A variety of music
will be presented by the <a href="https://saintjosephsymphony.org/">St. Joseph Symphony</a> during its 2025-2026 season.

It kicks off on
October 18th with Frankenstein…It’s Live. The symphony will perform
a new score by Michael Shapiro to the 1931 Frankenstein movie starring Boris
Karloff.

Conductor Chris
Kelts says the first change of the new season is when it begins.

“We have often
opened our season in September. We’re opening our season in October,” Kelts
tells KFEQmmunity. “So, we’re going to jump on the bandwagon of the fall
feeling and the festivities there. And I think people are going to be really
interested in a pretty eclectic season that we have planned for next year.”

The Holiday Cheer
concert will be held at the Missouri Theater on December 20th.

Kelts is excited
about the new season and how it be received by St. Joseph area residents.

“The people in St.
Joseph who come and hear us at the symphony, they are so appreciative. They’re
excited,” Kelts says. “And I just really love that vibe that they give off.”

Kelts says a lot
of planning went into this new season.

“It’s really easy
to fall into the trap of, ‘We’ve got to program music that everyone’s going to
like.’ That’s impossible to do. You can’t program music that everyone’s going
to like,” according to Kelts. “So you’re mission has to be about setting up an experience
for people. And everyone’s experience will be unique to their own, no matter what
we’re playing.”

The season ends
with a special finale. One of St. Joseph’s favorite “musical sons,” Anthony
Glise, will perform his concerto for Guitar and Orchestra with the St. Joseph
Symphony April 25th.

Click <a href="https://saintjosephsymphony.org/concerts/performances.html">HERE</a> for more on the upcoming St. Joseph Symphony season.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

An eclectic season:  St. Joseph Symphony unveils 2025-2026 lineup 

July corn closed down 2 1/4 cents and December corn was down 5 1/2 cents. July soybeans closed up 3 1/4 cents and November soybeans were down 1/4 cents. July KC wheat closed down 11 1/4 cents, July Chicago wheat was down 14 cents, July Minneapolis wheat was down 9 1/2 cents.

Row-crop prices were lower to start the new week, although corn and soybean futures found support by midmorning and were able to recover most of their losses. Wheat futures continue to be a popular short among traders, as Kansas City and Chicago July contracts sank to new contract lows Monday. The early weakness in corn and soybean futures can likely at least be partially attributed to conflicting reports regarding the state of trade negotiations between the U.S. and China. Outside markets were quiet and mixed for Monday as stock indices are very close to a complete recovery of losses stemming from the April 2 through April 7 tariff rout. This week is a big tech sector earnings week, which may give investors some distraction from trade-related headlines but will also undoubtedly offer insight into the effects of tariffs thus far through 2025. The U.S. dollar also edged lower Monday, perhaps offering some midday support to corn and soybean markets, although wheat futures have largely ignored any outside market signals through their two-week selloff.

The live cattle complex continued to lean into Monday trade, fully taking advantage of all the support traders were willing to lend. Later this week, the spot April contract will expire, and the June live cattle contract will take front and center stage. Currently, the market's bullish push has already put the June contract at yet another new contract high. New showlists appear to be mixed, higher in Kansas, but lower in Texas and Nebraska/Colorado. Last week's cash cattle trade was delayed until Friday, and feedlot managers' patient marketing strategy paid dividends as prices were sharply higher. Live cattle in Kansas traded for mostly $213, which is $3 higher than the previous week's weighted average. Live cattle in Texas traded for mostly $212, which is $2 higher than the previous week's weighted average. Northern dressed cattle traded at mostly $342 to $343, which is $5 to $6 higher than the previous week's weighed average.

It's was intriguing to watch the feeder cattle complex trade through the morning as at the market's start, the spot August contract gapped higher, then shortly thereafter, traders filled in the gap but have since again pushed the contract back higher. The live cattle complex was thankful to see fed cash cattle prices trade higher last week, but the feeder cattle complex hasn't been short of support either as demand in the countryside has been red hot, with buyers knowing that the turn out season is rapidly approaching.

The lean hog complex is continuing to rally, for the most part, on the momentum which the market possessed last week. If traders are going to break through the resistance created last Friday in the spot June contract, they're going to need to see tremendous fundamental support again this week. And while midday pork cutout values were mildly higher, steady and stable demand is more of what they're looking for.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/04/28154046/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

Commodity markets daily recap

U.S. industrial hemp production rose sharply in 2024, with total crop value reaching $445 million, a 40 percent increase over the previous year, according to the latest National Hemp Report. Planted acreage expanded to nearly 45,300 acres, up 64 percent from 2023. Harvested acreage climbed 60 percent to just under 32,700 acres. The growth reflects both increased planting and higher yields, which rose from 669 to 1,757 pounds per acre. 

