Missouri

New session, old kerfuffles for the Missouri Legislature – Missourinet

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2024

New session, old kerfuffles for the Missouri Legislature – Missourinet

The Missouri Legislature’s 2024 regular session has begun in Jefferson City. Members of the newly formed Missouri Freedom Caucus, made up of far-right conservative Republicans, wasted no time picking up where they left off last year.

The group is a local Missouri chapter of the congressional House Freedom Caucus, which has been known to take hard stances toward social conservatism and small government. It’s made up of frustrated and fed-up far right leaning lawmakers from what some see as a lack of action last year.

During his opening day speech, President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, tried to strike a unifying tone.

“Will we focus on principle progress or political pandemonium? Will we care more about Missouri’s future or our own futures? What I’m about to say is not breaking news, political experts and onlookers don’t think this session is going to amount to much,” said Rowden. “My simple message is let’s prove them wrong.”

But like a scratch in a vinyl record, that unifying tone abruptly ended. The Freedom Caucus questioned why priorities like initiative petition changes and property tax relief did not pass last year. Caucus chair Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, took to the Senate floor to put his fellow Republicans to task for blaming him for lack of bills passing last year.

“We’ve been pushed to a point to where we wanted peace,” Brattin said. “We’ve been shown to say peace is no option. Now, I say that in terms of, I’m not going to be spiteful towards an individual, I’m not going to be hate-filled. But, in terms of advancing policy, this will be a ‘show no prisoner’ type of approach.”

Rep. Nick Schroer, R-St. Charles, is also a member. He said the time for statesmanship is over.

“I don’t care if it’s Republicans screwing the pooch or Democrats doing it,” Schroer said. “We need to take this state in the right direction. We need to stop overspending. We need to stop overtaxing. We need to put the people back in power and, yes, if it takes reading a substitute bill that’s dropped on our desks five minutes before we start talking about it, to walk through that bill to see what’s in it, you can count on me to do that this year.”

The caucus called out their fellow Republican members for being “Republicans in Name Only.” Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, said his caucus members tried extending olive branches.

“In every case, those olive branches were rejected,” Eigel said. “Honestly, it was a mistake for some of us to wait till the closing days of session to start pushing back as hard as we did in the last days when suddenly things like expanding gambling were as important as eliminating personal property tax.”

On the other hand, the Senators have been blamed for holding up business in recent sessions and they are expected to again this year.

Top priorities this year for the Republican-controlled legislature include restricting foreign ownership of Missouri land, making it tougher to pass voter-approved ballot measures, ways to reduce property taxes, as well as boosting access to childcare.

The one constitutional duty that state lawmakers has is to pass a balanced budget.

House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, said this will be a different year for the state budget.

“Gone are the federal dollars that have been thrown at the states that have helped grow inflation,” said Plocher. “We must again budget wisely and protect the surplus we’ve so hard worked to build up. The consensus revenues are almost flat. We need to be responsible with the surplus and ensure that Missouri is prepared for the future rainy day that we know always comes.”

Another priority this year for many members of the Missouri House and Senate is passing a bill to help pay for the state’s Medicaid costs. The federal reimbursement allowance bill, also known as the FRA, taxes Missouri hospitals to help with those expenses. Far-right Conservatives are expected to pick up where they left off last year, by blocking bills, possibly jeopardizing the fate of proposals such as the FRA.

The Missouri House’s Republican and Democratic leaders agree that the legislature must pass the FRA. House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said she is concerned about the fate of the bill.

“So if we do not pass the FRA, we will be out so much money and where’s that money going to come from – public education, general revenue. And so, when we have the conversation about the FRA, it’s not just about making our Medicaid program solvent – it’s about making sure that we are funding all of the things necessary,” said Quade.

Plocher, who is running for Lt. Governor, said lawmakers must pass the bill.

“How vital is three-and-a-half to $4 billion on a $50 billion budget if we don’t get it passed? I don’t think our budget can absorb a three and a half to $4 billion hit,” he said. “The FRA has been continually passed in Missouri since 1992 by both parties.”

Two years ago, the Missouri Legislature did not pass the bill during the regular session – forcing Gov. Mike Parson to call lawmakers back for a special session.

Quade, who is running for governor, said she is apprehensive to what Republicans will accomplish this year. But Quade said she is hopeful that they can work together.

