By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas said President Donald Trump’s administration shouldn’t cancel a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon and transfer work on the Federal Aviation Administration’s traffic control system to presidential adviser Elon Musk’s own company.

Davids, the 3rd District Democrat who serves on the aviation subcommittee of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the potential deal with Musk raised conflict-of-interest issues.

Starlink is part of Musk’s SpaceX satellite and rocket company — a business rival of Verizon. Musk also was hired by Trump to lead an effort to reduce federal government spending, including at the FAA.

“Elon Musk’s reported interference in a competitively awarded FAA contract is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about conflicts of interest,” Davids said. “Aviation safety — not private gain — must be the priority in our air traffic control system.”

Verizon was issued a 15-year contract in 2023 to integrate fiber-optic cables into the network allowing FAA facilities to communicate. The current federal air traffic control system is the responsibility of L3Harris, not Verizon, but Musk has repeatedly blamed Verizon for technology shortcomings.

“The administration must ensure federal contracts are awarded through a fair and transparent process, not at the whim of a billionaire with political ties to those in power,” Davids said.

In the past week, The New York Times, CNN and other news outlets reported Musk was interested in deploying his own company, Starlink, to operate the federal air traffic control system. The Trump administration has allowed Starlink equipment to be tested at at least two airports.

The issue of aviation safety was brought into focus for the Kansas congressional delegation Jan. 29 when American Airlines Flight 5342 originating from Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita collided mid-air with a U.S. Army helicopter while over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

All 67 people aboard the aircraft, including Kansans, were killed in the first major U.S. commercial passenger flight crash in more than 15 years.

In aftermath of the accident, members of the Kansas congressional delegation shared empathy for victims and their families and vowed to make certain the crash was thoroughly investigated. Five of the six members of the delegation took part in a moment of silence on the U.S. House chamber.

“Together, we commit to finding answers, and to working to ensure another tragedy like this doesn’t happen again,” said U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican serving the 4th District centered on Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741033089425.png" alt=" Kansas Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, left, said the suggestion from billionaire Elon Musk, a budget adviser to President Donald Trump, to cancel Verizon’s $2.4 billion, 15-year contract with FAA and hand that work to his own company Starlink created a conflict of interest. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, left, said the suggestion from billionaire Elon Musk, a budget adviser to President Donald Trump, to cancel Verizon’s $2.4 billion, 15-year contract with FAA and hand that work to his own company Starlink created a conflict of interest. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas said President Donald Trump’s administration shouldn’t cancel a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon and transfer work on the Federal Aviation Administration’s traffic control system to presidential adviser Elon Musk’s own company.Davids, the 3rd District Democrat who serves on the aviation subcommittee of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the potential deal with Musk raised conflict-of-interest issues.Starlink is part of Musk’s SpaceX satellite and rocket company — a business rival of Verizon. Musk also was hired by Trump to lead an effort to reduce federal government spending, including at the FAA.“Elon Musk’s reported interference in a competitively awarded FAA contract is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about conflicts of interest,” Davids said. “Aviation safety — not private gain — must be the priority in our air traffic control system.”Verizon was issued a 15-year contract in 2023 to integrate fiber-optic cables into the network allowing FAA facilities to communicate. The current federal air traffic control system is the responsibility of L3Harris, not Verizon, but Musk has repeatedly blamed Verizon for technology shortcomings.“The administration must ensure federal contracts are awarded through a fair and transparent process, not at the whim of a billionaire with political ties to those in power,” Davids said.In the past week, The New York Times, CNN and other news outlets reported Musk was interested in deploying his own company, Starlink, to operate the federal air traffic control system. The Trump administration has allowed Starlink equipment to be tested at at least two airports.The issue of aviation safety was brought into focus for the Kansas congressional delegation Jan. 29 when American Airlines Flight 5342 originating from Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita collided mid-air with a U.S. Army helicopter while over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.All 67 people aboard the aircraft, including Kansans, were killed in the first major U.S. commercial passenger flight crash in more than 15 years.In aftermath of the accident, members of the Kansas congressional delegation shared empathy for victims and their families and vowed to make certain the crash was thoroughly investigated. Five of the six members of the delegation took part in a moment of silence on the U.S. House chamber.“Together, we commit to finding answers, and to working to ensure another tragedy like this doesn’t happen again,” said U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican serving the 4th District centered on Wichita.

Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids objects to Musk’s call for cancellation of $2.4 billion FAA contract

Missouri Gov. Mike
Kehoe has appointed an executive with the News Press and Gazette Company to the
Missouri Western State University Board of Governors.

Bill Severn, who
is from Country Club, serves as the executive vice president for the News Press
and Gazette, where he has worked for nearly 15 years.

Severn holds a
Bachelor of Science in Park Resource Management from Kansas State University.

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

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri Gov. Mike
Kehoe has appointed an executive with the News Press and Gazette Company to the
Missouri Western State University Board of Governors.Bill Severn, who
is from Country Club, serves as the executive vice president for the News Press
and Gazette, where he has worked for nearly 15 years.Severn holds a
Bachelor of Science in Park Resource Management from Kansas State University.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Gov. Kehoe appoints Severn to MWSU Board of Governors

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law that removes the words gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act Friday. It had been approved by the legislature Thursday. 

The governor released a video statement saying the signing of the bill into law safeguards the rights of women and girls. "It is common sense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women. In fact, it is necessary to secure genuine equal protection for women and girls," Reynolds says. 

Reynolds says commonsense protections were at risk as the Civil Rights Code blurred the biological line between the sexes. The Governor says many have heard misinformation about what this bill does. She says it simply brings Iowa in line with the federal Civil Rights Code, as well as most states. The law goes into effect July 1st.

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law that removes the words gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act Friday. It had been approved by the legislature Thursday. The governor released a video statement saying the signing of the bill into law safeguards the rights of women and girls. "It is common sense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women. In fact, it is necessary to secure genuine equal protection for women and girls," Reynolds says. Reynolds says commonsense protections were at risk as the Civil Rights Code blurred the biological line between the sexes. The Governor says many have heard misinformation about what this bill does. She says it simply brings Iowa in line with the federal Civil Rights Code, as well as most states. The law goes into effect July 1st.

Governor Signs Gender Identity Bill Into Law

It could be crowded at the Buchanan County
Courthouse today.

Today marks the first day Buchanan County
senior citizens can file to have their property tax rates frozen.

The Buchanan County Commission
unanimously voted to participate in the freeze created by state law.

Western District Commissioner, Ron Hook,
says the legislature stumbled the first time it passed the law, but made
corrections in its second attempt.

“The idea’s great, but the design on how
to get to that point and who’s going to qualify and just so on and so forth.,” Hook
explains to host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. &nbsp;“It’s pretty generic now.”

Buchanan County residents who were at
least 62 on January first are eligible for the property tax freeze. Under the
program, senior citizens who own property in Buchanan County can apply to have
their property tax rates kept at the 2024 level as long as they own the
property.

Hook says the commission sought input
before devising the application process.

“Not only the commissioners being
involved in trying to do the matrix on getting this done, but we’ve had the
Auditor, we’ve had the Assessor, we’ve had the Collector, and we’ve had the
Recorder of Deeds all involved,” according to Hook.

Hook says a property owner only has to
apply once, but will likely have to notify the county each year that they
remain at that property.

“It’s going to be kind of like your
personal property where you have to justify that you still own that car and that
car’s still licensed to you, so on and so forth,” Hook says. “That process we’re
still working on and we’ve got about a year to do it.”

Hook expects a lot of senior citizens
will apply today at the courthouse. But he points out the application period
runs through June 30th.