Floral hemp led the surge, with production more than doubling to 20.8 million pounds, a 159 percent jump year over year. It accounted for 87 percent of the total value of hemp grown in the open, cementing its position as the industry’s economic driver. Seed hemp also posted notable gains. Its value rose nearly 500 percent to $16.9 million, the largest percentage increase among hemp categories. The report signals renewed momentum in the hemp sector, following several years of market fluctuation after legalization under the 2018 Farm Bill.

Hemp acreage on the rise

America urgently needs immigration reform to support US farmers, Land O’ Lakes CEO, Beth Ford, said late last week. Farmers want to support US President Donald Trump’s economic agenda, but there is “real concern” over possible labor shortages and lost profits. “What needs to be recognized is the necessity, that farmers have labor available,” Ford said. “Immigration reform, broadly, is critical.” Farmers “invest in this country,” adding that the industry is over represented in the military. 

“At the same time, there’s real concern. The first thing they talk to me about is labor, immigration, and the lack of available labor for their farms.” Immigrants make up roughly half of America’s farm laborers, said Ford, who chairs the Business Roundtable’s immigration committee. Commodity prices have slid in recent years and many farmers don’t turn a profit. With Trump’s tariffs now threatening exports, Ford said she is most worried about 2026, and how duties will reshape the trade landscape.

Land O’ Lakes CEO says Trump policies are "Real Concern" in rural America

July corn closed up 1 1/2 cents and December corn was down 3/4 cents. July soybeans closed down 2 3/4 cents and November soybeans were down 1/2 cents. July KC wheat closed up 1/4 cents, July Chicago wheat was up 1/2 cents, July Minneapolis wheat was down 1 1/2 cents.

July corn closed down 4 3/4 cents and December corn was down 10 1/4 cents. July soybeans closed up 11 1/2 cents and November soybeans were up 2 1/2 cents. July KC wheat closed down 19 cents, July Chicago wheat was down 17 1/4 cents and July Minneapolis wheat was down 13 cents.

Agricultural markets were mixed across the board on Friday with no sizeable price shifts to speak of as trading volumes relaxed into the weekend. Corn futures inched higher following Thursday's technical rally, while soybeans and soybean oil prices eased back following strong sessions on Thursday. Wheat markets appear to have found support for the time being near contract lows, but wheat traders are keeping their fingers close to the sell button, so far not seeing any convincing developments to break out of their bearish bias. Outside markets were also quiet for Friday, with stock indices mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down but rallying off daily lows which were set following a low Consumer Confidence reading from the University of Michigan Friday morning. There remains an undertone of optimism behind the markets to finish the week, following positive trade-related reports, including rumors that the U.S. and Japan are close to a deal, which -- given Japan's importance to the U.S. as an agricultural customer -- has great potential to include purchases of U.S. grains as a part of any agreement.

The live cattle complex has been rocked back on its heels as traders tried to patiently wait for this week's cash cattle trade to develop -- but their patience is ran thin. It's assumed cash cattle prices would trade higher this week -- which traders loved the idea of as stronger cash prices will complement their push of the contracts this past week; but they also don't want to put the cart before the horse anymore and anticipate in good faith too much. More than anything traders seemed to be holding the contracts just shy of steady until developments in the cash market surface. Bids of $210 to $212 were reported in Kansas -- but feedlot managers in the South are firm in their asking prices of $214 to $215.

The spot August feeder cattle contract is inching, slowly but surely, up to the market's resistance as the August contract has a resistance threshold at $293.70. Given the grandiose support the market has seen this past week in the countryside for both feeder cattle and calves -- it's tough to say the market doesn't possess enough support to challenge resistance, it did challenge and passed that resistance mark by the closing bell.

Following the last couple days where the lean hog complex endured some pressure, traders treated the market to a sporty rally Friday which is being well complemented as both cash prices and pork cutout values are higher. Traders have already broken through the market's resistance, so it's likely they'll maintain this rally at least in the short term.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/04/25143754/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

Ethanol output jumped to the highest level in three weeks, and inventories dropped during the seven days ending on April 18. Data from the Energy Information Administration says production rose to an average of 1.033 million barrels a day. That’s up from 1.012 million barrels the week prior and the highest since March 28. 

The Midwest produces the most ethanol in the country, and output rose to 976,000 barrels a day up from 955,000 the previous week, also the highest in three weeks. Gulf Coast production increased to 25,000 barrels a day, up from 24,000 barrels a week earlier. That was all the gains, as East Coast output was unchanged for the third straight week at 12,000 barrels a day. Rocky Mountain production fell by 1,000 barrels a day to 10,000 barrels on average, and West Coast output dropped by the same amount to 9,000 barrels a day. 

Highest ethanol production in three weeks

For most U.S. farm households, income from off-farm jobs like teaching, driving a bus, or managing a bank branch helps keep an operation running. In 2023, an AFBF Market Intel Report says 23 percent of farm household income for farm families comes from farming itself, which means 77 percent of the income comes from other sources. In 2023, 96 percent of farm operators earned money from off-farm sources. 