“Our expectations are pretty low for a wildly successful year,” said Quade. “As you all know, there are a lot of elections coming up and a lot of Republican primaries in our future. There are a lot of things that have happened over the past few months pitting our Senate and House chambers against each other more so than usual.”

She outlined several Democratic priorities, including ways to boost teacher pay, restricting foreign ownership of farmland, as well as reducing or eliminating taxes on groceries, feminine hygiene products, and diapers.

Plocher, on the other hand, said he’s optimistic about the session.

“Doom and gloom has no business in this building,” said Plocher. “I mean, if you live by that, you wouldn’t want to serve the public, right. I mean, we come down here – it’s hard to pass a bill and it should be. But we have to do the job. I signed up for this. I welcome the challenge. We’re going to pass good stuff. I hope the Senate works with us.”

Both leaders also expressed interest in legislative efforts to reduce crime.

Plocher said he is confident that he can still lead the lower chamber in this new session of the legislature. His comment follows a committee in his chamber reportedly investigating him for months.

“That’s all doom and gloom and just drama,” said Plocher. “I want to get past the drama. I believe the drama will be behind us shortly. Now what the Senate does, that’s their ballgame altogether.”

The nature of the investigation is unknown and so is the timeline for the House Ethics Committee to wrap up its work.

By Anthony Morabith and Alisa Nelson

Source link

Click to comment

Missouri

Missouri Democrats vow to fight increased taxes on sales or services

Published

2 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Missouri Democrats vow to fight increased taxes on sales or services

Jason Hancock and Steph Quinn
| Missouri Independent

Missouri lawmakers returned to work Wednesday, Jan. 7, to kick off the 2026 legislative session, with Republicans determined to eliminate the state income tax and Democrats vowing to oppose any effort to replace it with increased taxes on sales or services.

Missing from the first day were the partisan fireworks that defined the end of last year’s session and a special session in September. Instead, both the House and Senate functioned normally on Wednesday, quickly running through motions of a first-day and adjourning with little fanfare.

But the partisan schism simmered under the surface.

Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe is pushing for elimination of the state’s income tax and is expecting to lay out his plan next week when he speaks to a joint session of the legislature for his annual State of the State address.

Democrats — still smarting from last year’s GOP moves to cut off debate to pass bills repealing expanded paid sick leave, gerrymander the state congressional map, change the initiative petition process and reimpose an abortion ban — said they are withholding judgment until they see the details of Kehoe’s plan.

But they note the income tax represents 65% of last year’s $13.4 billion in state revenue.

Democrats will not support raising taxes that disproportionately impact lower-income Missourians to pay to eliminate the income tax, said Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat.

“People are already having a really hard time making ends meet in this state,” Beck said. “People are living paycheck to paycheck. So if anyone wants to raise taxes on those folks, that is unacceptable to us. As Democrats, we say there should be no new taxes.”

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said that while the possible elimination of the income tax is “being sold as … getting rid of your taxes,” most Missourians will see little benefit.

“What they’re not telling you is how much more you’ll have to spend every time you swipe your card,” Aune said, adding: “The next time you have an expensive car repair or costly emergency visit from a plumber to fix a broken pipe, you’ll also be paying double digit sales taxes on that bill. Struggling to pay your rent? The struggle will get even harder when Republicans add a sales tax onto that.”

Democrats will lay out their own income tax proposal next week, Aune said, that will offer “targeted tax relief for those who need it most.”

State Rep. Mark Boyko, the Kirkwood Democrat who will sponsor the measure, said that while Missourians earning over $250,000 could end up paying more under the Democrats’ tax plan, it would generate much-needed revenue.

The proposal, Boyko said, “will actually lower your costs.”

Senate President Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, urged her colleagues in an opening day speech to work together to “find solutions that move Missouri forward.”

While tax cuts weren’t directly mentioned in her speech, O’Laughlin left little doubt where she stood.

“Taxes, regulations, red tape and bureaucracy do not make Missouri better,” she said. “In every case, they take from Missouri families, they also take from Missouri small businesses. And our job is to reduce that impact. We must make sure what we take is as limited as possible.”

Missouri families want results, O’Laughlin said.

