Missouri
Missouri lawmaker works to remove single-use plastics from state parks
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A Missouri lawmaker hopes legislation filed this year will help to eliminate single-use plastics from the state’s parks.
Earlier this year, Rep. Colin Wellenkamp (R – 105th District) filed House Bill 3193, legislation that would phase out single-use plastics like plastic silverware, bags, foam takeout containers, and plastic water bottles from Missouri state parks and historic sites.
If approved, it would apply to the concession stands and any gift or retail shops in those state parks.
Missouri lawmaker works to remove single-use plastics from state parks
“So, at least we can keep plastic waste out of these pristine, ecologically significant and historically important places,” Wellenkamp told me.
The legislator admits this is just small step in addressing what he and environmentalists see as a bigger problem.
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In Missouri, there’s actually a law that bans cities and municipalities from banning single-use plastics.
Wellenkamp’s initial bill sought to overturn that preemptive ban, something environmental groups have been pushing for.
“It just basically gets us back to square one in terms of local control, and municipalities being able to do something about it if they want to,” Missouri River Bird Observatory’s Dana Ripper told me.
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But that part was eventually dropped from House Bill 3193 in order to get a hearing, scheduled for Monday, April 13, at the State Capitol in Jefferson City.
“I think removing the preemption, the preemptive ban on bans that exists today statewide, is going to be a larger, more time-consuming conversation,” Wellenkamp said. “I’m up for doing that. I am ready to begin and have that debate, I’m ready to begin to go down that road. I just think it’s going to take some time to get there. But, there are things we can do right now that maybe don’t take as much time, and that’s really what I’m trying to achieve in the near term.”
In order to further support Wellenkamp’s bill and push other lawmakers to support a reversal of Missouri’s preemptive ban on banning single-use plastics, the Missouri River Bird Observatory and Stream Teams United are hosting a free workshop open to this weekend.
It offers the public a chance to learn more about plastic pollution in the environment and how to best combat it.
Chase Lucas/KSHB
“We will give attendees a background about the entire plastic pollution situation, its history. We’ll talk about effective community action and outreach,” Ripper told me. “And then we’ll talk about some of the things that communities can really do, locally, to sort of get a handle on this problem that they’re concerned about.”
The workshop runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, at the Mid-America Regional Council, 600 Broadway Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri. A link to register is available.
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Missouri sportsbooks took $256,364,814 in wagers in May 2026, the lowest monthly handle since the market launched, yet operators posted their strongest revenue month yet at $21,250,814 on an 8.29% hold. The state collected $2,131,872 in tax. Six months after going live on December 1, 2025, Missouri has flipped the usual relationship between volume and revenue: handle keeps settling while revenue keeps climbing, because hold has risen steadily as the launch-period promotions fade. Online betting made up $252,593,427, or 98.53% of all wagers. Figures come from the Missouri Gaming Commission.
Missouri Sports Betting by Month, Since Launch
| Month | Handle | Online | Retail | GGR | Hold | State Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | $543,039,131 | $538,881,520 | $4,157,612 | $20,758,443 | 3.82% | $521,201 |
| January 2026 | $385,138,868 | $380,412,197 | $4,726,670 | $6,703,555 | 1.74% | $137,873 |
| February 2026 | $277,005,418 | $273,285,304 | $3,720,114 | $10,301,007 | 3.72% | $1,214,627 |
| March 2026 | $329,355,588 | $324,060,170 | $5,295,418 | $20,757,550 | 6.30% | $2,178,985 |
| April 2026 | $273,397,863 | $269,884,804 | $3,513,059 | $20,284,270 | 7.42% | $2,028,427 |
| May 2026 | $256,364,814 | $252,593,427 | $3,771,387 | $21,250,814 | 8.29% | $2,131,873 |
Six Months In, Revenue Sets a Record
May marks a milestone worth pausing on. Missouri’s revenue reached its highest point yet even though its handle sank to a new low, a sign the market has moved past the giveaway-heavy launch phase and into steadier economics. Across its first six months, the state has now taken roughly $2.06 billion in total wagers, produced about $100.1 million in operator revenue, and delivered $8.2 million in tax. Crossing $100 million in cumulative revenue in half a year underlines how quickly Missouri established itself as a mid-sized market.