About 72 percent of the off-farm income in recent years has come from earned sources like wages and salaries (61 percent) and non-farm business income (11 percent). The other 28 percent came from unearned sources like Social Security, veteran’s benefits, pensions, dividends, and interest. The smaller the farm, the more dependent on off-farm employment. Among farms with less than $100,000 in gross sales, over 60 percent of those operators worked at least one day off the farm. 

Off-farm income keeping some operations afloat

May corn closed up 5 1/4 cents and December corn was up 2 cents. May soybeans closed up 12 3/4 cents and November soybeans were up 8 cents. July KC wheat closed up 1/2 cents, July Chicago wheat was up 1 cents, July Minneapolis wheat was up 3/4 cents.

It was overall a strong day for U.S. row-crop markets as corn and wheat futures reversed from recent down spells in price, attracting buyers at support points on their respective charts. For wheat, prices spent much of the session lower before buyers stepped in by the early afternoon to spark a reversal. Soybean futures accelerated gains throughout the session, turning what was initially a respectable 5- to 6-cent move into a double-digit push higher, making technical headway in the process. Outside markets were mostly of a positive influence on the ag complex Thursday, with stock indices higher, a weaker U.S. dollar, and steady energy prices.

The live cattle complex yet again traded mostly higher as traders continue to believe in the market's long-term bullishness. The nearby June contract the lone exception only slightly lower, but that seems to be a mere pause in the market's rally until traders are given green-light fundamentally, which hopefully will come in the form of stronger cash cattle sales. It's fully anticipated that fed cash cattle prices will be higher again this week, but no trade has developed just yet.

The feeder cattle complex finished the session strong in the last hour of trade, eliminating red from the board. Traders are hoping more fundamental support will develop but have nothing tangible to ease their jitters. Demand still remains utterly incredible in the countryside, and that seems to be helping traders in this exact scenario.

The only real win throughout the day for the lean hog complex was the fact that midday pork cutout values were higher. But in the wake of sharply lower exports, lower cash prices and some technical hesitancy, the contracts were trading softly lower. At this point it's likely that packers have fulfilled their bulk needs in the cash market and will only vaguely participate through the remainder of the week.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/04/24145520/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

Many provisions in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire this year. The American Farm Bureau says that adds a big task to the Congressional to-do list: updating the tax code. Many of those expiring provisions provide important relief for farm families. AFBF Associate Economist Samantha Ayoub says while reductions in the corporate income tax rates were made permanent in 2017, income tax cuts for individuals began to phase out in 2022, with the biggest tax increases are coming with expirations at the end of this year. 

For some farm families, grieving the loss of a loved one comes with an additional burden, that being a hefty tax on everything their family member left to them. Without an act of Congress, the estate tax exemption will drop by 50 percent to $7.61 million on January 1, 2026, putting the future of thousands of family farms at risk.

Death taxes threaten farm families

May corn closed down 3 3/4 cents and December corn was down 3 1/2 cents. May soybeans closed up 5 1/4 cents and November soybeans were up 1 cents. May KC wheat closed down 8 1/4 cents, May Chicago wheat was down 7 1/4 cents, May Minneapolis wheat was down 4 cents.

President Trump said on Tuesday afternoon that the extremely elevated tariffs of 145% (ranging as high as 245% depending on the product in question) could possibly be reduced, likely in an attempt to bring China to the table for negotiations after Chinese officials reiterated Wednesday willingness to talks but not under the recent series of escalations and threats. No official decision has been announced but these positive comments, coupled with a similar sentiment from Treasury Secretary Bessent on Tuesday, allowed soybean prices to build off Tuesday's session to trade back among the strongest price in almost two months. Meanwhile, wheat prices continue to be pressured by the current U.S. weather forecasts, with Kansas City futures hitting a fresh contract low on the May board on Wednesday. Corn futures were down as well, pressured by wheat and good weather for development in Brazil. Outside markets were of mixed influence on ag products on Wednesday, with stock indices higher, but the U.S. dollar also higher and crude oil posting a reversal candle lower lent some pressure to the ag complex.

The live cattle complex was able to successfully maintain its higher position through Wednesday's trade which is quite commendable given that the market gapped higher at the day's start and traded slightly above the spot June contract's previous resistance level. Traders are likely to monitor fundamental support closely through the later part of the week as they're hoping to see support from both cash prices and boxed beef prices compliment their higher push this morning. Still no developments have surfaced in the cash cattle market and trade will likely be delayed until Thursday, or even Friday.

The feeder cattle complex did not see quite as much momentum in its market as compared to the live cattle contracts, but they still traded higher, nonetheless. The feeder cattle complex seems more concerned about its technical resistance pressure as traders haven't taken on the looming resistance at $293.00 in the spot August contract.