The state law is officially called the Senior Citizen Property Tax Credit. Buchanan County homeowners who
are at least 62 will see the amount owed for most of the taxes on their primary
residence held stable at the 2024 amount. For citizens who do not yet qualify, the
amount owed will freeze in whatever year they do become eligible and apply.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostIt could be crowded at the Buchanan County
Courthouse today.Today marks the first day Buchanan County
senior citizens can file to have their property tax rates frozen.The Buchanan County Commission
unanimously voted to participate in the freeze created by state law.Western District Commissioner, Ron Hook,
says the legislature stumbled the first time it passed the law, but made
corrections in its second attempt.“The idea’s great, but the design on how
to get to that point and who’s going to qualify and just so on and so forth.,” Hook
explains to host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. &nbsp;“It’s pretty generic now.”Buchanan County residents who were at
least 62 on January first are eligible for the property tax freeze. Under the
program, senior citizens who own property in Buchanan County can apply to have
their property tax rates kept at the 2024 level as long as they own the
property.Hook says the commission sought input
before devising the application process.“Not only the commissioners being
involved in trying to do the matrix on getting this done, but we’ve had the
Auditor, we’ve had the Assessor, we’ve had the Collector, and we’ve had the
Recorder of Deeds all involved,” according to Hook.Hook says a property owner only has to
apply once, but will likely have to notify the county each year that they
remain at that property.“It’s going to be kind of like your
personal property where you have to justify that you still own that car and that
car’s still licensed to you, so on and so forth,” Hook says. “That process we’re
still working on and we’ve got about a year to do it.”Hook expects a lot of senior citizens
will apply today at the courthouse. But he points out the application period
runs through June 30th.The state law is officially called the Senior Citizen Property Tax Credit. Buchanan County homeowners who
are at least 62 will see the amount owed for most of the taxes on their primary
residence held stable at the 2024 amount. For citizens who do not yet qualify, the
amount owed will freeze in whatever year they do become eligible and apply.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Buchanan CO senior citizens can begin applying for property tax freeze

Facing thousands of lawsuits and seeking protection from lawmakers, Bayer is using ads, lobbying and third-party mouthpieces to sway opinion in its favor

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>

German chemical giant Bayer is improperly using a court order to hide details of a “propaganda” campaign targeting Missouri lawmakers and potential jurors, an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Plaintiffs%20Emergency%20Motion%20to%20De-Designate%20Forty-Six%20Documents%20Marked%20Confidential.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3493767" target="_blank">emergency motion</a>&nbsp;to lift the confidentiality cloak claims.

At a hearing on Thursday in Cole County Circuit Court, attorney Matt Clement will argue that 46 “public relations” documents designated as confidential by Bayer’s attorneys contain no proprietary information.&nbsp;

Instead, Clement wrote in the motion filed last week, the records — included among 20,000 delivered under discovery — detail the methods Bayer has used to influence opinion, including radio, television and print ads.

Bayer acquired Roundup — and the liability that may accrue in lawsuits over its health effects — when it took over St. Louis-based Monsanto in 2018. There are approximately 25,000 lawsuits pending in Cole County alleging that Roundup causes cancer and the label failed to warn consumers of the risk.

“Cole County has been especially inundated with Monsanto’s propaganda,” Clement wrote in the motion seeking to unseal the records. “Legion are its billboards, radio and television ads, social media pop ups and other communications seeking to convince both the jury pool and the legislature that the lawsuits involving Roundup are somehow illegitimate and that Bayer/Monsanto needs legislative protection.”

Clement represents Ronald Jackelen of Somerset, Wisconsin, in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=22AC-CC00964&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">case filed in Cole County</a>&nbsp;in 2022. Jackelen has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma he blames on Roundup and its main ingredient, glyphosate.

Clement declined to comment on the filing.

Legislation that&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB544&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank">passed the Missouri House</a>&nbsp;last month to protect Bayer would make the label mandated by the EPA for all chemicals classified as pesticides — weed killers, bug killers and fertilizers — “sufficient to satisfy any requirement for a warning label regarding cancer.”&nbsp;

The bill is awaiting assignment to a state Senate committee.

Several lawsuits are scheduled for trial this year. Bayer has already been through a 2023 trial where a Cole County jury&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Gunther%20Judgment.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=2991162" target="_blank">awarded three plaintiffs $1.56 billion</a>, including $1.5 billion in punitive damages. The verdict was reduced to $622 million and is under appeal, with arguments&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=WD87059&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0001_WAP#header" target="_blank">scheduled for April 10</a>&nbsp;in Kirksville.

Two organizations are making direct public appeals seeking support for legislation protecting glyphosate.&nbsp;

One set of messages, running on Jefferson City-area radio stations, is from an organization called the Modern Ag Alliance. The ads present glyphosate as a benign, beneficial chemical essential to modern agriculture.&nbsp;

The other, from the Protect America Initiative, includes television ads in central Missouri and a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">direct mail campaign</a>&nbsp;accusing nine Republican state senators of betraying President Donald Trump’s agenda by allowing “Chinese Communist Party chemicals” to take over the market.

The Modern Ag Alliance has spent almost $100,000 on its ad campaign since mid-November, Federal Communications Commission records show. The ads are designed to educate the public, not influence potential jurors, said Jess Christiansen, spokeswoman for Bayer Crop Science at its U.S. headquarters in St. Louis County.

“That’s not the business we’re in,” Christiansen said. “Those campaigns are nothing more than that, just to educate and inform.”

Bayer doesn’t hide that it is part of the Modern Ag Alliance, which Christiansen said has about 90 other partners.&nbsp;

The Protect America Initiative has spent almost $175,000 since late January — including a $75,000 ad during the Super Bowl — in addition to the direct mail effort.

If they were intended to boost support for the legislation, the ads and mailers have backfired, with the nine senators holding a joint news conference last week denouncing the attacks. They said they were convinced Bayer was responsible and would ask the Missouri Ethics Commission to investigate.

“It’s dark money, through and through,” said state Sen. Nick Schroer, a Republican from Defiance.

Bayer has no connection with the politically charged ads, Christiansen said.

“There’s lots of misinformation swirling around,” she said. “We are willing to sit with whomever it is. I don’t care if it’s a Republican, a Democrat, a libertarian, a Freedom Caucus member. We need to work together.”

In the motion to be argued Thursday, Clement wrote that the documents that should be unsealed detail how Bayer crafted its messaging, who it has enlisted to deliver it from a seemingly neutral position and how much it has paid for advertising and lobbying.

“Monsanto’s motivation for its abuse of the protective order to blanket-designate these documents as ‘confidential’ is clear — to hide Monsanto’s ongoing attempts to improperly influence the public, as well as its legislative efforts concerning the safety of glyphosate, such that it can continue to sell and profit from the product without a warning,” Clement wrote.

Bayer is the only U.S. manufacturer of glyphosate, with a production facility in Luling, Louisiana, that is the world’s largest single producer. Other production facilities are in Idaho and Iowa. China is the world’s other main supplier of glyphosate. China and India are major world suppliers of a variety of farm chemicals.

Along with the U.S. corporate headquarters, Bayer has its research and development facilities in St. Louis County. Its total Missouri employment is about 5,000, Christiansen said.

Along with Missouri, legislation to designate the EPA label as the only label needed on Roundup and other regulated farm chemicals is being pushed in Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa,&nbsp;

Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming, Christiansen said.

“The purpose of the legislation is to really protect access to critical crop protection tools that farmers need to safely, effectively and affordably produce the food we all need,” Christiansen said.

Winning passage of the legislation in Missouri is especially important because most state-level cases are filed here because it is the national home of Bayer. When a Missouri-based corporation is sued by someone for injuries that occurred outside the state, the case must be filed in the court covering the location&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=508.010&amp;bid=47727&amp;hl=" target="_blank">of the company’s registered agent</a>.&nbsp;

Bayer’s registered agent was in St. Louis County, and thousands of cases were filed there before the company shifted its agent to Jefferson City in October 2021. Last year, following the massive jury award in Cole County, the registered agent was moved again, back to St. Louis County.

Thousands of new cases have been filed in St. Louis County since the shift. There are also a multitude of federal lawsuits pending in the&nbsp;<a href="https://cand.uscourts.gov/judges/chhabria-vince-vc/in-re-roundup-products-liability-litigation-mdl-no-2741/" target="_blank">U.S. District Court for Northern California</a>.&nbsp;

Bayer has set aside about $16 billion to deal with Roundup lawsuits, including more than $10 billion it has already paid out in settlements, Christiansen said.

