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Respect Missouri voters, don’t overrule them | Opinion

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Respect Missouri voters, don’t overrule them | Opinion


With their actions this session, the Missouri General Assembly sent another loud message: Your vote doesn’t matter. Legislators overruled your referendum protecting earned sick time — despite clear support from voters.

This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about power — whether it belongs to citizens or politicians in our state, where the motto is “Salus populi suprema lex esto” (“Let the good of the people be the supreme law”).

That’s why the Respect Missouri Voters Coalition is coming together to ban Missouri politicians from overturning the will of the people, including Show Me Integrity, the National Organization for Women, Veterans for All Voters, Missouri NAACP, and many others.

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This isn’t the first time politicians have ignored the citizens. In 2010, voters passed regulations to stop inhumane puppy mills. In 2018, Missourians approved anti-corruption reforms. In 2020, voters expanded Medicaid. Each time, politicians spent the legislative session repealing or interfering with the people’s decision, which also meant they had to charge taxpayers for special sessions to complete basic business. 

That’s why Respect MO Voters is working to put a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot to restore the voice of the people. Our amendment will do three key things:

  1. Protect voter-passed laws — Prohibiting legislators from repealing or gutting legislation approved by voters.
  2. Defend the citizen initiative process — Our amendment locks in your right to propose and pass laws, without interference or new roadblocks.
  3. Ensure honest ballot language — We will ensure ballot issues have clear, fair summaries, so voters know exactly what they’re voting on.

Missourians don’t always agree on policy, but we do agree that the rules should be fair and the outcomes should be respected. Today, it’s sick time and healthcare. Tomorrow, it could be taxes, schools, or public safety. When politicians can undo your vote, no issue is safe.

Join us in protecting the will of the people. Help Respect MO Voters get this critical amendment on the 2026 ballot.

Learn more or get involved at RespectMOVoters.org.

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Daniel Romine, of Springfield, is a board member of Show Me Integrity and a member of the Conservatives Against Corruption coalition. Benjamin D. Singer of St. Louis is the CEO of Show Me Integrity.



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Former Missouri City police officer found guilty in 2024 crash that killed three people

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Former Missouri City police officer found guilty in 2024 crash that killed three people


RICHMOND, Texas (KTRK) — Former Missouri City police officer Blademir Viveros was convicted of aggravated assault by a public servant on Monday.

After five days of witness testimony, body camera footage, and tears in the courtroom, the jury found Viveros guilty after he was accused of killing three people in a high-speed wreck while responding to an emergency.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Families of victims testify, state and defense rest cases in former MCPD officer manslaughter trial

Arguments closed just after 2:30 p.m. on Monday.

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Chief Prosecutor Alison Baimbridge made it clear throughout the trial that no stone was left unturned in the investigation in this case, saying that this crash was avoidable and not an accident.

Defense attorneys tag-teamed their closing argument, with Eric Cagle going first as he told the jury Viveros intended to help the victims of the robbery he was responding to.

Defense attorney Robert McCabe then spoke, adding that Viveros has a servant’s heart. He called the crash an accident and said that Viveros did not drive his car intentionally into the car of Mason and Angela Stewart.

McCabe told the jurors Viveros was negligent and should’ve done better, and mentioned the failures by the police department and his supervisors.

“This case just doesn’t belong here, it just doesn’t in this court…in criminal court…in criminal district court on a felony offense with a weapon, alleged for these facts. For this case, it doesn’t belong here. Justice comes in many forms and shouldn’t be sought in this court. There’s plenty of reasonable doubt.” McCabe said.

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“If you think about the facts in this case, they’re not disputed,” Baimbridge said. “Nobody is arguing that this crash did not happen in the way that the officers say it did. No one is arguing the defendant turned off his patrol lights and his sirens. No one is arguing he was going 107 miles per hour when he took lives from our community – he just wants a pass.”

After the closing arguments, the jury was sent out of the courtroom to deliberate. The jury then returned about two and a half hours later, finding Viveros guilty on all three counts of aggravated assault by a public servant.

The punishment phase of the trial begins on Tuesday morning. Viveros now faces five years to life in prison.

For updates on this story, follow Daniela Hurtado on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Copyright © 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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Extended closure of I-70 Drive Southeast in Columbia to begin Monday

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Extended closure of I-70 Drive Southeast in Columbia to begin Monday


The Missouri Department of Transportation announced a segment of I-70 Drive Southeast from Woodridge to Glenstone Drive in Columbia will close beginning Monday after being delayed for 14 days.

The entrance to Woodridge Drive from I-70 Drive Southeast will also be closed. The closure is set to last 300 days and aims to be completed in January 2027, according to a news release from MoDOT.

The closure will enable crews to shift traffic on I-70 to construct two new bridges on I-70. This will allow the construction of the new underpass connecting Hanover Boulevard to I-70 Drive Southeast.

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All businesses will remain accessible during the closure. Motorists will be directed around the closure via Keene Street and St. Charles Road, according to the news release.

The closure was originally set for March 9. According to past KOMU 8 reporting, MoDOT postponed the project due to weather and crew availability.



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Versailles man seriously injured in motorcycle crash in Morgan County

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Versailles man seriously injured in motorcycle crash in Morgan County


A 29-year-old man was seriously injured in a Friday night motorcycle crash in Morgan County. 

The crash happened around 7:50 p.m. on Old Five Road north of Leatherman Road, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

A Ford Explorer crossed the center of the roadway while heading southbound and struck a Kawasaki motorcycle heading northbound, according to the crash report.

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The 29-year-old man was airlifted to University Hospital with serious injuries, according to the crash report.

The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet. The driver of the Ford Explorer had no reported injuries and was wearing a seatbelt, according to the crash report. 



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