Kansas & Missouri Politricks: EPIC Weed Sales, Trans Protest & Payouts

A quick peek in news from state houses amid culture war and cash approvals . . .

Check TKC news gathering . . .

4 Kansas City-area industrial park projects receive $50M from state

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Four Kansas City-area projects received $50 million in funding Friday when Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced a series of awards from the state's Department of Economic Development. The Port Authority of Kansas City was awarded $40 million, while the cities of Independence ($5 million), Chillicothe ($2.5 million) and St.

'This is not the end': Protesters return to Kansas Statehouse in wake of transgender bathroom ban - Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA - Rainbow flags, babies in tie-dye and a three-legged dog wearing a trans flag bandana: these are the new symbols of defiance in the battle for LGBTQ rights in Kansas. Transgender protesters once again showed up to make their voices heard at the Statehouse, blasting stories and encouragement to one another through a shaky speaker system.

What rules and regulations about gender-affirming care could mean for the future of medical care in Missouri

Providers say Bailey’s order, whether upheld or not, could have a chilling effect on the care that current and future patients receive, and could cause medical residents and other health professionals to avoid practicing in Missouri.

Will strict new anti-trans laws in Kansas keep people and companies away?

WICHITA, Kansas - Ophelia Quayle grew up in Wichita, but when it was time to pick a college, she decided to go out of state. Now that Kansas is enacting some of the country's most burdensome restrictions on transgender rights, Quayle - a transgender woman - says she's not coming back.

Kansas loses legal fight over voting law passed in 2021

Kansas has lost a legal fight over one of the voting laws that its Republican-led Legislature passed in the wake of the 2020 election.

Missouri AG wants Kim Gardner to leave office earlier than June 1

ST. LOUIS - One day after Kim Gardner announced her upcoming resignation as St. Louis Circuit Attorney, the Missouri Attorney General is pushing for her to leave office earlier than planned. After months of calls, requests, and demands for her to resign, Gardner will officially step down on June 1.

Missouri lawmakers approve largest budget in state history - almost $51 billion * Missouri Independent

With just about an hour to spare before the constitutional deadline, Missouri lawmakers on Friday approved a record state budget of almost $51 billion that increases pay for highway patrol troopers and direct care workers and one of the biggest boosts in years for higher education. The $50.7 billion spending plan headed to Gov.

Teacher contract talks in biggest Kansas district stuck over ability to boot unruly kids from class

The Wichita school district wants to limit teachers' ability to remove disruptive students from classrooms, saying the practice could run afoul of federal special-education guidelines. Wichita's current teacher contract allows teachers to send a student to the principal's office for up to a half-day if the student is "substantially disrupting the instructional program to the detriment of other pupils."

Missouri lawmakers send Parson $2.8B to expand Interstate 70

Missouri's Interstate 70 will be expanded to three lanes across the state as part of a roughly $50 billion state budget approved Friday by lawmakers.Republican lawmakers took up GOP Gov.

Marijuana sales decline slightly in Missouri during April, but a milestone was still reached

FESTIVAL. ALL MISSOURI'S CASHING IN ON THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY IN TWO MONTHS. A SHOW ME STATE HAS SEEN $93 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE. IT'S NICE REBECCA GANNON TAKES THIS TO A KANSAS CITY GROW FACILITY FOR AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK INSIDE TREY COMBS OR NICE EVERY FEW WEEKS.

Missouri marijuana sales top $350 million during first three months of legalization * Missouri Independent

Hippos Cannabis has a 40,000-square-foot production facility in Vienna, Mo., a town of 600 people that's just 30 minutes north of Rolla. Since Missouri's recreational marijuana sales began in February, they've added 25 workers, bringing the total employees to 70 - who come from Vienna or the surrounding communities.

2023 Kansas legislative session: What passed, what didn't, what was vetoed

Kansas lawmakers concluded this year’s legislative session last Friday after a three-day flurry of veto overrides and finalizing budgets for both public schools and the state, but without passing any of the tax relief policies each party wanted at the start of the session..

Medicaid expansion for new moms wins approval in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Lower-income new mothers could gain a full year of Medicaid health-care coverage in Missouri under legislation given final approval Friday as part of a national push to improve maternal health. The legislation, which now goes to Gov.

Missouri Lottery player wins $1M off scratcher bought in Maysville

MAYSVILLE, Mo. - A Missouri Lottery player's purchase of a $50 scratcher paid off recently. According to the Missouri Lottery, the winner purchased a $50 " Millionaire Blowout " ticket at Dungy's Market in Maysville, Missouri. "I thought while I was there, I would try one out of the vending machine," the player told the Missouri Lottery.

Developing . . .