(Radio Iowa) - A 26-year-old Webster City man has been accused of murder in connection with the death of a 10-month-old boy. 

In April of last year, first responders dispatched to a home in Webster City where the 9-1-1 caller said an infant was unresponsive. The baby boy was taken Webster City's hospital, then transferred to Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines, where he died later the same morning. 

According to a news release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the baby had been abused and evidence indicates Gunner Jones caused the fatal injuries. Jones has been charged with first degree murder.

(Radio Iowa) - A 26-year-old Webster City man has been accused of murder in connection with the death of a 10-month-old boy. In April of last year, first responders dispatched to a home in Webster City where the 9-1-1 caller said an infant was unresponsive. The baby boy was taken Webster City's hospital, then transferred to Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines, where he died later the same morning. According to a news release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the baby had been abused and evidence indicates Gunner Jones caused the fatal injuries. Jones has been charged with first degree murder.

Man accused of murder in connection with Webster City baby's death

October provided a surprising pre-election bounce in farmer sentiment as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed to 115, 27 points above the September index. The biggest driver of the sentiment improvement was an increase in producers’ confidence in the future. The Future Expectations Index jumped 30 points to 124. 

October provided a surprising pre-election bounce in farmer sentiment as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed to 115, 27 points above the September index. The biggest driver of the sentiment improvement was an increase in producers’ confidence in the future. The Future Expectations Index jumped 30 points to 124.

Farmer sentiment bounces back

(Radio Iowa) - Iowans have overwhelmingly approved two amendments to the Iowa Constitution. 

In mid-2017, when Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds took over in the middle of Terry Branstad's sixth term as governor, some questioned whether the new governor had the authority to appoint a new lieutenant governor. The amendment makes it clear all future governors in similar circumstances would have that power. The other amendment deals with elections. It says ONLY citizens of the United States can vote in Iowa elections. 

The Iowa Constitution, as originally written, said EVERY citizen who's a resident of Iowa may vote in state elections. Both amendments will become part of the Iowa constitution in a few weeks when state officials sign off on vote totals in the official canvas of votes.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowans have overwhelmingly approved two amendments to the Iowa Constitution. In mid-2017, when Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds took over in the middle of Terry Branstad's sixth term as governor, some questioned whether the new governor had the authority to appoint a new lieutenant governor. The amendment makes it clear all future governors in similar circumstances would have that power. The other amendment deals with elections. It says ONLY citizens of the United States can vote in Iowa elections. The Iowa Constitution, as originally written, said EVERY citizen who's a resident of Iowa may vote in state elections. Both amendments will become part of the Iowa constitution in a few weeks when state officials sign off on vote totals in the official canvas of votes.

Voters add two amendments to Iowa's Constitution

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

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris Wednesday afternoon called Donald Trump to concede the 2024 presidential race, according to a senior Harris aide.

During the call, the Democratic presidential nominee “discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans,” the senior aide said.

Harris will deliver a concession speech at 4 p.m. Eastern to her supporters at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

The college was also the site of her election watch party on Tuesday night, which quickly turned somber after her path to the White House narrowed when the southern battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia swung to Trump.&nbsp;

Harris, who was originally expected to attend her own election night party, never arrived on campus, disappointing supporters and Howard alums.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/ap-former-president-donald-trump-wins-second-term">Trump was declared the presidential winner</a>&nbsp;early Wednesday, according to projections by The Associated Press. Harris is expected to deliver her speech on the Yard, a field within Howard University.

The presidential race isn’t the only loss for Democrats. They lost control of&nbsp; the U.S. Senate and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/it-was-hell-good-day-us-senate-gop-takes-election-victory-lap">Republicans are favored to take the House</a>, potentially giving the GOP a trifecta in Washington.

The election saw a deep gender divide,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/25/harris-trump-poll-gender-gap/75697863007/" target="_blank">with exit poll surveys</a>&nbsp;showing women tended to favor Harris over Trump.