“This failure to warn claim just is not valid, because, No. 1, glyphosate doesn’t cause cancer,” Christiansen said. “And No. 2, we’re labeling according to how we’re legally required to label.”

Glyphosate is listed as a probable cause of cancer by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/" target="_blank">International Agency on Research of Cancer</a>, a part of the World Health Organization.

“There is limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of glyphosate,” stated a&nbsp;<a href="https://publications.iarc.fr/Book-And-Report-Series/Iarc-Monographs-On-The-Identification-Of-Carcinogenic-Hazards-To-Humans/Some-Organophosphate-Insecticides-And-Herbicides-2017" target="_blank">2016 report</a>&nbsp;evaluating research worldwide. “A positive association has been observed for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”

There are four categories of public relations documents Clement is asking Circuit Judge Daniel Green to unseal. They are records showing correspondence with journalists or third parties, with talking points for use in public interviews; plans for advertising and media buys; lobbying strategies; and how it enlists third parties to deliver messages the public would mistrust if it came from Bayer.

“These documents are important to this litigation because they demonstrate Monsanto’s efforts to manipulate and mislead the public,” Clement wrote.

In the filing, Clement noted that in a pretrial order for a California case, denying Monsanto’s motion for summary judgment, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria focused on the company’s efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://cand.uscourts.gov/filelibrary/3626/PTO_101.pdf" target="_blank">to sway the public</a>&nbsp;as it contested the allegations that Roundup causes cancer.

“Although the evidence that Roundup causes cancer is quite equivocal,” Chhabria wrote, “there is strong evidence from which a jury could conclude that Monsanto does not particularly care whether its product is in fact giving people cancer, focusing instead on manipulating public opinion and undermining anyone who raises genuine and legitimate concerns about the issue.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Facing thousands of lawsuits and seeking protection from lawmakers, Bayer is using ads, lobbying and third-party mouthpieces to sway opinion in its favor</h2>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>German chemical giant Bayer is improperly using a court order to hide details of a “propaganda” campaign targeting Missouri lawmakers and potential jurors, an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Plaintiffs%20Emergency%20Motion%20to%20De-Designate%20Forty-Six%20Documents%20Marked%20Confidential.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3493767" target="_blank">emergency motion</a>&nbsp;to lift the confidentiality cloak claims.At a hearing on Thursday in Cole County Circuit Court, attorney Matt Clement will argue that 46 “public relations” documents designated as confidential by Bayer’s attorneys contain no proprietary information.&nbsp;Instead, Clement wrote in the motion filed last week, the records — included among 20,000 delivered under discovery — detail the methods Bayer has used to influence opinion, including radio, television and print ads.Bayer acquired Roundup — and the liability that may accrue in lawsuits over its health effects — when it took over St. Louis-based Monsanto in 2018. There are approximately 25,000 lawsuits pending in Cole County alleging that Roundup causes cancer and the label failed to warn consumers of the risk.“Cole County has been especially inundated with Monsanto’s propaganda,” Clement wrote in the motion seeking to unseal the records. “Legion are its billboards, radio and television ads, social media pop ups and other communications seeking to convince both the jury pool and the legislature that the lawsuits involving Roundup are somehow illegitimate and that Bayer/Monsanto needs legislative protection.”Clement represents Ronald Jackelen of Somerset, Wisconsin, in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=22AC-CC00964&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">case filed in Cole County</a>&nbsp;in 2022. Jackelen has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma he blames on Roundup and its main ingredient, glyphosate.Clement declined to comment on the filing.Legislation that&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB544&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank">passed the Missouri House</a>&nbsp;last month to protect Bayer would make the label mandated by the EPA for all chemicals classified as pesticides — weed killers, bug killers and fertilizers — “sufficient to satisfy any requirement for a warning label regarding cancer.”&nbsp;The bill is awaiting assignment to a state Senate committee.Several lawsuits are scheduled for trial this year. Bayer has already been through a 2023 trial where a Cole County jury&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Gunther%20Judgment.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=2991162" target="_blank">awarded three plaintiffs $1.56 billion</a>, including $1.5 billion in punitive damages. The verdict was reduced to $622 million and is under appeal, with arguments&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=WD87059&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0001_WAP#header" target="_blank">scheduled for April 10</a>&nbsp;in Kirksville.Two organizations are making direct public appeals seeking support for legislation protecting glyphosate.&nbsp;One set of messages, running on Jefferson City-area radio stations, is from an organization called the Modern Ag Alliance. The ads present glyphosate as a benign, beneficial chemical essential to modern agriculture.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741010314879.png" alt="State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair speaks at a news conference Feb. 25 about flyers sent to his constituents attacking his opposition to a bill limiting lawsuits against Bayer over its herbicide Roundup. Joining Hudson, from left, are Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Ben Brown of Washington, Joe Nicola of Independence, Mike Moon of Ash Grove, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, Jill Carter of Joplin and David Gregory of Chesterfield (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair speaks at a news conference Feb. 25 about flyers sent to his constituents attacking his opposition to a bill limiting lawsuits against Bayer over its herbicide Roundup. Joining Hudson, from left, are Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Ben Brown of Washington, Joe Nicola of Independence, Mike Moon of Ash Grove, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Adam Schnelting of St. Charles, Jill Carter of Joplin and David Gregory of Chesterfield (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>The other, from the Protect America Initiative, includes television ads in central Missouri and a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">direct mail campaign</a>&nbsp;accusing nine Republican state senators of betraying President Donald Trump’s agenda by allowing “Chinese Communist Party chemicals” to take over the market.The Modern Ag Alliance has spent almost $100,000 on its ad campaign since mid-November, Federal Communications Commission records show. The ads are designed to educate the public, not influence potential jurors, said Jess Christiansen, spokeswoman for Bayer Crop Science at its U.S. headquarters in St. Louis County.“That’s not the business we’re in,” Christiansen said. “Those campaigns are nothing more than that, just to educate and inform.”Bayer doesn’t hide that it is part of the Modern Ag Alliance, which Christiansen said has about 90 other partners.&nbsp;The Protect America Initiative has spent almost $175,000 since late January — including a $75,000 ad during the Super Bowl — in addition to the direct mail effort.If they were intended to boost support for the legislation, the ads and mailers have backfired, with the nine senators holding a joint news conference last week denouncing the attacks. They said they were convinced Bayer was responsible and would ask the Missouri Ethics Commission to investigate.“It’s dark money, through and through,” said state Sen. Nick Schroer, a Republican from Defiance.Bayer has no connection with the politically charged ads, Christiansen said.“There’s lots of misinformation swirling around,” she said. “We are willing to sit with whomever it is. I don’t care if it’s a Republican, a Democrat, a libertarian, a Freedom Caucus member. We need to work together.”In the motion to be argued Thursday, Clement wrote that the documents that should be unsealed detail how Bayer crafted its messaging, who it has enlisted to deliver it from a seemingly neutral position and how much it has paid for advertising and lobbying.“Monsanto’s motivation for its abuse of the protective order to blanket-designate these documents as ‘confidential’ is clear — to hide Monsanto’s ongoing attempts to improperly influence the public, as well as its legislative efforts concerning the safety of glyphosate, such that it can continue to sell and profit from the product without a warning,” Clement wrote.Bayer is the only U.S. manufacturer of glyphosate, with a production facility in Luling, Louisiana, that is the world’s largest single producer. Other production facilities are in Idaho and Iowa. China is the world’s other main supplier of glyphosate. China and India are major world suppliers of a variety of farm chemicals.Along with the U.S. corporate headquarters, Bayer has its research and development facilities in St. Louis County. Its total Missouri employment is about 5,000, Christiansen said.Along with Missouri, legislation to designate the EPA label as the only label needed on Roundup and other regulated farm chemicals is being pushed in Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa,&nbsp;Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming, Christiansen said.“The purpose of the legislation is to really protect access to critical crop protection tools that farmers need to safely, effectively and affordably produce the food we all need,” Christiansen said.Winning passage of the legislation in Missouri is especially important because most state-level cases are filed here because it is the national home of Bayer. When a Missouri-based corporation is sued by someone for injuries that occurred outside the state, the case must be filed in the court covering the location&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=508.010&amp;bid=47727&amp;hl=" target="_blank">of the company’s registered agent</a>.&nbsp;Bayer’s registered agent was in St. Louis County, and thousands of cases were filed there before the company shifted its agent to Jefferson City in October 2021. Last year, following the massive jury award in Cole County, the registered agent was moved again, back to St. Louis County.Thousands of new cases have been filed in St. Louis County since the shift. There are also a multitude of federal lawsuits pending in the&nbsp;<a href="https://cand.uscourts.gov/judges/chhabria-vince-vc/in-re-roundup-products-liability-litigation-mdl-no-2741/" target="_blank">U.S. District Court for Northern California</a>.&nbsp;Bayer has set aside about $16 billion to deal with Roundup lawsuits, including more than $10 billion it has already paid out in settlements, Christiansen said.“This failure to warn claim just is not valid, because, No. 1, glyphosate doesn’t cause cancer,” Christiansen said. “And No. 2, we’re labeling according to how we’re legally required to label.”Glyphosate is listed as a probable cause of cancer by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/" target="_blank">International Agency on Research of Cancer</a>, a part of the World Health Organization.“There is limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of glyphosate,” stated a&nbsp;<a href="https://publications.iarc.fr/Book-And-Report-Series/Iarc-Monographs-On-The-Identification-Of-Carcinogenic-Hazards-To-Humans/Some-Organophosphate-Insecticides-And-Herbicides-2017" target="_blank">2016 report</a>&nbsp;evaluating research worldwide. “A positive association has been observed for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”There are four categories of public relations documents Clement is asking Circuit Judge Daniel Green to unseal. They are records showing correspondence with journalists or third parties, with talking points for use in public interviews; plans for advertising and media buys; lobbying strategies; and how it enlists third parties to deliver messages the public would mistrust if it came from Bayer.“These documents are important to this litigation because they demonstrate Monsanto’s efforts to manipulate and mislead the public,” Clement wrote.In the filing, Clement noted that in a pretrial order for a California case, denying Monsanto’s motion for summary judgment, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria focused on the company’s efforts&nbsp;<a href="https://cand.uscourts.gov/filelibrary/3626/PTO_101.pdf" target="_blank">to sway the public</a>&nbsp;as it contested the allegations that Roundup causes cancer.“Although the evidence that Roundup causes cancer is quite equivocal,” Chhabria wrote, “there is strong evidence from which a jury could conclude that Monsanto does not particularly care whether its product is in fact giving people cancer, focusing instead on manipulating public opinion and undermining anyone who raises genuine and legitimate concerns about the issue.”