The lean hog complex's rally has been slightly broken as the nearby contracts traded softly lower while the deferred months continued to push mildly higher. It was pretty impressive that the lean hog complex had a nine straight day consecutive rally which helped propel the spot June contract to the highest price the market has traded since late February. But after such aggressive technical footwork, the market seemed to cool its momentum as traders look around to see if the markets' fundamentals are going to support such a move.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/04/23150333/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

U.S. egg production totaled 8.63 billion during March 2025, down seven percent from last year. Production included 7.35 billion table eggs and 1.28 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.18 billion were broiler-type and 104 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during March totaled 351 million, down eight percent from last year. March egg production per 100 layers was 2,458 eggs, up slightly from March 2024. Total layers in the U.S. on April 1, 2025, totaled 351 million, down eight percent from last year. 

The 351 million consisted of 287 million layers producing table or market-type eggs, 60.4 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and four million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. The rate of lay per day on April 1 averaged 79.1 eggs per 100 layers, down slightly from April 1, 2024. Egg-type chicks hatched during March totaled 60.7 million, up 11 percent from March 2024.&nbsp;

March egg production down seven percent

Missouri Western State University is working to expand the perception the community has of the institution.  

President Elizabeth Kennedy says a community survey shows people think positively about the university 

"They see it as an asset, they see it as an economic driver, but the one piece we're working on now is they don't really know what our story is," Kennedy tells KFEQMunnity host Brent Martin.  "We need to be better about telling our story." 

Kennedy hopes a recent branding change will help with telling that story, saying the university is going back to "embracing MoWest" 

"And the reason for that is, so many people in our community, our graduates, just people who live there use it, they refer to us as MoWest, and it's done in a very affectionate way," Kennedy explains.  "So, we're talking about there really is more at MoWest, you can discover more, you can learn more, you can do more at MoWest." 

Kennedy says telling their story is making sure the university is communicating what it is, and what it is about.  

Missouri Western is also adapting to the needs of the community and its workforce.  

Several programs have been added at the university, and also new language courses as well, but while there is a growing need for these programs there is a central focus.  

Kennedy says the goal of any school, no matter what program a student is in, should be to help that student expand their mind 

"That's what we do at Missouri Western, that's what education is about," Kennedy says.  "Is it's not only knowledge creation through research and those kinds of things, but it's knowledge transmission, it's giving people information and teaching them how to critically think, how to work together in groups, how to do teamwork so that it's productive, those are the goals because that is what we do in everyday life." 

Kennedy says college is designed to provide an opportunity for growth and development at an intellectual level 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Missouri Western looking to help community "Embrace MoWest"

Here’s the latest booking activity from the
Buchanan County Jail. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes
until proven guilty in a court of law. These are courtesy photos.

This information is provided by the Buchanan
County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The St Joseph Post assumes
no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this
information.

Buchanan County Jail Activity (4/28/25)

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

A bill that exempted National Guard duty pay from income tax now carries a $1.7 billion price tag for tax rate cuts extending to at least 2037

Missouri House Republicans aren’t ready to give up on dual goals of enacting a flat income tax and cutting the overall rate, and have loaded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=191" target="_blank">a Senate bill</a>&nbsp;with their latest plan — flat tax and capital gains cut now, rate cuts later.

On April 7, the state Senate approved&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB594&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank">a bill</a>&nbsp;exempting capital gains — profits from property or investments held for more than a year —&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-approves-tax-cuts-for-capital-gains-diapers-and-low-income-seniors/">from state income tax</a>. Individuals would get the break right away, while corporations would be allowed the exemption when revenue triggers lower the top individual income tax rate to 4.5%. The current top rate is 4.7%.

One vote and that bill, sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins, is on its way to Gov. Mike Kehoe. The House passed the original version on a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/13/missouri-house-votes-on-party-lines-to-eliminate-income-tax-on-capital-gains/">party-line vote</a>&nbsp;in February.

But there’s no rush to bring it to a vote, even though Perkins has said he is ready.

“We have been hanging on to that bill for a little while, the House bill, to preserve options as we go into these last three weeks of session,” House Majority Leader Alex Riley of Springfield said Thursday.

Next week, Riley said, the House will debate a bill loaded with property tax changes as well as the flat tax at a rate of 4.7%, an immediate capital gains exemption and a 10-step income tax rate cut. The changes made in the bill, originally passed in the Senate as a simple exemption for National Guard active duty pay during state activations, boosted the estimate cost from&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2025-1/1248S.03P.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">$47,282</a>&nbsp;to as much as $1.7 billion when fully implemented in 2037 or later.

“We just want to see what opportunities we have over these last three weeks of session,” Riley said.

State Sen. Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, the sponsor of the bill, isn’t pleased with the changes.

