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These ballot questions, including abortion access, certified for November ballot

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These ballot questions, including abortion access, certified for November ballot



Amendments and propositions on sports gambling, sheriffs retirement fund, voting rights and minimum wage also on ballot.

Four amendments to Missouri’s constitution and one proposition on minimum wage were certified Tuesday for the November ballot by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.

This includes one amendment that could eliminate Missouri’s abortion ban and enshrine abortion and contraception access.

More than 380,000 signatures were gathered in an initiative petition and were determined as sufficient in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. Republican lawmakers failed to pass initiative petition rule changes likely aimed at this issue during the Missouri General Assembly regular session earlier this year.

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With the certification of the abortion access amendment, it likely takes the wind out of Republican sails for changing initiative petition rules next year, said Peverill Squire, professor of political science and Hicks and Martha Griffiths Chair in American Political Institutions at the University of Missouri, last month.

The abortion access question could help boost Democratic candidates in the November election, added Ben Warner, MU associate professor in the Department of Communication and co-director of the university’s Political Communication Institute.

“(Abortion rights) is a winner for Democrats if it is what voters have in mind when they go to the ballot box all over the country. It is unclear whether that will be top of mind for voters. That is why I would expect Democrats to do everything to make it top of mind,” Warner said last month.

The Amendment 3 ballot question will ask for a Yes or No vote to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

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  • establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid;
  • remove Missouri’s ban on abortion;
  • allow regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patient;
  • require the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and
  • allow abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman?

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in ballot information online notes local governmental entities estimate costs of at least $51,000 annually in reduced tax revenues and significant state revenue losses. A full fiscal note explaining the the estimated losses was not yet available.

Other ballot questions

Ballot amendment questions also were certified by Ashcroft on sports gambling (Amendment 2), sheriffs retirement fund (Amendment 6), voting rights (Amendment 7), and a proposition on minimum wage (Proposition A). The only one that failed certification was an Osage River gambling boat license amendment.

Amendment 2 depending on how the vote goes in November could allow sports betting, puts an age limit on betting, imposes taxes and license fees on sports betting, and allows the Missouri General assembly to enact laws consistent with the amendment. There is an estimated one-time cost of $660,000 and annual costs of $5.2 million. Initial license fees are estimated at $11.75 million and betting revenues are estimated anywhere from $0 to $28.9 million annually for the state. Local government revenue estimates were not available. Advocates say this will boost education funding.

Amendment 6 reestablishes a retirement fund for county sheriffs, county prosecutors and circuit court attorneys that had used ticket fines and court costs as its funding source. A state law from 1983 originally set up the fund, but it was deemed unconstitutional in 2021. Two bills signed in 2023 by Gov. Parson set up the Sheriff’s Retirement System, but a person elected Sheriff has to serve two four-year terms before they are vested by it and must contribute 5% toward their own pension. Those already retired could lose out on their pension under the old fund, based on statements made by Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey during a primary election forum last month. Carey sits on the Missouri Sheriffs retirement board.

Amendment 7 makes it unlawful for non U.S. citizens to vote in elections, which already is state law; prohibits ranked-choice voting; requires whoever has the most votes winning the party nomination during a primary election that their name is what is on the ballot for the general election, which already is done in Missouri. Ranked-choice voting is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots, per Ballotpedia. There is an exception for the final part of the amendment for municipal elections where more than one candidate may fill a seat, such as at-large alder persons, council members or trustees.

The proposition could raise Missouri minimum wage by $1.25 each year on Jan. 1 until 2026, bringing the state minimum wage to $15. The statutory proposition also requires employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked. State governmental entities estimate additional one-time costs of $0 to $53,000, and ongoing costs ranging from $0 to at least $256,000 per year by 2027. State and local government tax revenue changes are unknown and dependent on business decisions.

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Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.





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Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for Feb. 26, 2026

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The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 26, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Midday: 9-4-0

Midday Wild: 0

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Evening: 5-3-9

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Midday: 9-7-1-7

Midday Wild: 5

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Evening: 4-8-6-3

Evening Wild: 8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

Early Bird: 10

Morning: 10

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Matinee: 14

Prime Time: 10

Night Owl: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

05-20-24-28-33

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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

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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.

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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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Missouri lawmakers propose water and power usage requirements for data centers

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Missouri lawmakers propose water and power usage requirements for data centers


Data centers in Missouri would have to follow a set of requirements on electricity and water usage under legislation recently introduced in the House.

“It’s going to work on keeping our utility rates stable so that our folks throughout Missouri, not just St. Charles, but throughout Missouri, are not subject to price jolts and shocks,” said Rep. Colin Wellenkamp, R-St. Charles.

Wellenkamp and another St. Charles County Republican, Rep. Mike Costlow of Dardenne Prairie, have filed legislation titled the AI Infrastructure, Grid Integrity and Water Resource Protection Act. They spoke to reporters about the bill on Wednesday.

The legislation focuses on both electricity and water regarding data centers and, according to the sponsors, extends off a utility bill passed last year in the legislature.