Lawyer demands records of Bayer’s Roundup ‘propaganda’ campaign in Missouri

BUTLER COUNTY, MO—Authorities are investigating a fatal home explosion and fire that left two children dead in rural Butler, Missouri.

Just after 11:30p.m. Saturday, deputies responded to a 911 call of a home explosion and fire, according to the Bates County Sheriff’s Office.

First responders were met with a fully engulfed home. Five people were reported to be living at the residence.&nbsp; Three of the five occupants were able to make it out of the house. Two children both age 2 were not able to be immediately rescued. 

Fire units arrived on scene and requested assistance from additional agencies. Rescue efforts were unsuccessful due to the heavy fire in the residence. 

 Both children were eventually pronounced deceased by the Bates County Coroner on scene.   The three people that were able to make it out of the house were transported to the hospital for treatment.   The fire is being investigated by the Bates County Sheriffs Office and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1740963768094.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY, MO—Authorities are investigating a fatal home explosion and fire that left two children dead in rural Butler, Missouri.Just after 11:30p.m. Saturday, deputies responded to a 911 call of a home explosion and fire, according to the Bates County Sheriff’s Office.First responders were met with a fully engulfed home. Five people were reported to be living at the residence.&nbsp; Three of the five occupants were able to make it out of the house. Two children both age 2 were not able to be immediately rescued. Fire units arrived on scene and requested assistance from additional agencies. Rescue efforts were unsuccessful due to the heavy fire in the residence. Both children were eventually pronounced deceased by the Bates County Coroner on scene. The three people that were able to make it out of the house were transported to the hospital for treatment. The fire is being investigated by the Bates County Sheriffs Office and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office. &nbsp;

Two children dead after rural Missouri home explosion, fire

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

Only surgical abortions will be offered initially as the clinics await state approval to restart medication abortions

Two of Missouri’s nine Planned Parenthood clinics are poised to start performing regularly-scheduled surgical abortions next week, though clinic leadership says access to medication abortions is in the hands of the state.&nbsp;

The first elective abortion in Missouri since the procedure was banned in 2022 was performed earlier this month in a Kansas City Planned Parenthood clinic. It will now be offering regular appointments for surgical abortions along with the clinic in Columbia, which has not offered the procedure since 2018.&nbsp;

Two weeks ago, Jackson County judge Jerri Zhang&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/14/missouri-judge-blocks-discriminatory-abortion-clinics-rules-blamed-for-lack-of-access/">struck down the final few regulations for Missouri abortion providers</a>, calling them “unnecessary” and “discriminatory,” opening the door for abortions to resume.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/06/missouri-planned-parenthood-clinics-delay-abortion-amendment-3-lawsuit/">The regulations run afoul of the constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;granting the right to abortion, which voters passed in November as Amendment 3.

Among these now defunct regulations is a requirement that abortion clinics submit a complication plan for medication abortions.

While Zhang blocked the regulations connected to the complication plan, the statute itself remains, said Emily Wales, president and CEO with Planned Parenthood Great Plains.&nbsp;

Wales said Planned Parenthood submitted a complication plan to the state last week, but there has been no indication as to how long it will take to review the plans. Until that approval arrives, medication abortions cannot begin, Wales said.&nbsp;

“I do not have an anticipated timeline for approval or denial of the pending complication plans,”&nbsp;Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services&nbsp;spokeswoman Sami Jo Freeman said in an email.

Freeman confirmed the plans were received from both Planned Parenthood affiliates the Thursday and Friday prior. &nbsp;

“We’re in uncharted territory here, because we don’t have regulations that tie to the statute, because they’re blocked,” Wales said. “I would be somewhat surprised if (the state) came back and said they are fine with the plan.”

<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020" target="_blank">In 2023, 63% of abortions in the United States took place using medication</a>&nbsp;rather than surgical procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research group. That number is increasing as the number of states with bans and restrictions on abortions grow.&nbsp;

In states where abortion is legal, medication that induces a miscarriage is available to patients in their first trimester of pregnancy. Patients typically take two doses of medication, the second of which is often taken at home. In recent years, a growing number of women have been ordering abortion medication from online providers in the United States and abroad.

Wales said Planned Parenthood’s clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are stocked with abortion medication and ready to administer it as soon as the state allows. Leadership at the clinic in St. Louis said they are also ready to begin providing the medication as soon as the state green lights it.

“We are hoping that the state acts in good faith,” Wales said. “And recognizes that our process for managing complications is in line with the standard of care nationally.”

Abortions to resume in Columbia, Kansas City

The first elective abortion to take place in Columbia since 2018 is scheduled for Monday.

Nearly seven years ago, the clinic in central Missouri stopped seeing abortion patients after a new law required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.&nbsp;

Soon, appointments will be available at least one day a week.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Kansas City clinic, located 125 miles west on Interstate 70, performed the first elective abortion in nearly three years in Missouri on Feb. 15. No other patients have undergone the procedure since.&nbsp;

But beginning Wednesday, the clinic will begin seeing patients for regularly-scheduled surgical abortions at least one day a week. Initially, they are scheduling patients up until 12 weeks in pregnancy, but Wales said they intend to expand the gestational age as they figure out scheduling.&nbsp;

The clinic also hopes to expand the pain management offered for surgical abortions. Initially, they plan to offer patients Valium and local anesthetic. Down the road Wales said they hope to also offer IV sedation.

The lag between the first abortion patient and the second was due to logistics. But weather and a holiday weekend also played a role.&nbsp;

A snowstorm that week forced the clinic to cancel other appointments and the physicians who came in to perform the first abortion hadn’t been scheduled to work the weekend of President’s Day. Instead, they offered to come in on their day off to take part in the historic moment.

