Missouri
Tempers flare in Missouri Senate during GOP fight over initiative petition changes • Missouri Independent
The bitter feud between a vocal minority of Senate Republicans and the majority of the GOP caucus erupted Thursday into a fit of name-calling and allegations that certain lawmakers hoped to disrupt the regular process of legislation simply to boost their political fortunes.
For more than nine hours, the intra-party fight kept lawmakers in the Missouri Capitol, a marked contrast to the regular course of business on a Thursday in the Senate when legislators usually head home by the early afternoon.
Instead, senators spent two hours debating whether to invoke a little-used rule to have the entire Senate act as a “Committee of the Whole” to debate legislation making it harder to pass a constitutional amendment by initiative petition. And when that effort failed on a 7-25 vote, it triggered a filibuster, with members of the recently formed Freedom Caucus holding confirmation of Gov. Mike Parson’s appointees hostage to reverse the earlier vote.
Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, a Columbia Republican who chairs the appointments committee, said he didn’t understand blocking appointments from Parson to highlight disagreements within the Senate.
“These people who have agreed to give up their time to (serve the state) don’t get to do that because a group of people didn’t get their way,” Rowden asked Sen. Andrew Koenig, one of those supporting the filibuster. “Is that where we’re at?”
“Yes,” Koenig replied.
It was honest, but it wasn’t an answer that pleased Rowden.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been as disappointed in this chamber as I am right now,” Rowden replied. “This is unequivocally, without a doubt, the worst show of bad faith, or the biggest show of bad faith, I have ever seen in my life.”
Opening day of Missouri’s 2024 legislative session echoes past divisions
Democrats remained silent throughout the day, refraining from joining the internal Republican dispute. Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo of Independence, in an interview, said factionalism in the GOP is getting worse.
“This is the civil war within the Republican Party that is showing its face and that has come from outside of the smoke-filled back rooms and is now front and center,” Rizzo said. “This has been going on for years now. The only difference is that now the public is seeing it.”
The “MAGA-Trump” faction in the Republican Party is trying to control the majority, he said.
“They’re gaining seats every cycle, and now they’re sick and tired of having to take orders from someone else and they are pushing towards an authoritarian government, as we’ve been saying forever,” Rizzo said.
The issue at the root of the dispute – making it harder for constitutional amendments proposed by initiative petition to pass – has been a Republican priority for several years. The issue is becoming more urgent because Republicans fear a signature campaign will succeed in putting an initiative on the statewide ballot to restore abortion rights.
With only two elections – April and August – available before the general election, the pressure to pass changes to either increase the majority required, currently 50%, or to add a requirement that the majority be achieved in both rural and urban areas, will only grow.
The personality clashes were on display early and often during the debate.
Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin, debating with Sen. Bill Eigel, a GOP candidate for governor, told him he is the “definition of narcissism” and accused him of employing “terrorist tactics” to get his way.
“The fact that you want to circumvent that process tells me you don’t care about the constitution, or the process, or the opinion of other people here,” said O’Laughlin, a Republican from Shelbina.
Eigel had just said that Senate Republican leadership was “betraying” the voters who gave the GOP 24 of the 34 seats in the Senate.
“This is just the latest dance by our leadership telling us what they think we want to hear but then, taking action that in no way reflects that,” Eigel said.
The recently formed Freedom Caucus – mainly members who had previously been aligned under the banner of the “conservative caucus” — announced early in the day that they would focus on Parson’s appointees as a pressure tactic.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” the caucus’s news release stated.
Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, said he knew the filibuster to prevent confirmation of 25 appointees and several reappointments would not be popular. Those on the list include Robert Knodell, director of the Department of Social Services, and Paula Nickelson, director of the Department of Health and Senior Services.
“When I was elected by almost 200,000 people I didn’t make an agreement with the people that elected me that I’m gonna be pals with everybody that I’m serving with,” Brattin said. “I’m here to advance freedom and liberty at all costs.”
The hardball tactics could degenerate into a tit-for-tat dispute that lasts until the session ends in May.
With growing frustration, Rowden said he had never used his leadership role to punish members who disrupted the Senate or accused him of being less than faithful to Republican principles.
“If this doesn’t change, and we don’t figure out how to act like adults, and the people who sent us here actually have some stake in this game,” Rowden said, “that is going to change.”
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Missouri
Missouri bill that would split Jackson County and Kansas City gets little support from lawmakers
A Missouri House committee had its first hearing this week on a proposed constitutional amendment that would split Kansas City and Jackson County upon approval by voters.
The legislation is nicknamed “Jackxit,” a nod to Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in 2020.
Republican state Rep. Mike Steinmeyer is sponsoring the bill. He said eastern Jackson County voters feel underrepresented in the county government, and this legislation would give them the power to change that.
At the hearing, committee members listened to Steinmeyer’s presentation of the bill before asking questions and sharing their thoughts.
Democratic state Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore compared what the bill proposes to “The Great Divorce” that saw the legal separation of the city of St. Louis from St. Louis County in 1876.
Several committee members criticized a part of the bill that says if it’s signed into law, the question of whether to split the county in two would appear on the Missouri ballot every 10 years.
Moore called it a “never-ending clause.”
“There’s a provision that says every 10 years this has to go back on the ballot, whether you like it or not,” Moore said. “And we’re going to keep voting on it, until you vote the way we think you should.”
Democratic state Rep. Jeff Hales said the bill’s language suggests the question would reappear on the ballot every 10 years until it’s approved by voters.
“Why does it end when it’s approved if the importance and the value here is giving the voters of Jackson County a right to weigh in on their charter and their government?” Hales said.
Steinmeyer said that clause exists to give Jackson County voters the opportunity to weigh in on their form of government.
“It gives them the right to speak and say we want change, or we want to abolish and start over,” Steinmeyer said. “That’s all we’re asking for.”
Democratic state Rep. Ashley Aune questioned how the ballot question would protect the right of voters. Steinmeyer said it protects their right to vote and be heard, specifically on their governance.
Lobbyist Shannon Cooper testified on behalf of the city of Kansas City, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City. He said during a public comment period that the bill was “the most befuddling piece of legislation” that he’s had to testify for or against.
Cooper brought up the historic recall election of County Executive Frank White Jr. and said the recall showed the system Steinmeyer is trying to fix with this bill can work.
“If the voters are not happy, they can deal with their problems,” Cooper said. “They’ve proven that in the last year.”
No action was taken on the bill, and it is not yet scheduled for a future hearing.
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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Missouri
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for March 25, 2026
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.
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