“We’re at that stage in the game where things aren’t moving as quickly or as often as people would like, and so when you send something to the other chamber, it’s just natural at this point for them to load it up,” Schnelting said.

Items added to Schnelting’s bill in addition to an income tax cut would:

The political stakes behind the tax cut are adding pressure to make some kind of reduction this year. During the 2024 campaign, Kehoe and his Republican primary opponents all campaigned on a promise to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/24/mike-kehoe-missouri-governor-republican-primary/">eliminate the state income tax</a>.

Since 2014, when lawmakers enacted a tax cut over the veto of then-Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, Missouri’s top income tax rate has fallen from 6% to 4.7%. Two future tax cuts, to a 4.5% rate, are already in state law and will take effect if general revenue growth hits targets.

But revenues have declined more than 1% so far this fiscal year and the two-step test for the trigger is unlikely to be met this year or in fiscal 2026, which begins July 1, according to estimates from the Office of Budget and Planning.

The next rate cut to 4.6%, put into law in 2022, is not likely before Jan. 1, 2028, when Kehoe will be seeking re-election.

The proposal going to the full House would not speed up the steps, but it would add a new layer of cuts that would eventually take the rate to 3.4%.

The proposal is a prudent one at a time of revenue uncertainty, said state Rep. Mike McGirl, a Potosi Republican who will handle it during the House debate.

“You have to achieve a certain amount of revenue in order for a trigger to work,” McGirl said. “So whatever revenue is lost by that trigger is actually a wash. Now anything over the trigger is new revenue.”

Democrats, who hold fewer than one-third of the seats in the Missouri House, will be unable to defeat the proposal on their own. But they will argue that it makes permanent cuts to the state’s future revenue at a time when the fiscal needs of the next year are not clear.

Missouri is heavily dependent on federal revenue for roads, health care and education programs. Any federal changes that alter the rate for state matching funds would rapidly increase demands on the state treasury.

“We’re not sure what we’re going to be getting from the feds,” said state Rep. Del Taylor of St. Louis, the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. “We are expecting some pretty lean years, and some of it is self imposed by all these tax cuts and tax cuts on capital gains.”

State Rep. Adrian Plank, a Columbia Democrat, said he likes proposals such as increasing the income limits on the circuit breaker but is dismayed it is paired with cuts that favor wealthy individuals.

Most of the benefits from a cut in the capital gains rate for individuals would go to a small slice of taxpayers. The 23,800 federal income tax returns for 2022 from Missouri reporting incomes greater than $500,000 a year represent 0.8% of all returns but 65% of the capital gains income.

“If I was in control, I would say, let’s give the working class tax breaks and make the people who have all that privilege pay their fair share,” Plank said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the capital gains tax cut bill passed by the Senate, which includes numerous other tax reductions, sits idle awaiting the House to send it to the governor.&nbsp;

Perkins said he’s not concerned the delay on his bill will put a tax cut in danger.&nbsp;

“We’ve got a little bit of time left and it’s all over here in the House,” Perkins said. “We can make it happen quickly when the time comes.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/fiscal/fispdf/1683S.04F.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">cost estimate for Perkins’ bill</a>&nbsp;forecasts it would reduce revenue by about $240 million in the coming fiscal year, with an ongoing reduction of about $350 million annually when the corporate capital gains cut kicks in.

The official estimate, however, has been challenged as too low by the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/04/07/missouri-lawmakers-set-to-pass-capital-gains-tax-cut-with-questions-about-its-total-cost/">institute’s estimate</a>&nbsp;is based on IRS data from 2022 that showed $13.3 billion in long-term capital gains reported on individual returns from Missouri. Using the state’s top tax rate of 4.7%, applied to taxable income more than $8,911, the institute estimated the revenue from that much income would be about $625 million.

The Missouri Department of Revenue stands by its estimate that the individual capital gains cut would reduce revenue by about $110 million annually.&nbsp;

The corporate capital gains cut would reduce revenue by about $180 million annually. Delaying the corporate cut until individual rates decline was one of the concessions negotiated by Democrats in the Senate. Democrats also won the tax changes targeting lower-income Missourians to balance the package.

The change to the circuit breaker credit limits in the Senate-passed version of Perkins’ bill would reduce revenue by about $72 million. A sales tax exemption for adult diapers would reduce revenue by $17 million annually and a similar exemption for baby diapers would cost the state about $1.7 million a year.

Missouri collected $13.4 billion in general revenue in the most recent fiscal year. Estimates published in December project $13.6 billion of general revenue in the year that starts July 1.

On Tuesday, the Senate will debate a state operating budget that would spend $15.7 billion from general revenue, a plan that is balanced by using money from the accumulated surplus. There is another $770 million of general revenue dedicated to capital improvement projects in bills awaiting a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

State Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Republican from Springfield and chairman of the appropriations committee, said the budget proposal leaves a healthy cash balance.&nbsp;

In a 2022 tax cut bill he sponsored, Hough wrote the two-step trigger for future tax cuts. The next cut will occur when revenue in a fiscal year exceeds the highest of the previous three years by $200 million and the revenue five years previously by more than the intervening rate of inflation.