While Columbia and Kansas City will only be offering appointments one day a week for the first couple months, both hope to expand as they adjust providers’ schedules and new staff physicians come on board.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which runs clinics in Kansas, Western Missouri and Oklahoma, has five physicians based in the Kansas City area. Wales said they hope to add at least one more staff physician in the coming months. The clinics also rely on a network of about half a dozen out-of-state contracted physicians to coordinate care at the clinics, which primarily includes contraceptives, STI testing, cancer screenings and wellness checks.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The equipment used in surgical abortions has been on a tri-state tour in recent years, Wales said. After the Columbia clinic ended the procedure, the equipment went to Oklahoma, which at the time was seeing a surge in Texans following that state’s 6-week ban. When Oklahoma’s ban went into effect, the equipment was sent to Kansas as more Texans and Oklahomans started traveling north for the procedure.&nbsp;

Wales said it’s not immediately clear what the demand for abortion appointments will be in Missouri. In 2023, Kansas saw a 58% increase in abortion appointments as bans took effect in neighboring states. Wales is anticipating the clinics in Columbia and Kansas City could see patients traveling in from Iowa, Arkansas and even Louisiana.&nbsp;

“One of the challenges for us is that we still have an overwhelming need in Kansas, and we’re going to have to take some time to figure out how patients travel,” Wales said. “If the demand is higher in Missouri, we will increase access there.”

No set date to begin abortions again in St. Louis

The Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis’ Central West End was the last clinic in Missouri to provide an abortion before Roe v. Wade was overturned.&nbsp;

Clinic leadership, wary of the ongoing court battle, has not yet started scheduling out abortion appointments in St. Louis.

Dr. Margaret Baum, interim chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which runs clinics in eastern and southern Missouri and southern Illinois, said it was too soon to provide a timeline of when surgical abortions will return to St. Louis.

“We moved all of our services to Illinois, our nursing staff, our anesthesia equipment, physician presence, all of those things,” she said. “So it’s going to take a little bit of time to bring things back to Missouri.”&nbsp;

The St. Louis location previously offered abortions up to 21 weeks, six days gestation. Baum said she imagines they will offer the procedure up until that point again once services restart.&nbsp;

A 20 minute drive across the river in Fairview Heights, Illinois, patients can be seen up to 28 weeks, six days gestation.

While a lot of uncertainty remains around surgical abortions, Baum said the St. Louis clinic is ready to start providing medication abortions as soon as the state clears them to do so.&nbsp;

But even though medication abortion is easier to provide — it requires fewer staff and less equipment —&nbsp;Baum said the clinics in Springfield and Rolla won’t be able to make the medication available to patients because neither clinic has doctors on staff, citing a state law that requires only physicians perform the procedure.&nbsp;

She said bringing physicians to Springfield and Rolla “is certainly a discussion, but “right now, we have to focus our physician power in our very, very busy service in Illinois, and bringing things back to Missouri.”

Baum is one of two long-term staff physicians and one contracted physician at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers.&nbsp;

When she started at Planned Parenthood in St. Louis several years ago, an ultrasound technician saw patients, then Baum reviewed the ultrasound images before moving on with the procedure. But then Missouri law changed and suddenly she was required to do the ultrasound, cutting into her time with other patients.&nbsp;

Then came the mandatory 72 hour waiting period between seeing a provider and having an abortion. That was followed by a requirement that the same physician who walked the patient through the required informed consent process also be the one to do their abortion 72 hours later.&nbsp;

Across the river in Illinois, there was no waiting period, no physician consent requirement and no pelvic exam required for medication abortions.&nbsp;

While Baum said Planned Parenthood celebrated the judge’s most recent decision, many are also wary of what the state could do next.&nbsp;

This legislative session, dozens of bills have been filed seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/19/missouri-born-alive-survivors-bill-abortion-medication-lawsuits/">restrict Amendment 3.</a>&nbsp;This includes multiple proposed constitutional amendments seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/05/missouri-abortion-ban-constitutional-amendment-stinnett-rape-incest-exception/">put an abortion ban on the ballot</a>&nbsp;as soon as this year.

“It is important to remember that while we celebrated this victory last Friday, it is temporary, so we are still a little bit nervous that things could change,” she said. “We don’t know what will happen in January, when the actual court case takes place. So before we put too much effort into reopening services in St. Louis, if things could then change, we still have to focus where we have this facility in Illinois, to keep that running.”&nbsp;

Legal battles continue to complicate planning

On Saturday, Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a request for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction, asking a Cole County judge to temporarily halt the Columbia and Kansas City clinics from performing abortions. The state has been attempting to move Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit against the state from Jackson County to Cole County.

The filing is part of a separate lawsuit filed late last year by the attorney general’s office arguing that Planned Parenthood doesn’t have the grounds to sue because of a 2010 settlement agreement between Planned Parenthood and the state.&nbsp;

“More than anything, I think it’s an attempt to get out of a court where they’re unhappy with the outcomes they’re seeing,” Wales said. “But also to delay, distract and prevent Missourians from access and care.”

Planned Parenthood has requested that the case be transferred to Jackson County. A status hearing in the Cole County case is scheduled for March 12.

Bailey is also expected to appeal the most recent order out of Jackson County which allowed Planned Parenthood to restart surgical abortions.

