Missouri
Missouri lawmakers propose a major change in overseeing child abuse claims
Missouri lawmakers are proposing a significant change to the state’s child welfare system, moving oversight of juvenile officers from judges to the state attorney general’s office.
Supporters of the move say it would remove what they see as a conflict of interest for those who make critical decisions about abuse and neglect claims. Juvenile officers strongly oppose it.
In Missouri, the state’s Children’s Division is responsible for investigating abuse and neglect claims made through the state’s hotline. If Children’s Division investigators believe abuse or neglect occurred, they provide a written referral to juvenile officers.
The juvenile officer then determines whether the report supports a petition alleging abuse and neglect. If so, a petition will be filed and the child likely will come under state care.
Currently, judges oversee juvenile officers — though their direct supervisors are not judges who hear child custody cases. Some legal and political leaders have been critical of this arrangement, contending it violates the principle around separation of powers. Josh Gupta-Kagan, a professor at Columbia Law School, wrote in 2014 that having judges oversee juvenile officers “differs from the American norm of executive branch agencies and lawyers filing and prosecuting civil and criminal cases on behalf of the government.”
“By granting juvenile officers, who are subject to judges’ supervision, exclusive power to file child abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency cases, Missouri law concentrates power into the hands of one branch of government,” Gupta-Kagan wrote. “Missouri law thus empowers individual judges to set child welfare and juvenile justice policy by managerial decree. Subordinate judicial branch officials face pressure to file and litigate cases to please their boss, the judge, who hired them, supervises them, and has power to fire them.”
Tim Bommel
/
Missouri House of Representatives
Sen. Travis Fitzwater, R-Callaway County, filed legislation in December that would have the state’s attorney general office oversee juvenile officers by mid-2027. It’s part of a multifaceted bill that also seeks to expand guardian ad litem coverage for children.
“Once I got into the Senate, I started getting calls from constituents dealing with foster care issues, and the judicial system, and judicial officers and guardian ad litems,” Fitzwater said. “And it just kind of feels like the system is failing kids.”
Fitzwater said having the attorney general oversee juvenile officers could give the officials more leeway to make difficult decisions.
“I hold that there is an inherent conflict of interest, because … obviously they have an interest in their own job and being on the side of the judges,” Fitzwater said. “That’s why on the bill, we’re putting juvenile officers in under the attorney general’s office and they can have oversight.”
One of the people who has been pushing for years to have an agency other than judges oversee juvenile officers is Children’s Division director Darrell Missey. He’s quoted in Gupta-Kagan’s paper describing some of the problems with the arrangement. A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services said that Missey is not taking an active role in pushing for Fitzwater’s bill.
“We have way too many kids in the system, we need to do better, like a lot better, to fight for these kids,” Fitzwater said. “And I just think that’s one change that probably is monumental, especially to the juvenile officers.”
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Pushback from officers
Some juvenile officers, including Bill Prince, have taken a dim view of Fitzwater’s legislation.
Prince, the chief juvenile officer for Greene County, said that making juvenile officers state employees will be expensive — especially since some juvenile officers get paid from a mixture of county and state funds. He also disputed the idea that juvenile officers lack the ability to make independent decisions since they’re overseen by judges.
“I kind of firmly believe that one of the beauties of the juvenile system as it exists in Missouri is that it is very localized, and that each local juvenile office can kind of adapt its programs and services to the unique needs of the community and the youth that live in that community,” Prince said. “We are not part of a large centralized state bureaucracy. And I think most people would agree that making bureaucracies bigger seldom results in better performance outcomes.”
The Children’s Division is struggling to recruit and retain investigators, especially in the St. Louis region. That’s led to a sizable backlog in cases and a push from a bipartisan group of lawmakers to try to raise pay in the Children’s Division to recruit more people and prevent turnover.
“I feel for the Children’s Division and those investigators, because that is an extremely tough job,” Prince said. “The way that gets solved is more people and more pay so that they can do their job appropriately.”
Fitzwater said he’s aware that some juvenile officers aren’t thrilled with his proposal but added that it’s an important component of a longer conversation about transforming Missouri’s approach to vulnerable children.
“It’s worth the discussion, and maybe we get some momentum on it,” Fitzwater said. “At a minimum, we ought to be giving these kids the right to counsel and then adding maybe some other pieces to it.”
Copyright 2024 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.
Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted Thursday to approve the city’s $2.6 billion budget for 2026-27
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted Thursday to approve a $2.6 billion budget for the city’s fiscal year of 2026-27.
The budget includes $744 million in spending for public safety, including $26.3 million for a new Department of Community Safety and $4.2 million to hire 50 new KCMO Police Department officers, along with 10 call takers and 10 dispatchers.
“Our budget respects the strong fiscal foundation the taxpayers have helped Kansas City build, maintaining a rainy-day fund of over $200 million, increasing road resurfacing, hiring more public safety and city workers, and investing in all Kansas City neighborhoods,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a news release from the city. “In a city that can walk and chew gum, we are proud to welcome the world while delivering strong basic services for Kansas City’s families.”
The council voted to spend $83.8 million for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority to provide bus services, but the KCATA may have to make cuts in bus services even with a $6 million boost in funding from the city.
In addition, the council approved spending $39.4 million for citywide street resurfacing and $1.5 million for tearing down dangerous buildings.
“This budget reflects a collaborative effort across the city, and provides a clear path for Kansas City to keep moving forward with discipline, accountability and a focus on service,” City Manager Mario Vasquez said in the news release. “Thank you to the council for its thoughtful deliberation and input in crafting this budget.”
More information on the fiscal year 2026-27 budget can be found on the city’s website.
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The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 25, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 25 drawing
07-21-55-56-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 25 drawing
Midday: 3-2-0
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 0-0-5
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 25 drawing
Midday: 2-6-3-9
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 9-5-6-8
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 25 drawing
Early Bird: 07
Morning: 09
Matinee: 04
Prime Time: 14
Night Owl: 07
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 25 drawing
12-14-22-26-28
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 25 drawing
35-38-41-43-62, Powerball: 08
Check Powerball Double Play 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.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Dozens of dispensaries have been ordered to close after Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said they are selling without licenses.
The AG’s office sent cease-and-desist letters to 33 dispensaries. Of those, 13 are in the Kansas City area, according to information provided by the state.
Each location is accused of selling cannabis or marijuana products without a state license, or selling other products deceptively marketed as marijuana, according to Hanaway.
Hanaway’s office also said testing found some products contained things such as lead, arsenic, and ethanol. They also used deceptive labeling and packaging, including designs that may target children, according to a news release.
Here are the locations named by the AG’s office:
- Big Chiefs Kush Waldo (Kansas City)
- Dr. Smoke (Kansas City)
- It’s A Dream (Kansas City)
- KC Kush (Kansas City)
- Main Smoke Shop KC (Kansas City)
- Mr. Niceguy (Kansas City)
- Prohibition Cannabis (Kansas City)
- Center Smoke Shop (Independence)
- Gray Area Cannabis (Independence)
- Herb Depot (Independence)
- Sacred Leaf (Independence)
- Super E Cig Smoke Shop (St. Joseph)
- Vapor Maven (Cameron)
The letters demand each of the above the businesses stop selling the products in question.
The full letter sent to the businesses is below.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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