Missouri
Missouri Senate passes resolution to fortify constitution against citizen changes
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) – On Thursday, the Missouri Senate voted along party lines to approve a resolution which, if voters ultimately sign-off, would create a new threshold for the passage of future citizen-led initiatives.
Under the resolution, an amendment would require both a majority of votes statewide as well as a majority in at least 5 of Missouri’s eight congressional districts, six of which are currently represented by Republicans.
The issue has been a desire of many lawmakers in the majority for several years, but was rocketed to the top of Republican priorities after the overturning of Roe versus Wade.
That monumental decision by the Supreme Court left states scrambling to reckon with their own regulations of the procedure. In Missouri, which now has one of the nation’s most-restrictive abortion bans, the decision mobilized a bipartisan coalition of abortion rights supporters who launched an initiative petition campaign to restore the right in Missouri.
Republicans have said they plan to put their IP resolution on the August ballot in an attempt to make the abortion rights vote a higher hurdle in November.
The chief argument among elected Republicans, particularly those in the Missouri Freedom Caucus, is that the state’s constitution is too vulnerable to out-of-state meddling, asserting that Missouri voters can be easily “hoodwinked” by a well-funded issue campaign.
“Missourians I’m talking to, they want to protect their constitution,” said State Sen. Bill Eigel, who is running for Governor. “They don’t like the idea that these out of state powerful special interests are coming into Missouri, spending a ton of money lying to the people of our state.”
Opponents of the changes have described the policy as more consolidation of political influence to elected leaders in Jefferson City and a rollback of citizen’s voting power.
Benjamin Singer leads the organization Show Me Integrity, a bipartisan coalition that’s fighting the proposed changes to the IP process.
“Politicians and special interests in Jefferson City are trying to take away majority rule and have an attack on the people’s power to hold our leaders accountable through the initiative petition process,” Singer said.
Former finance director for Gov. John Ashcroft and former Mayor of Chesterfield Fred Steinbach is also strongly opposed to the idea of making the IP process more difficult.
“I believe that this is an issue that is taking away the freedom of the people and taking away from one vote one person,” said Steinbach. “I think they are wrong on this issue and I am very frustrated by the fact that they’re trying to trick the people.”
Steinbach referenced a set of provisions that were stacked at the beginning of the IP resolution, including a ban on non-citizens voting – and a ban on foreign contributions to campaigns.
Because those two prohibitions are already in state and federal law, Steinbach and others have called those provisions “ballot candy,” a term which describes a non-controversial provision added to a less-popular one in order to make a resolution appear more attractive to voters.
A series of filibusters by Democratic senators led to those provisions being stripped out of the version which ultimately passed.
Steinbach also pointed to an apparent hypocrisy of the Missouri Freedom Caucus who claim to be restoring power to the people and “draining the Jefferson City swamp,” but are backing a policy which would further consolidate power with elected officials.
“If you do want to drain the swamp, you need to get rid of the people who are trying to prevent the voters from having their say,” Steinbach said. “It’s unfortunate that lobbyists who have access to our elected officials, more so than an individual voter, will try to overly influence that voter and that’s a bad thing.”
“They are actually making the swamp worse, with this deceptive and illegal proposal to concentrate power in politicians hands, we need to stop this attack by the legislature and protect majority rule,” Singer said.
The IP Resolution will now head to the Missouri House of Representatives, which has passed a version of the policy each of the last several sessions.
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com
Copyright 2024 KY3. All rights reserved.
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.”
-
Oklahoma5 minutes agoUFC Oklahoma City bonuses: Dricus Du Plessis leads $100,000 winners
-
Oregon11 minutes agoMedia Release-July 18 Evening | Central Oregon Fire Information
-
Pennsylvania17 minutes agoPolice: Burglary at home of Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley
-
Rhode Island23 minutes agoWhat to do if you see a spotted lanternfly
-
South-Carolina29 minutes agoSouth Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for July 18, 2026
-
South Dakota35 minutes agoFirst-round matchups lined up for South Dakota Class A Legion baseball
-
Tennessee41 minutes ago
TN Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for July 18, 2026
-
Texas47 minutes agoMan arrested in alleged cockfighting ring; nearly 200 birds rescued