“They want better roads, better schools,” she said. “They want more private home ownership. They want safe streets and neighborhoods. They want better jobs and stronger job skills. They want thriving communities, and they want less dependence on the government at all levels.”

Hovering over the income tax debate is a state budget picture looking gloomier than it has in years.

General revenue is projected to be $400 million below estimates made a year ago. Part of the reason is that a capital gains tax cut passed last year that was estimated to reduce revenue by $111 million annually is now believed to cost as much as $500 million the first year and $360 million a year moving forward.

Beck said that while Democrats decided against using procedural maneuvers to gum up the Senate on the first day, the chamber will move much more slowly this year — not only in response to last year’s GOP moves quash Democratic filibusters, but also to avoid mistakes like the cost of the capital gains tax cut.

“When you shut off debate or refuse to engage with the other side to just rush things through, mistakes happen,” he said. “We were screaming from the hilltop that the capital gains cuts were going to cost way more. But we went too fast, and senators weren’t allowed to do their jobs.”

This story was first published at missouriindependent.com.

Source link

Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for Jan. 7, 2026

Published

14 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

15-28-57-58-63, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

Midday: 7-2-8

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 7-4-8

Evening Wild: 8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

Midday: 6-0-8-6

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 7-8-2-6

Evening Wild: 6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

01-07-30-41-56, Cash Ball: 01

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

Early Bird: 04

Morning: 08

Matinee: 13

Prime Time: 08

Night Owl: 10

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

03-05-09-10-36

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

28-41-50-61-68, Powerball: 05

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.

Source link

Missouri

Jaland Lowe, Jayden Quaintance to start for Kentucky vs Missouri, per report

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Jaland Lowe, Jayden Quaintance to start for Kentucky vs Missouri, per report

Kentucky basketball fans have seemed to have finally gotten their wish. After receiving a lot of pushback for not making a change to the starting lineup, more specifically not starting Jaland Lowe since returning from injury, Mark Pope is making a change. According to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim, both Lowe and Jayden Quaintance will start in Kentucky’s game against Missouri. Pilgrim reports the two will replace Collin Chandler and Malachi Moreno as starters against Missouri, which will make the lineup Jaland Lowe, Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, Mo Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance.

It’s a long-time coming for Kentucky fans, as since Jaland Lowe has been back from injury on Dec. 5, he hasn’t started a single game. Even in the games before he wasn’t included in Kentucky’s starting lineup. That’s seven games played with zero starts to show for it, with fans constantly wondering why Lowe has continued to come into the games following the first media timeout after Kentucky has already fallen behind. He’s not the only one being included in the lineup change, with Quaintance starting as well. Quaintance made his debut against St. John’s and has since been working to get acclimated after spending nine months returning from an injury. Now, he’s getting the start, too. We haven’t seen the two on the floor together since Kentucky’s second-half surge to beat St. John’s on Dec. 20.

The chatter around the starting lineup questions has mainly centered around Lowe, as he is clearly the engine of this team. When he’s not in, Kentucky sturggles to have any flow, or identity for that matter. Now, the Wildcats have the opportunity to start the game off fresh instead of it being like the last game where Kentucky fell behind 9-5 before Lowe came in. Mark Pope hinted on his radio show Monday that this development with Lowe was coming, saying “starting is in his future” while also noting that they’re continuing to ‘nurse’ him along. Before that, though, during Kentucky’s 10-day break between the Bellarmine and Alabama games, Pope discussed the reason why Jaland Lowe had not been starting:

“We’re trying to limit his contact and exposure so much in practice that, the thinking behind that is like, let’s protect the integrity of the group that we have getting most of the reps in practice to actually be able to go perform on the court, just to give some continuity.” At the time, Pope wasn’t sure if that was the right way to go about it, but it’s something he said they would continue to be thinking about moving forward. “That might not be the right answer. We’re going to kind of explore that as we go. It also gives you a chance to maybe extend his healthy window, which we’re hoping is going to be the entire season, by not being the headline guy at the beginning of a scout.”

Well, those comments from Pope combined with the pushback from fans has now led to Jaland Lowe finally making his first start as a Kentucky Wildcat. Mark Pope now has real chance for his team to build some momentum with two players on the floor together in Lowe and Quaintance who will hopefully be staying on the floor together and consistently moving forward. This development is going to be what Kentucky fans focus on most against Missouri.