
The House on Monday approved a bill that makes minor changes to penalties for gun law violations. If enacted into law, the bill includes a ban on celebratory gunfire known a “Blair’s Law;” increases the penalty for unlawful use of a firearm and using a gun in commission of a crime; and make adults criminally liable for gun crimes committed by juveniles if it is proven they encouraged the criminal behavior.
The bill passed on a 126-20 bipartisan vote, but not until after a debate in which Democrats painted Republicans as indifferent to the violence stemming from easily available firearms.
“I would hope that you all would listen to children who got shot and hear their cries and hear how they had to protect their friends from bleeding out,” state Rep. Emily Weber, a Kansas City Democrat, said. “I hope that you would sit and listen to them but you don’t.”
Republicans counter-attacked that Democrats were grandstanding for bills that would not change behavior.
“There’s always a call for stricter gun laws,” said state Rep. Ben Baker, a Neosho Republican. “It’s the almost immediate reaction by many in this body when something happens like this but the fact is no law that we could pass in this body would have prevented the terrible tragedy that happened last week.”
Patterson told reporters Monday afternoon that he would have an open mind about advancing legislation Democrats would support.
“We should be willing to look at gun policy, social policy, mental health policies, public safety and crime policy to address those problems,” Patterson said.
The promise to discuss is actually a promise to do nothing, Quade said.
“What’s gonna happen is we’re gonna stand here and we’re gonna yell over the next few weeks we’re going to cause as much chaos as we can to try to get them to draw attention to this and do something,” Quade said. “They’re going to offer thoughts and prayers, and say now’s not the time, don’t politicize this, and then move on about their day.”
This story was originally published by the Missouri Independent.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fire crews battled a house fire Saturday morning in Kansas City, Missouri, that sent an occupant and a firefighter to the hospital.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department responded to a house fire around 10:10 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of West 85th Street.
KCFD said one occupant was trapped inside the residence. Upon arrival, crews began battling the fire and entered the house to rescue the occupant.
Firefighters located an elderly woman and got her out of the house. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital in serious condition.
A KCFD firefighter was taken to the hospital for a minor injury.
A dog inside the residence was able to evacuate safely.
The fire department reported the fire was brought under control around 10:25 a.m. City Planning and Dangerous Buildings were requested at the scene.
KCFD is investigating the cause of the fire.
—
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 17 drawing
22-34-45-48-55, Mega Ball: 14
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 17 drawing
Midday: 3-2-3
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 6-5-7
Evening Wild: 3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 17 drawing
Midday: 2-5-9-9
Midday Wild: 8
Evening: 2-2-1-1
Evening Wild: 3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 17 drawing
Early Bird: 08
Morning: 06
Matinee: 06
Prime Time: 07
Night Owl: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from July 17 drawing
01-06-11-19-21
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.
A coalition of hemp businesses filed a federal lawsuit Thursday in an attempt to halt a statewide ban on intoxicating hemp products from going into effect in November.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District, claims the ban state lawmakers passed this spring contains “unconstitutionally vague” definitions for hemp and marijuana.
Craig Katz, government relations and compliance manager for one of the plaintiffs, St. Louis-based MNG 2005, Inc., said the problem begins with lawmakers’ lack of understanding about the cannabis industry.
“A lot of this stuff is kind of in the weeds,” Katz said. “It’s very difficult to understand. And when people are trying to legislate it, if they don’t understand it, you come up with something like HB2641, which doesn’t make a whole heck of a lot of sense.”
The coalition includes MNG, the parent company of 55 CBD Kratom stores nationwide, the Missouri Hemp Trade Association, and a Wisconsin-based hemp business, Lifted Liquids Inc.
The bill in question was among the first Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed this year and will take all intoxicating hemp products off the shelves starting Nov. 12 — including THC seltzers currently sold in bars and grocery stores.
The legislation largely aligns state law with the upcoming federal ban that Congress approved last year.
Under Missouri’s bill, if Congress reverses course and decides to allow the sale of these products, the state would only permit them in licensed marijuana dispensaries. And if Congress delays the ban for a couple of years, Missouri law would still ban all products, except for intoxicating beverages.
It also tasks Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway with enforcement.
Kehoe, Hanaway, and Sarah Wilson, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which oversees the state’s marijuana program, are the named defendants.
Hanaway’s spokeswoman said the office had not been served with the lawsuit. Kehoe’s office and DHSS declined to comment since it’s pending litigation.
Gov. Mike Kehoe signs a bill placing restrictions on intoxicating hemp products in his office on April 23 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).
Similar bills have been debated since 2023, but have failed to pass. Without regulations, intoxicating hemp products with as much as 1,000 mg of THC are currently sold in smoke shops — outside of Missouri’s licensed marijuana dispensaries.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Dave Hinman, a Republican from O’Fallon, said the legislation largely gives state law enforcement and prosecutors the authority to enforce the federal hemp ban after Nov. 12.
“ I believe this is the last-ditch effort for the hemp industry,” Hinman said. “HB2641 passed the Missouri House, Senate, and was signed by the governor. It was vetted throughout the entire process. I don’t believe this Hail Mary will get the results the Hemp Trade Association wants, and Missouri will mirror the federal government.”
The lawsuit argues that the bill defines the same products as both “hemp” and “marijuana” in different provisions, which leaves businesses, law enforcement and prosecutors confused about what is legal.
“Because unlicensed marijuana activity is a crime in Missouri, that confusion carries criminal consequences,” states the coalition’s press release announcing the lawsuit.
While the bill “promises” not to interfere with interstate hemp commerce, the coalition notes that it also restricts who may transport hemp products through the state, the press release states.
And it contains effective date provisions “so convoluted that businesses cannot determine which products are covered or when,” it said.
The coalition believes the “confusing” definitions will also take non-intoxicating CBD products off Missouri shelves.
“This isn’t consumer protection,” said Jay Patel, the association’s president. “It’s the elimination of an entire legal industry coupled with a government-mandated monopoly.”
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