In an email Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said the office intends to appeal the judge’s Feb. 14 order “immediately.” As of Thursday, the office had not filed an appeal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740781567276.png" alt="A surgical room is prepped for patients on Friday, June 21, 2024, at Planned Parenthood Great Plains in Overland Park, Kansas (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>A surgical room is prepped for patients on Friday, June 21, 2024, at Planned Parenthood Great Plains in Overland Park, Kansas (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Only surgical abortions will be offered initially as the clinics await state approval to restart medication abortions</h2>Two of Missouri’s nine Planned Parenthood clinics are poised to start performing regularly-scheduled surgical abortions next week, though clinic leadership says access to medication abortions is in the hands of the state.&nbsp;The first elective abortion in Missouri since the procedure was banned in 2022 was performed earlier this month in a Kansas City Planned Parenthood clinic. It will now be offering regular appointments for surgical abortions along with the clinic in Columbia, which has not offered the procedure since 2018.&nbsp;Two weeks ago, Jackson County judge Jerri Zhang&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/14/missouri-judge-blocks-discriminatory-abortion-clinics-rules-blamed-for-lack-of-access/">struck down the final few regulations for Missouri abortion providers</a>, calling them “unnecessary” and “discriminatory,” opening the door for abortions to resume.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/06/missouri-planned-parenthood-clinics-delay-abortion-amendment-3-lawsuit/">The regulations run afoul of the constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;granting the right to abortion, which voters passed in November as Amendment 3.Among these now defunct regulations is a requirement that abortion clinics submit a complication plan for medication abortions.While Zhang blocked the regulations connected to the complication plan, the statute itself remains, said Emily Wales, president and CEO with Planned Parenthood Great Plains.&nbsp;Wales said Planned Parenthood submitted a complication plan to the state last week, but there has been no indication as to how long it will take to review the plans. Until that approval arrives, medication abortions cannot begin, Wales said.&nbsp;“I do not have an anticipated timeline for approval or denial of the pending complication plans,”&nbsp;Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services&nbsp;spokeswoman Sami Jo Freeman said in an email.Freeman confirmed the plans were received from both Planned Parenthood affiliates the Thursday and Friday prior. &nbsp;“We’re in uncharted territory here, because we don’t have regulations that tie to the statute, because they’re blocked,” Wales said. “I would be somewhat surprised if (the state) came back and said they are fine with the plan.”<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020" target="_blank">In 2023, 63% of abortions in the United States took place using medication</a>&nbsp;rather than surgical procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research group. That number is increasing as the number of states with bans and restrictions on abortions grow.&nbsp;In states where abortion is legal, medication that induces a miscarriage is available to patients in their first trimester of pregnancy. Patients typically take two doses of medication, the second of which is often taken at home. In recent years, a growing number of women have been ordering abortion medication from online providers in the United States and abroad.Wales said Planned Parenthood’s clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are stocked with abortion medication and ready to administer it as soon as the state allows. Leadership at the clinic in St. Louis said they are also ready to begin providing the medication as soon as the state green lights it.“We are hoping that the state acts in good faith,” Wales said. “And recognizes that our process for managing complications is in line with the standard of care nationally.”<h2>Abortions to resume in Columbia, Kansas City</h2>The first elective abortion to take place in Columbia since 2018 is scheduled for Monday.Nearly seven years ago, the clinic in central Missouri stopped seeing abortion patients after a new law required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.&nbsp;Soon, appointments will be available at least one day a week.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas City clinic, located 125 miles west on Interstate 70, performed the first elective abortion in nearly three years in Missouri on Feb. 15. No other patients have undergone the procedure since.&nbsp;But beginning Wednesday, the clinic will begin seeing patients for regularly-scheduled surgical abortions at least one day a week. Initially, they are scheduling patients up until 12 weeks in pregnancy, but Wales said they intend to expand the gestational age as they figure out scheduling.&nbsp;The clinic also hopes to expand the pain management offered for surgical abortions. Initially, they plan to offer patients Valium and local anesthetic. Down the road Wales said they hope to also offer IV sedation.The lag between the first abortion patient and the second was due to logistics. But weather and a holiday weekend also played a role.&nbsp;A snowstorm that week forced the clinic to cancel other appointments and the physicians who came in to perform the first abortion hadn’t been scheduled to work the weekend of President’s Day. Instead, they offered to come in on their day off to take part in the historic moment.While Columbia and Kansas City will only be offering appointments one day a week for the first couple months, both hope to expand as they adjust providers’ schedules and new staff physicians come on board.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which runs clinics in Kansas, Western Missouri and Oklahoma, has five physicians based in the Kansas City area. Wales said they hope to add at least one more staff physician in the coming months. The clinics also rely on a network of about half a dozen out-of-state contracted physicians to coordinate care at the clinics, which primarily includes contraceptives, STI testing, cancer screenings and wellness checks.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The equipment used in surgical abortions has been on a tri-state tour in recent years, Wales said. After the Columbia clinic ended the procedure, the equipment went to Oklahoma, which at the time was seeing a surge in Texans following that state’s 6-week ban. When Oklahoma’s ban went into effect, the equipment was sent to Kansas as more Texans and Oklahomans started traveling north for the procedure.&nbsp;Now, it’s back in Columbia.&nbsp;Wales said it’s not immediately clear what the demand for abortion appointments will be in Missouri. In 2023, Kansas saw a 58% increase in abortion appointments as bans took effect in neighboring states. Wales is anticipating the clinics in Columbia and Kansas City could see patients traveling in from Iowa, Arkansas and even Louisiana.&nbsp;“One of the challenges for us is that we still have an overwhelming need in Kansas, and we’re going to have to take some time to figure out how patients travel,” Wales said. “If the demand is higher in Missouri, we will increase access there.”<h2>No set date to begin abortions again in St. Louis</h2>The Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis’ Central West End was the last clinic in Missouri to provide an abortion before Roe v. Wade was overturned.&nbsp;Clinic leadership, wary of the ongoing court battle, has not yet started scheduling out abortion appointments in St. Louis.Dr. Margaret Baum, interim chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which runs clinics in eastern and southern Missouri and southern Illinois, said it was too soon to provide a timeline of when surgical abortions will return to St. Louis.“We moved all of our services to Illinois, our nursing staff, our anesthesia equipment, physician presence, all of those things,” she said. “So it’s going to take a little bit of time to bring things back to Missouri.”&nbsp;The St. Louis location previously offered abortions up to 21 weeks, six days gestation. Baum said she imagines they will offer the procedure up until that point again once services restart.&nbsp;A 20 minute drive across the river in Fairview Heights, Illinois, patients can be seen up to 28 weeks, six days gestation.While a lot of uncertainty remains around surgical abortions, Baum said the St. Louis clinic is ready to start providing medication abortions as soon as the state clears them to do so.&nbsp;But even though medication abortion is easier to provide — it requires fewer staff and less equipment —&nbsp;Baum said the clinics in Springfield and Rolla won’t be able to make the medication available to patients because neither clinic has doctors on staff, citing a state law that requires only physicians perform the procedure.&nbsp;She said bringing physicians to Springfield and Rolla “is certainly a discussion, but “right now, we have to focus our physician power in our very, very busy service in Illinois, and bringing things back to Missouri.”Baum is one of two long-term staff physicians and one contracted physician at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers.&nbsp;When she started at Planned Parenthood in St. Louis several years ago, an ultrasound technician saw patients, then Baum reviewed the ultrasound images before moving on with the procedure. But then Missouri law changed and suddenly she was required to do the ultrasound, cutting into her time with other patients.&nbsp;Then came the mandatory 72 hour waiting period between seeing a provider and having an abortion. That was followed by a requirement that the same physician who walked the patient through the required informed consent process also be the one to do their abortion 72 hours later.&nbsp;Across the river in Illinois, there was no waiting period, no physician consent requirement and no pelvic exam required for medication abortions.&nbsp;While Baum said Planned Parenthood celebrated the judge’s most recent decision, many are also wary of what the state could do next.&nbsp;This legislative session, dozens of bills have been filed seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/19/missouri-born-alive-survivors-bill-abortion-medication-lawsuits/">restrict Amendment 3.</a>&nbsp;This includes multiple proposed constitutional amendments seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/05/missouri-abortion-ban-constitutional-amendment-stinnett-rape-incest-exception/">put an abortion ban on the ballot</a>&nbsp;as soon as this year.“It is important to remember that while we celebrated this victory last Friday, it is temporary, so we are still a little bit nervous that things could change,” she said. “We don’t know what will happen in January, when the actual court case takes place. So before we put too much effort into reopening services in St. Louis, if things could then change, we still have to focus where we have this facility in Illinois, to keep that running.”&nbsp;<h2>Legal battles continue to complicate planning</h2>On Saturday, Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a request for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction, asking a Cole County judge to temporarily halt the Columbia and Kansas City clinics from performing abortions. The state has been attempting to move Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit against the state from Jackson County to Cole County.The filing is part of a separate lawsuit filed late last year by the attorney general’s office arguing that Planned Parenthood doesn’t have the grounds to sue because of a 2010 settlement agreement between Planned Parenthood and the state.&nbsp;“More than anything, I think it’s an attempt to get out of a court where they’re unhappy with the outcomes they’re seeing,” Wales said. “But also to delay, distract and prevent Missourians from access and care.”Planned Parenthood has requested that the case be transferred to Jackson County. A status hearing in the Cole County case is scheduled for March 12.Bailey is also expected to appeal the most recent order out of Jackson County which allowed Planned Parenthood to restart surgical abortions.In an email Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said the office intends to appeal the judge’s Feb. 14 order “immediately.” As of Thursday, the office had not filed an appeal.

Planned Parenthood to restart regular abortion appointments in Kansas City next week

(Radio Iowa) - Most of Iowa is under a Red Flag Warning from noon Friday through six o'clock tonight, as open burning is strongly discouraged. 

National Weather Service meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff says there's a critical risk of wildfires. It's a dangerous combination of conditions, Hagenhoff says, with warm temperatures in the 50s and 60s, very dry grasses and other vegetation, and wind gusts that may exceed 50 miles an hour. 

The warning covers 91 of Iowa's 99 counties, all but the far northeastern corner of the state. The state Fire Marshal's office shows active burn bans in only five counties, Mills County in the southwest, and four in eastern Iowa: Clinton, Linn, Muscatine and Scott.

(Radio Iowa) - Most of Iowa is under a Red Flag Warning from noon Friday through six o'clock tonight, as open burning is strongly discouraged. National Weather Service meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff says there's a critical risk of wildfires. It's a dangerous combination of conditions, Hagenhoff says, with warm temperatures in the 50s and 60s, very dry grasses and other vegetation, and wind gusts that may exceed 50 miles an hour. The warning covers 91 of Iowa's 99 counties, all but the far northeastern corner of the state. The state Fire Marshal's office shows active burn bans in only five counties, Mills County in the southwest, and four in eastern Iowa: Clinton, Linn, Muscatine and Scott.