“My job is not just to look at this fiscal year, but it’s really to look at that runway and what it looks like in the future,” Hough said.

Hough voted for Perkins’ bill when it passed the Senate. But he’s not willing to go along with putting new rate cuts into law while the state faces both revenue and federal funds uncertainty.

“It’s easy to cut taxes, or say you want to cut taxes when we still have money,” Hough said. “What happens in three or four years? What happens in two years? What happens if the federal government changes the reimbursement rate on our expanded Medicaid population?”

Missouri House set for debate on flat tax, rate cuts as session moves into final weeks

KFEQ Week in Review

Buchanan County Jail Activity (4/25/25)

GENTRY COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Friday in Gentry County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Jeep Cherokee driven by a 59-year-old Bethany man was westbound on U.S. 136 at N Hundley Street in Albany.&nbsp; The driver was attempting to turn south at the intersection and did not yield to an eastbound 2013 Toyota Venza driven by a 68-year-old Albany woman. The Toyota struck the Jeep.&nbsp;

A private vehicle transported the Toyota driver to Mosaic in Albany. There were no other injuries. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman hospitalized after SUV, Jeep crash

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>&nbsp;

Five international college students in Missouri have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the termination of their student registrations by the Department of Homeland Security — a revocation that essentially threatens their ability to legally remain in the United States.

The students believe that prior nonviolent incidents might have triggered DHS to revoke their records in a government database that tracks international students.

An international student in Missouri from Nigeria, for example, had once paid a $50 fine for playing music too loudly.

Another student, also from Nigeria, had once been cited for improperly passing a streetcar and paid a $80.50 fine.

And yet another, from Bangladesh, had been charged with public intoxication but believed that the issue was resolved years ago after he completed six months of probation and 75 hours of community service.

The complaint was filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri by Kansas City immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford, who is representing the students.

A hearing April 24 will determine if a request for a temporary restraining order will be granted, said Sharma-Crawford.

The complaint joins a flurry of similar challenges nationwide.

According to The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chronicle.com/?utm_campaign=che-eng-cr-remark-ba-2&amp;utm_medium=p-srch&amp;utm_source=ggl&amp;utm_content=25-01-07&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAo7p3j5XLQd_62JJ5zNtKCvPZmtXO&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwn6LABhBSEiwAsNJrjigosmiF8ozmCPhq5ugWtSBWOTToEuM4oJwb9tGM3gJSwJ9vA_Qk2hoCAMsQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Chronicle of Higher Education</a>, there are more than 1 million international students in the U.S.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aila.org/" target="_blank">American Immigration Lawyers Association</a>&nbsp;has noted that more than 4,700 international students had records that were canceled, according to reporting by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/international-students-u-s-are-reeling-amid-revoked-visas-and-terminated-records#:~:text=By%20itself%2C%20a%20termination%20does%20not%20end,the%20student%20at%20risk%20of%20deportation%20proceedings." target="_blank">Science</a>.

In a separate case brought in Atlanta, a graduate student from Bangladesh studying at Missouri State University was among 133 international students who had their<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-visa-status-restraining-order-64a97b4fabc5264ed20b179952cdabff" target="_blank">&nbsp;status restored</a>&nbsp;this week after a temporary restraining order was approved.

The students represented in the local lawsuit involve a range of universities and nationalities.

The terminations came “without notice and without cause,” the Missouri suit alleges, and caused immediate and irreparable harm.

“In essence, they took students lawfully here on their student visas and stripped them of their legal status,” the complaint reads. “They did this to create chaos and uncertainty and cause some students to abandon their studies and leave the United States.”

Sharma-Crawford said about 40 such cases have been filed nationwide, challenging the government’s actions targeting international students.

The Missouri complaint is against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security and Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In early April,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/international-students-u-s-are-reeling-amid-revoked-visas-and-terminated-records#:~:text=By%20itself%2C%20a%20termination%20does%20not%20end,the%20student%20at%20risk%20of%20deportation%20proceedings." target="_blank">thousands of foreign college students</a>&nbsp;began discovering that the Trump administration had terminated their student records, which are tracked within DHS by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS.

Fear of retaliation among international students

The five Missouri students are anonymous in the lawsuit, citing fear of retaliation or harassment and blacklisting by third parties.

The complaint alleges that the students have lost jobs, health care and their student status and suffered stress from not being able to pay for their rent or basic needs, in addition to upending their career goals.

Homeland Security has not initiated removal proceedings, colloquially referred to as deportation, against any of the students, said Sharma-Crawford.

The lawsuit alleges that DHS terminated the students’ registrations without sufficient notice and opportunity to be heard, a violation of their Fifth Amendment right to due process.