Handle Settles as the Launch Surge Fades
The volume side keeps normalizing. December’s $543 million opening was inflated by launch-day demand and heavy sign-up promotions, and handle has stepped down almost every month since, landing at $256.4 million in May, less than half that peak. Part of the decline is seasonal, with the sports calendar thinning as the basketball and hockey postseasons wind down and football stays months away. Part is simply the novelty wearing off. Mobile sportsbooks in Missouri continue to carry the market almost entirely, at 98.53% of May handle, a share that has held above 98% in every month since launch.
The Hold Keeps Climbing
The defining trend is the win rate. Hold ran at 3.82% in December, bottomed at 1.74% in January, then rose in four straight steps to 3.72%, 6.30%, 7.42%, and 8.29% in May. That climb is the engine behind the record revenue: as operators pull back the free bets and bonus play that suppressed early margins, more of each wagered dollar sticks. An 8.29% hold is still below the double-digit figures common in older markets, which suggests Missouri’s margin has further room to firm up as the market matures.
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – Governor Mike Kehoe signed Missouri’s Fiscal Year 2027 operating and capital improvement budget bills Tuesday, approving a plan that totals $50.7 billion.
In a news release, Kehoe said the budget is balanced and focuses on what he called “smart and necessary investments” while protecting taxpayer dollars.
What’s in the FY27 budget?
The governor’s office said the FY27 operating budget totals about $49.8 billion after vetoes, including $15.7 billion in general revenue.
State leaders highlighted several funding priorities:
Public safety
- $2 billion for law enforcement and community safety initiatives
- Includes funding for Missouri Blue Shield grants, Operation Relentless Pursuit and law enforcement academy scholarships, among other items
Economic development
- $338 million for business growth and innovation
- Includes support for the Missouri Technology Corporation, a statewide apprenticeship program, Missouri One Start and a public-private-employee shared funding child care model
Agriculture
- $59.4 million for agriculture and rural communities
- Includes investments tied to infrastructure and programs, including low-volume roads and Missouri FFA
Education
- $9.8 billion for K-12 and higher education
- Includes funding for the K-12 education foundation formula and transportation, the Empowerment Scholarship Account Program, career and technical centers and higher education
Health care
- $24.8 billion to support Missourians with physical, developmental and behavioral health needs
- Includes funding for self-directed supports, outpatient competency restoration and Medicaid reform
Concern over one-time funding, FY28 gap
The governor’s office said lawmakers stayed largely within his recommended spending levels, but did so by using $179.1 million in one-time cash to cover ongoing costs.
The state is also facing a projected shortfall of more than $500 million in FY28, according to the release.
“State government doesn’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem, and continuing to spend faster than we grow our economy is not a sustainable path forward,” Kehoe said in the news release.
Vetoes and spending restrictions
To meet the constitutional requirement of a balanced budget, Kehoe issued:
- 65 vetoes totaling more than $30 million in general revenue
- 78 expenditure restrictions totaling $441.3 million, including $337.2 million in general revenue
The governor’s office said the vetoes and restrictions were largely tied to new projects, improper funding sources for new appropriations or an over-appropriation of various funds.
What’s next
Budget discussions are expected to continue as state officials look ahead to FY28 and the projected gap.
Copyright 2026 KFVS. All rights reserved.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected linebacker Nick Bolton in the second round, 58th overall, of the 2021 NFL Draft. The University of Missouri Tigers star is a two-time Super Bowl champion and can now add Hall of Famer to his resume after a special reveal from head coach Andy Reid after a recent team practice.
“You guys know I’m a Missouri Tiger at heart; I had a chance to coach there, for you that didn’t know, before I got in the NFL. We got a couple of Missouri Tigers here, but we got one that’s real, real famous right now. Not only for his play here with the Chiefs, but also what he did at the University of Missouri,” said Reid. “He did great things there. We know him as kind of a team guy. He’s Nick Bolton, right? We know him as a team guy, the ultimate team guy, but today you’re going to get an individual award, bud. Today you’re going into the University of Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame.”
During his college football career at Missouri, Bolton was named First-Team All-SEC in 2019 and 2020 and Second-Team All-American in 2020.
Bolton had another impressive season in 2025, leading the Chiefs with 154 total tackles, along with a sack and an interception. He was selected as an alternate for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games.
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