Warnings show critical risk for wildfires

 The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced its postseason basketball championships will remain in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium through 2030.

"Following consideration of multiple competitive bids by other communities to host the MIAA women's and men's basketball championships every March, I am pleased to announce that the MIAA Tournament will remain in Kansas City at least through the 2030 Championships,” said MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy in a news release by the MIAA.

"The MIAA is one of the oldest conferences in the NCAA, and we have one of the most competitive college basketball tournaments in the country every year,” continued Commissioner Racy. “Our coaches and student-athletes love competing in the historic Municipal Auditorium, and it’s exciting that leaders in Kansas City want to continue to feature the MIAA basketball championships every Spring as part of ‘March Madness’ in this great college basketball city!"

The league’s upcoming men’s and women’s basketball championships will mark the 22nd year of MIAA Madness in Kansas City’s historic Municipal Auditorium. 

With the Association’s previous contract expiring after the 2026 championships, MIAA presidents put the tournament up for proposals and unanimously approved a four-year extension to keep one of Division II’s best conference championships in Kansas City.&nbsp; St. Joseph, as well as Topeka, were the two other cities that put in competitive bids and were up for consideration.

“The MIAA is a Kansas City institution and longtime contributor in this community recognized for its sports culture,” said Kathy Nelson, President and CEO of Visit KC and the Kansas City Sports Commission. “We’re thrilled and grateful to know the MIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will continue to play a key role in making KC an unparalleled destination for college basketball.”

This season’s MIAA men’s and women’s basketball championships begin Wednesday, March 5, with the championship games scheduled for Sunday, March 9. To find more information you can click <a href="https://themiaa.com/feature/2025-miaa-basketball-championships">HERE</a>.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740774784791.jpeg" alt="Municipal Auditorium basketball court/ Courtesy of Visit KC" />
 <figcaption>Municipal Auditorium basketball court/ Courtesy of Visit KC</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced its postseason basketball championships will remain in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium through 2030."Following consideration of multiple competitive bids by other communities to host the MIAA women's and men's basketball championships every March, I am pleased to announce that the MIAA Tournament will remain in Kansas City at least through the 2030 Championships,” said MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy in a news release by the MIAA."The MIAA is one of the oldest conferences in the NCAA, and we have one of the most competitive college basketball tournaments in the country every year,” continued Commissioner Racy. “Our coaches and student-athletes love competing in the historic Municipal Auditorium, and it’s exciting that leaders in Kansas City want to continue to feature the MIAA basketball championships every Spring as part of ‘March Madness’ in this great college basketball city!"The league’s upcoming men’s and women’s basketball championships will mark the 22nd year of MIAA Madness in Kansas City’s historic Municipal Auditorium. With the Association’s previous contract expiring after the 2026 championships, MIAA presidents put the tournament up for proposals and unanimously approved a four-year extension to keep one of Division II’s best conference championships in Kansas City.&nbsp; St. Joseph, as well as Topeka, were the two other cities that put in competitive bids and were up for consideration.“The MIAA is a Kansas City institution and longtime contributor in this community recognized for its sports culture,” said Kathy Nelson, President and CEO of Visit KC and the Kansas City Sports Commission. “We’re thrilled and grateful to know the MIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will continue to play a key role in making KC an unparalleled destination for college basketball.”This season’s MIAA men’s and women’s basketball championships begin Wednesday, March 5, with the championship games scheduled for Sunday, March 9. To find more information you can click <a href="https://themiaa.com/feature/2025-miaa-basketball-championships">HERE</a>.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp;&nbsp;

MIAA basketball tournament to remain in Kansas City through 2030

Nodaway County
sheriff’s deputies arrested three and seized marijuana and synthetic drugs
during a recent drug bust.

The Nodaway County
Sheriff’s Office reports all three suspects have been charged with possession
of a controlled substance. One faces the additional charge of distribution of a
controlled substance in a protected location and another faces the additional
charge of delivery of a controlled substance.

The sheriff’s
office worked with the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the Maryville
Police Department on the investigation.

All three suspects
are jailed in Nodaway County.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostNodaway County
sheriff’s deputies arrested three and seized marijuana and synthetic drugs
during a recent drug bust.The Nodaway County
Sheriff’s Office reports all three suspects have been charged with possession
of a controlled substance. One faces the additional charge of distribution of a
controlled substance in a protected location and another faces the additional
charge of delivery of a controlled substance.The sheriff’s
office worked with the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the Maryville
Police Department on the investigation.All three suspects
are jailed in Nodaway County.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Nodaway County arrests 3 in drug bust

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa House and Senate both passed the bill Thursday that removes the words gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. 

Both bodies debated the bill for much of the afternoon before the votes. Democratic Senator Liz Bennett of Cedar Rapids says this will make Iowa the first state to strip citizens of civil rights. She says it creates a world so hostile to those that trans or non-gender-conforming people can’t exist. 

Republican Representative Steven Holt from Denison says having gender identity in the civil rights codes hurts women and doesn't protect their rights. He says having the 2007 law applied to gender identity issues has been a constant generator of unpredictable and bizarre lawsuits and disputes. "No one knows what to do, and it winds up protecting no one," he says. The bill now goes to Governor Kim Reynolds.

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa House and Senate both passed the bill Thursday that removes the words gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Both bodies debated the bill for much of the afternoon before the votes. Democratic Senator Liz Bennett of Cedar Rapids says this will make Iowa the first state to strip citizens of civil rights. She says it creates a world so hostile to those that trans or non-gender-conforming people can’t exist. Republican Representative Steven Holt from Denison says having gender identity in the civil rights codes hurts women and doesn't protect their rights. He says having the 2007 law applied to gender identity issues has been a constant generator of unpredictable and bizarre lawsuits and disputes. "No one knows what to do, and it winds up protecting no one," he says. The bill now goes to Governor Kim Reynolds.

Gender Identity Bill Passes Legislature

The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison has been ranked by USA Today readers as one of the best new museums in the nation.  

Out of 20 museums nationwide, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum came in at number four on the list of 2025 Top 10 History New Museums.  

Executive Director Mindi Love Pendergraft says it's particularly exciting to be on the list because the museum is one of the newest, and one of the smaller museums.  

"We're very excited by it, there's so many wonderful museums on that list, many which I've been to, so just to be on the list with them at all is really phenomenal, but to be ranked number four in the top five is just incredible," Pendergraft tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "We're very, very excited by it."

It's not the first honor received by the museum.  In 2023, it was named one of the most anticipated openings by Smithsonian Magazine, and last year was ranked number four by USA Today in the Best New Museum category.  

Pendergraft says it's humbling and rewarding to see the acknowledgement of all the hard work in the creation of the museum 

"You know the goal was always to bring to light the story, Amelia's story, in her hometown," Pendergraft says.  

Pendergraft says it was also important to accentuate and bring STEM learning opportunities for the community. 

"But it's just really rewarding, the number of years of work to put this museum together has been incredible, it really is from the ground up," Pendergraft explains.  "It started the airplane, and the foundation then built a hangar museum out at the Atchison airport." 

The museum is centered around Amelia's plane, named “Muriel, the world's last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E. Named after Earhart's younger sister, "Muriel" is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world. 

Pendergraft says since the museum opened in 2023, it has seen several visitors from around the world.  

"We've had visitors from every state in the nation, at least 25 to 30 countries people from those countries have been here, we had amazing support from funders nationally in the aviation industry, locally here in Atchison," Pendergraft says.   "So, we've really been able to build a destination museum to celebrate Amelia and worldwide people are coming to visit us here in Atchison." 