Several of the students had previously left the U.S. and reentered without any issues with U.S. Customs and Border Protection after the minor criminal incidents.

In response to similar court challenges, the government has taken what some see as a contradictory stance, emphasizing that it has merely terminated a record in a government tracking database, nothing more.

And yet, some students have then been advised by emails that they must leave the U.S.

For universities, some do not want to risk their own funding by being accused of harboring an immigrant not legally able to study or reside in the U.S.

Requests for comment from several Missouri university offices that oversee international students were not returned.

There is no publicly accessible database to track the status of international students.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/04/21/five-key-takeaways-tracking-student-visa" target="_blank">Inside Higher Ed</a>&nbsp;and The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/tracking-trumps-actions-on-student-visas?resetPassword=true&amp;email=msanchezcolumn%40gmail.com&amp;success=true&amp;bc_nonce=8vwz6z7huutikd8hjf4ac9" target="_blank">Chronicle of Higher Education</a>&nbsp;have been compiling listings, reporting that at least 1,500 students have been affected as of April 21.

The sites note that Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville had 716 international students last fall and 43 recent revocations.

Other regional campuses listed include: Webster University, with 24 students affected; Missouri State University, with six students affected; and Park University, with at least one student affected.

The Missouri complaint also notes that the students’ schools also were not given a rationale for the decisions.

The five students listed in the lawsuit learned of the terminations from their universities, according to the complaint. School officials received emails advising that ICE had terminated the student’s SEVIS registration.

The complaint also details the process that international students use during their studies:

“Foreign students who wish to study in the United States apply to schools which are part of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (“SEVP”). This program is monitored within the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”). ICE, through SEVP, uses the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems (“SEVIS”), a government database that tracks international students’ compliance with their student visa status. Student visas are commonly referred to as F-1 visas.”

The complaint alleges: “Yet, each Plaintiff, once terminated in the SEVIS system, even wrongfully, would be left without status and their presence becomes immediately unauthorized. Any work authorization for on and/or off campus is immediately terminated, they are unable to re-enter the U.S. on a terminated SEVIS record and they become subject to arrest, detention and deportation.”

Court challenges joined by university pushback

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, believes that bipartisan leverage might be possible to address unfair targeting of international students.

Davids said some Republicans in the House could be engaged on the issue.

“This is one of those areas where every single state — red states, blue states, it doesn’t matter — they benefit from having robust universities,” Davids said during a town hall hosted by KCUR on April 21.

She added that in some areas with Republican representation the affected universities are “the economic driver of their communities.”

Universities nationwide have been under intense scrutiny by the Trump administration.

Some have seen grants canceled, often involving research, with the allegation that an institution hadn’t done enough to protect Jewish students from antisemitism that allegedly occurred during student protests against Palestinian deaths in Gaza that were inflicted by the U.S.-backed Israeli military.

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/21/us-university-presidents-trump-administration" target="_blank">Critics</a>&nbsp;allege that President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants now appears to include gathering up those legally present, or maneuvering to alter their status and encourage self-deportation, without due process.

The American Association of Colleges and Universities released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-call-for-constructive-engagement" target="_blank">“A call for constructive engagement”</a>&nbsp;on April 22, signed by more than 100 college and university presidents, including President Fred P. Pestello of Saint Louis University.

The lengthy statement sought to “speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.”

“Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/23/international-students-in-missouri-sue-trump-administration/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

International students in Missouri sue Trump administration over revoked status

The Shakespeare Chateau Guild will feature six historic locations around St. Joseph this Sunday that feature some of the finest examples of stained glass.  

Isobel McGowan, owner of the Shakespeare Chateau, says the guild is very excited to get a chance to show off some of the stain glass in St. Joseph 

"Because stained glass is such a great feature," McGowan tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "The title of our tour is Architectural jewelry, and really when you walk into one of these places with all this stained glass you can see why it's called that, it's been referred to that for many, many, many years, and you can see why it's called that." 

McGowan says the windows are like little jewels that catch the light and create beautiful effects on the interior, depending on the angle of the sun.  

McGowan says there are many things' people appreciated about stained glass, one being its intrinsic beauty 

"But it also has these special effects that are created, the glinting and glistening and the prisms that are cast across walls," McGowan explains.  "It just changes the lighting of the interior space very dramatically." 

McGowan says stained glass can create magical effects within a home depending on the weather condition and time of year 

"It's jaw dropping really to appreciate and to see it in person," Mcgowan says.  

McGowan says people come from all around for these types of tours in St. Joseph's historic buildings 

"We are so fortunate to have such an inventory of historic buildings built during that period of prosperity and exuberant design that we know as the Gilded Age," McGowan explains.  "And we are so lucky to have these, and people will come from all over." 

