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Gov. Mike Parson faces bipartisan scorn for reducing DWI sentence of ex-Chiefs coach
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson drew condemnation from across the political spectrum over the weekend after he reduced the sentence of former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid for a drunken driving crash that permanently injured a 5-year-old girl. Reid, the son of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, was drunk in February 2021 when he […]
Former Boone County senator files to run in 3rd District congressional GOP primary
Kurt Schaefer, a two-term state senator from Columbia who has worked as a lobbyist since leaving the legislature in 2017, on Tuesday officially joined the Republican primary for Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District. “This moment in our country’s history demands not only a conservative fighter but a conservative winner,” Schaefer said in a statement announcing his […]
‘Dark cloud’: Ethics investigation of Dean Plocher continues to hang over Missouri House
Dean Plocher’s last year as speaker of the Missouri House wasn’t supposed to go this way. The Republican from Des Peres was riding high at the end of the 2023 legislative session, able to point to big wins while pinning any disappointments on continued dysfunction in the state Senate. And he had amassed an impressive […]
Missouri House unanimously passes bill aimed at reducing veteran suicide
A bill requiring the state to expand its efforts to prevent veteran suicide won unanimous approval in the Missouri House this week. Following an emotional debate that saw lawmakers share personal stories of friends and loved one who took their own lives, the House voted 157-0 on Wednesday in support of a bill sponsored by […]
Jay Ashcroft draws bipartisan attacks over comments about veterans benefits
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is facing criticism from Republican and Democratic rivals over comments he made at a candidate forum this weekend calling into question the fairness of special benefits for veterans. During a panel for gubernatorial candidates at the annual Missouri Republican Party Lincoln Days in Kansas City over the weekend, Ashcroft was […]
GOP-backed judicial bill sunk by bipartisan opposition in the Missouri House
Republicans and Democrats joined together Monday night to sink a wide-ranging judicial bill that managed to stir up enough policy concerns and internal grudges to keep it from winning anywhere near enough votes to clear the Missouri House. The legislation, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Rudy Veit and backed by the chamber’s GOP leadership, including […]
‘I’m absolutely being punished’: Dean Plocher accused of retaliating against GOP critics
So far this year, state Rep. Mazzie Christensen has filed 11 bills, ranging from changes to statewide education and public health policy to narrow legislation designed to help a small county in her district. State Rep. Adam Schwadron has filed 12 bills, including his top priority to create a state fund to defray costs of […]
Missouri attorney general expects to end Sunshine Law backlog by May
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey told lawmakers Tuesday that his office completed work on the 224 pending records requests that were left unfinished by his predecessor and expects to finalize all requests submitted in the last year by May. Questioned by the House Budget Committee on Tuesday about his office’s massive Sunshine Law backlog, Bailey […]
Former Republican legislator Bob Onder jumps into congressional race
Former state Sen. Bob Onder announced Friday that he’s no longer running for lieutenant governor and will instead seek the GOP nomination in the 3rd Congressional District. Onder is the second high-profile candidate to enter the race to replace U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, who announced he was retiring when his term ends this year. Republican […]
Dean Plocher dismisses questions about ongoing ethics probe, fired House staffer
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher bristled Thursday morning at questions about a recently fired legislative staffer and an ongoing ethics investigation he’s facing, cutting off a press conference he convened after only four minutes. A day after he dismissed his legislative director, who had worked for the House since 2016 and served in the position […]
Embattled Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher dismisses another top staffer
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher fired his legislative director Wednesday, the latest in a series of departures from his office as he continues to face an ethics investigation into allegations of unlawful conduct. Erica Choinka had worked for the Missouri House since 2016, first as a legislative assistant and then as legislative director for former […]
Missouri social media lawsuit will be heard by U.S. Supreme Court on March 18
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on March 18 in Missouri’s lawsuit alleging the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech. The lawsuit was filed in 2022 by attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana. Last summer, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled that officials […]