The museum is one of the newest on the list, as well as the most rural.  It ranks underneath the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Cincinnati History Museum, both in Cincinnati.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740761579484.jpeg" alt="A replica of the very plane Amelia Earhart flew is the centerpiece of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison/ Photo courtesy of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum" />
 <figcaption>A replica of the very plane Amelia Earhart flew is the centerpiece of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison/ Photo courtesy of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison has been ranked by USA Today readers as one of the best new museums in the nation. Out of 20 museums nationwide, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum came in at number four on the list of 2025 Top 10 History New Museums. Executive Director Mindi Love Pendergraft says it's particularly exciting to be on the list because the museum is one of the newest, and one of the smaller museums. "We're very excited by it, there's so many wonderful museums on that list, many which I've been to, so just to be on the list with them at all is really phenomenal, but to be ranked number four in the top five is just incredible," Pendergraft tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "We're very, very excited by it."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721821313285.png" alt="The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum has information and exhibits about Earhart’s life, accomplishments and final flight. (Cami Koons for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum has information and exhibits about Earhart’s life, accomplishments and final flight. (Cami Koons for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>It's not the first honor received by the museum. In 2023, it was named one of the most anticipated openings by Smithsonian Magazine, and last year was ranked number four by USA Today in the Best New Museum category. Pendergraft says it's humbling and rewarding to see the acknowledgement of all the hard work in the creation of the museum "You know the goal was always to bring to light the story, Amelia's story, in her hometown," Pendergraft says. Pendergraft says it was also important to accentuate and bring STEM learning opportunities for the community. "But it's just really rewarding, the number of years of work to put this museum together has been incredible, it really is from the ground up," Pendergraft explains. "It started the airplane, and the foundation then built a hangar museum out at the Atchison airport." The museum is centered around Amelia's plane, named “Muriel, the world's last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E. Named after Earhart's younger sister, "Muriel" is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world. Pendergraft says since the museum opened in 2023, it has seen several visitors from around the world. "We've had visitors from every state in the nation, at least 25 to 30 countries people from those countries have been here, we had amazing support from funders nationally in the aviation industry, locally here in Atchison," Pendergraft says. "So, we've really been able to build a destination museum to celebrate Amelia and worldwide people are coming to visit us here in Atchison." The museum is one of the newest on the list, as well as the most rural. It ranks underneath the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Cincinnati History Museum, both in Cincinnati.FRIDAY JOURNAL<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Amelia-Earhart-Hangar-Museum-receives-national-recognition-e2vh86q/a-abqb5fm" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>FULL INTERVIEW<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Amelia-Earhart-Museum-Executive-Director-Mindi-Love-Pendergraft-e2vh8v3/a-abqb6cb" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum ranked 4th best new history museum by USA Today readers

U.S. farmers are seriously considering planting more corn and less soybean acres this spring than they did last year. Both growers and analysts say that they’re hoping to squeeze out more profits and shield themselves from possible tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Frayne Olson, an ag economist at North Dakota State University, says when you look at the profitability of each crop, corn is winning in the acreage battle. Iowa State University economist Chad Hart says it’s possible that some farmers may be able to earn “a nickel or two” on every corn bushel. 

For soybeans and other crops, prices have fallen below what it costs to produce them. “Given what the cost structures look like right now, corn has the best chance to make a little profit in 2025.” Several industry analysts are forecasting corn plantings will rise to 93.6 million acres, while soybean planting dropping to 84.4 million acres.

U.S. farmers are seriously considering planting more corn and less soybean acres this spring than they did last year. Both growers and analysts say that they’re hoping to squeeze out more profits and shield themselves from possible tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Frayne Olson, an ag economist at North Dakota State University, says when you look at the profitability of each crop, corn is winning in the acreage battle. Iowa State University economist Chad Hart says it’s possible that some farmers may be able to earn “a nickel or two” on every corn bushel. For soybeans and other crops, prices have fallen below what it costs to produce them. “Given what the cost structures look like right now, corn has the best chance to make a little profit in 2025.” Several industry analysts are forecasting corn plantings will rise to 93.6 million acres, while soybean planting dropping to 84.4 million acres.

Farmers to plant more corn than first thought

Missouri landowners, agricultural lenders, rural appraisers, and others with firsthand knowledge of land transactions are invited to participate in the annual Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey conducted by the University of Missouri Extension. The survey organizer says this survey provides critical insights into farmland values across the state, helping farmers, lenders, policymakers, and researchers understand current market trends.

Missouri landowners, agricultural lenders, rural appraisers, and others with firsthand knowledge of land transactions are invited to participate in the annual Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey conducted by the University of Missouri Extension. The survey organizer says this survey provides critical insights into farmland values across the state, helping farmers, lenders, policymakers, and researchers understand current market trends.

Missouri farmland values survey seeks input from landowners

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Legislation that would remove the expiration date on a pair of laws affecting transgender minors passed the Missouri Senate Thursday after a fight by Senate Democrats.

It now heads to the Missouri House for consideration.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://instatrac-production.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/GovWatch/text/pdfs/23/bill-text/perfected-sb10.pdf?c=66925" target="_blank">bill in question</a>, which contained a litany of provisions removing sunset dates for various programs, would make permanent a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and restrictions on transgender athletes in public schools.

The Senate tacked on the provisions impacting transgender minors earlier this month, with Democrats beginning their opposition after the changes were already voted onto the bill.

Senate Democratic Leader Doug Beck, of Affton, told reporters that his party moved too slowly and that the anti-transgender amendments to the bill were “spontaneous” and, therefore, unexpected.

He described the slow response as “growing pains” for a caucus with a large portion of new senators.

Democrats filibustered the bill when it came up for consideration twice, slowing down the legislation but not stopping what Republican Senate leaders described as a “top priority.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740756744377.jpeg" alt=" Democratic State Sens. Maggie Nurrenbern of Kansas City and Stephen Webber of Columbia hold the floor earlier this month during discussion of a bill that would make anti-transgender legislation permanent (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Democratic State Sens. Maggie Nurrenbern of Kansas City and Stephen Webber of Columbia hold the floor earlier this month during discussion of a bill that would make anti-transgender legislation permanent (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Legislation that would remove the expiration date on a pair of laws affecting transgender minors passed the Missouri Senate Thursday after a fight by Senate Democrats.It now heads to the Missouri House for consideration.The&nbsp;<a href="https://instatrac-production.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/GovWatch/text/pdfs/23/bill-text/perfected-sb10.pdf?c=66925" target="_blank">bill in question</a>, which contained a litany of provisions removing sunset dates for various programs, would make permanent a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and restrictions on transgender athletes in public schools.The Senate tacked on the provisions impacting transgender minors earlier this month, with Democrats beginning their opposition after the changes were already voted onto the bill.Senate Democratic Leader Doug Beck, of Affton, told reporters that his party moved too slowly and that the anti-transgender amendments to the bill were “spontaneous” and, therefore, unexpected.He described the slow response as “growing pains” for a caucus with a large portion of new senators.Democrats filibustered the bill when it came up for consideration twice, slowing down the legislation but not stopping what Republican Senate leaders described as a “top priority.”State Sen. Stephen Webber, a Democrat from Columbia, held the floor with proposed amendments that would add an expiration date on statutes opposing same-sex marriage.His first proposal would add a sunset to language in state law that says “any purported marriage not between a man and a woman is invalid.”His amendment failed with 19 opposed, including one Democrat — state Sen. Karla May of St. Louis.&nbsp;Webber said the vote is an indicator of senators’ motives to “pick on” LGBTQ+ people, rather than the stated intention of protecting children.“We’re not here talking about kids. We’re not talking about sports,” he said on the Senate floor. “We’re talking about a policy of othering.”Passing the bill out of the Senate, GOP lawmakers applauded the provisions on gender-affirming care and transgender athletes.“I want my little girl to be able to participate in sports,” said state Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville. “I want to make sure that she’s able to flourish in a sport and not have her dreams and her potential to be completely removed or deserted due to an unfortunate circumstance.”GOP Sens. Adam Schnelting of St. Charles and Nick Schroer of Defiance said the provisions “protecting children” are the reason they voted in favor of the legislation. But they had reservations on other pieces of the bill removing sunsets on the a tax that funds Missouri’s Medicaid program,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/house-sends-bill-to-governor-renewing-taxes-critical-to-funding-missouri-medicaid/">which has been a sticking point in previous years</a>.Two Republicans voted in opposition to the bill, Sens. Mike Moon of Ash Grove and Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold.

Kbct