The tour will be held on Sunday from noon to 5pm beginning at the Shakespeare Chateau.  Tickets can be purchased in advance for 20 dollars, or on the day of the tour for a slightly higher price. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

St. Joseph's architectural jewelry on display Sunday 

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Bobby Witt Jr extended his career best, and MLB best, hitting streak to 19 games but the Kansas City Royals could not do much else against Houston starting pitcher Hunter Brown, falling 7-3 in Sunday's series finale.&nbsp; The loss for the Royals snapped a streak of six straight wins.

The Royals fell behind in the third inning when Kris Bubic gave up a three run home run to Yordan Alvarez.&nbsp; The Astros extended their lead in the top of the fifth inning, Chas McCormick scoring on a single from Jeremy Pena.&nbsp; The bottom of the fifth Kansas City found their way onto the scoreboard, when Witt Jr extended his hit streak with a double driving in Jonathan India.&nbsp;

But Houston added two more runs in the sixth inning, again thanks to Pena this time with a double that drove in&nbsp;Zach Dezenzo along with McCormick.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Astros final run in the seventh inning came on a solo home run by&nbsp;Yainer Diaz.&nbsp; The Royals scored one more run in the bottom of the seventh, a sacrifice fly from India driving in Cavan Biggio.&nbsp; Drew Waters tripled in the ninth inning to score Maikel Garcia for the final run of the game.

Bubic took the loss on the day, falling to 2-2 on the season, giving up four runs over five innings on five hits, striking out four.&nbsp; India and Salvador Perez led the way hitting for the Royals both going 2-4 at the plate, India driving in one run.

Kansas City is off tomorrow, before traveling to Tampa Bay on Tuesday.&nbsp; Michael Lorenzen will open the series against the Rays, with first pitch Tuesday at 6:05pm, pregame coverage begins at 5:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Royals struggle against Brown, Astros in series finale falling 7-3

St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley gave up two runs in the ninth inning, blowing his second save of the season, but Nolan Arenado blasted a walk off home run in the bottom half as the Cardinals topped their NL Central rivals the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 at Busch Stadium Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

It didn't appear early on however like St Louis would need to win that way though, building a 5-0 lead early on through the first four innings.&nbsp; The first run in the second inning started with a Nolan Gorman double leading off the inning, and after&nbsp;Thomas Saggese grounded out advancing Norman to third,&nbsp;Pedro Pagés hit a sacrifice fly to center field driving in Gorman to open the scoring.&nbsp;

In the third inning, Masyn Winn led off with a double and was followed up by a ground rule double by Lars Nootbaar, allowing Winn to run across home plate.&nbsp; Willson Contreras grounded out advancing Nootbaar to third base, and Brendan Donovan hit the third double of the inning to score Nootbaar to build the Redbirds lead to 3-0.&nbsp; Arenado grounded out to advance Donovan to third, and the bases ended up loaded after back to back walks to Gorman and Saggese, but&nbsp;Pagés grounded out to end the inning.&nbsp;

The Cardinals added the the final two runs, prior to the walk off home run, in the fourth inning.&nbsp; Winn hit his second double of the game after Victor Scott II flew out to open the inning.&nbsp; Nootbaar's single drove in Winn to extend the lead, and Nootbaar came around to score in the next at bat thanks to a throwing error by&nbsp;Brice Turang on a single from Contreras.&nbsp;

Milwaukee began their comeback in the fifth inning after back to back doubles by Joey Ortiz and Caleb Durbin opened the scoring for the Brewers.&nbsp; Durbin would get picked off by Cardinals starter Sonny Gray, but after&nbsp;Turang walked, he found his way home on another double in the inning, this time by&nbsp;Jackson Chourio.

The Brewers added another run in the sixth after loading the bases.&nbsp; William Contreras and Rhys Hoskins singled before Gray walked Jake Bauers.&nbsp; Contreras scored on a groundout by Joey Ortiz, Bauers being forced out at second and Ortiz reaching first safely.&nbsp; With runners on the corners and two outs, Vinny Capra flied out to right field ending the inning with Milwaukee trailing 5-3.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Leading by two runs in the top of the ninth, the Cardinals called on the ever reliable closer Helsley.&nbsp; But disaster struck quickly for Helsley, who gave up a leadoff single to&nbsp;Isaac Collins.&nbsp; Helsley retired Turang on a flyout to center field, but while facing down Chourio, Helsey gave up the sixth home run of the season to the right fielder, tying up the game.&nbsp; He bounced back following the blast, forcing Christain Yelich to ground out and Contreras to pop out to the catcher.&nbsp;

Donovan lined out sharply to center field against new Brewers reliever&nbsp;Trevor Megill to start the bottom of the ninth, but down 0-1 at the plate, Arenado came up clutch blasting the walk off home run 385 feet to left field to give St. Louis back to back wins for the first time since last week, April 13th and 14th.&nbsp;

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