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On the electric side, the legislation requires large-load consumers, like data centers, that come to Missouri to pay for the necessary costs to provide them with electricity, including grid infrastructure upgrades.

“We have to make sure that that cost is not passed on in any situation to consumers. We want to protect our residents first, before we start to look to reap the benefits of this kind of investment into our state,” Costlow said.

The water infrastructure section of the bill involves a permit requirement from the Department of Natural Resources for large water users.

“If your facility is going to use more than 2 million gallons of fresh water per day, which is a lot, or 80% of the available capacity of that locality, you have to seek a DNR permit to do that,” Wellenkamp said.

If water usage goes even further, Wellenkamp said the bill would require the building out of freshwater capacity for the locality so that “no one is left in an insecure water environment.”

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“We want AI infrastructure. We want a data driven economy. We want that development in our city. We want it in our county. It has to be done right,” Wellenkamp said.

According to Wellenkamp, doing it right means not compromising resources.

Cities are grappling with how to proceed concerning the increase in data centers in Missouri.

Wellenkamp’s district includes part of the city of St. Charles, where a yearlong moratorium on data centers was enacted last year. The St. Charles Planning and Zoning Commission voted this month to delay a vote on a proposed ban on data center development.

In March, St. Louis’ Zoning Section will hear a data center proposal after months of debate over the project.

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Ultimately, Costlow said his bill is not intended to be against data centers or AI.

“We have a lot of the strengths that data centers are looking for. We have a lot of water. We have some of the cheapest power in the United States. We have some of the best data connectivity on long haul, dark fiber of anywhere in the Midwest,” Costlow said. “This is a place that data centers can come with very little impact, as long as we put the right guardrails around them.”

The legislation in the House hasn’t been sent to a committee yet, meaning it still has a long path to passing both the House and Senate.

Wellenkamp hopes the legislation gets a hearing quickly.

“It has a lot of interest. It has a lot of movement. But I would say, more importantly, and this is the best arrow in the quiver, it has a lot of urgency,” Wellenkamp said.

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The legislation is HB 3362 and HB 3364





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Kansas City man faces charges in 2025 shooting death of Missouri State student

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Kansas City man faces charges in 2025 shooting death of Missouri State student


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man faces charges in the November 2025 shooting death of Elayjah Murray, 18.

Eric R. Phillips II is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse.

He was previously identified as a person of interest in the case.

Phillips was charged on Dec. 3, 2025, in Jackson County under seal. The case was unsealed Feb. 25.

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Kansas City, Missouri, police were notified early Nov. 28 of the shooting, which took place in Independence.

The reporting party told police Phillips shot her girlfriend, Murray, three times in the face, according to a court document.

RELATED | Family seeks answers 2 months after Missouri State student found shot to death in Independence

While officers were speaking with the victim, a witness came up to police and said she had video from a Ring device that covers the hall between her apartment and the apartment the victim was in.

The witness told police she heard Phillips and the victim arguing, with Phillips saying he would “take care of it” after mentioning there was a dead person in the backseat of his car, per the court document.

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Multiple reports were made to the Independence Police Department on the morning of Nov. 28 by family members of Murray, who were worried she had possibly been shot or was dead.

Because of the circumstances, Independence police entered Murray as a missing person.

The following day, Nov. 29, Independence was notified about a death investigation in Kansas City. Investigators were able to match the description of the deceased to Murray.

Murray’s girlfriend told investigators the night, Nov. 27 into Nov. 28, started with her, her cousin, Murray and Phillips going to multiple family locations, having a good time listening to music and taking shots.

Shortly before 3 a.m., Phillips said he had to abruptly take everyone home.

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Phillips dropped off the cousin before heading toward Independence to take Murray home.

When he arrived, the girlfriend got out to open the door for Murray to exit. That’s when Phillips shot Murray.

RELATED | KSHB 41 confirms murder suspect worked for Raytown School District in 2025

The girlfriend told police Phillips said he was told to kill her, and he refused to go to a hospital. She also said Phillips threatened she would be next if she didn’t get back in the car.

Phillips drove the two to their uncle’s residence, where the victim ran inside. Once Phillips left, she called police.

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Surveillance video from the intersection of 23rd Street and Liberty in Independence captured the shooting, which happened shortly before 4 a.m. Nov. 28.

A court document stated the footage captured the sound of three gunshots and at least two muzzle flashes from inside the vehicle.

Investigators located the phones of Murray and Phillips in gas station trash receptacles. But through historical cell phone data, investigators were able to determine Phillip’s phone pinged in the area where Murray’s body was located about 90 minutes after the shooting.

Additionally, the neighbor’s Ring video captured Phillips telling a story around 10:15 p.m. Nov. 27 about a gay man who was shot in the face in Florida.

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office reports Phillips is not in custody.

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As law enforcement continues to work to locate him, anyone with information is urged to call Independence police at 816-325-7300.

Anonymous tips can be called in at 816-474-8477 or submitted online at kccrimestoppers.com.

If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.

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