It’s the second time a woman has led as the presidential candidate for a major party and it’s the second time a woman has lost to Trump. He defeaed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The election came two years after the constitutional right to an abortion was stripped away by the U.S. Supreme Court. The incoming 47th president cemented its conservative majority by hand-picking three justices.

Harris, whose bid only began in July after President Joe Biden suspended his reelection campaign, had a little over 100 days to pick a running mate, release policy plans to appeal to voters and hit the seven battleground states.

Additionally, there was deep dissatisfaction within her party for the current administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Michigan, which has a high Arab American population and is a state that Biden won in 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/06/trump-turns-michigan-red-once-again/" target="_blank">voted for Trump</a>, according to projections by The Associated Press.

It was Harris’ second time running for the White House, after her first run quickly fizzled in 2019 before Biden picked her as his running mate.

With Biden out of the race following a disastrous June debate that rattled his party’s belief he could win a rematch against Trump, the coronation of Harris as the party heir breathed new hope into Democrats along with a flood of cash. They raised more than $1 billion, according to the campaign.

Despite the funding and new enthusiasm among Democrats, the swing states of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ultimately went to Trump, giving him a clear path to the White House with 292 Electoral College votes out of 270 needed to win the White House, to her 224 votes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024" target="_blank">according to The Associated Press.&nbsp;</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730919280862.png" alt="Vice President elect JD Vance and President elect Donald Trump at their victory celebration Tuesday night-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vice President elect JD Vance and President elect Donald Trump at their victory celebration Tuesday night-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a> WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris Wednesday afternoon called Donald Trump to concede the 2024 presidential race, according to a senior Harris aide.During the call, the Democratic presidential nominee “discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans,” the senior aide said.Harris will deliver a concession speech at 4 p.m. Eastern to her supporters at Howard University in Washington, D.C.The college was also the site of her election watch party on Tuesday night, which quickly turned somber after her path to the White House narrowed when the southern battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia swung to Trump.&nbsp;Harris, who was originally expected to attend her own election night party, never arrived on campus, disappointing supporters and Howard alums.<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/ap-former-president-donald-trump-wins-second-term">Trump was declared the presidential winner</a>&nbsp;early Wednesday, according to projections by The Associated Press. Harris is expected to deliver her speech on the Yard, a field within Howard University.The presidential race isn’t the only loss for Democrats. They lost control of&nbsp; the U.S. Senate and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/article/it-was-hell-good-day-us-senate-gop-takes-election-victory-lap">Republicans are favored to take the House</a>, potentially giving the GOP a trifecta in Washington.<h2>Gender divide</h2>The election saw a deep gender divide,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/25/harris-trump-poll-gender-gap/75697863007/" target="_blank">with exit poll surveys</a>&nbsp;showing women tended to favor Harris over Trump.It’s the second time a woman has led as the presidential candidate for a major party and it’s the second time a woman has lost to Trump. He defeaed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.The election came two years after the constitutional right to an abortion was stripped away by the U.S. Supreme Court. The incoming 47th president cemented its conservative majority by hand-picking three justices.Harris, whose bid only began in July after President Joe Biden suspended his reelection campaign, had a little over 100 days to pick a running mate, release policy plans to appeal to voters and hit the seven battleground states.Additionally, there was deep dissatisfaction within her party for the current administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.Michigan, which has a high Arab American population and is a state that Biden won in 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/06/trump-turns-michigan-red-once-again/" target="_blank">voted for Trump</a>, according to projections by The Associated Press.It was Harris’ second time running for the White House, after her first run quickly fizzled in 2019 before Biden picked her as his running mate.With Biden out of the race following a disastrous June debate that rattled his party’s belief he could win a rematch against Trump, the coronation of Harris as the party heir breathed new hope into Democrats along with a flood of cash. They raised more than $1 billion, according to the campaign.Despite the funding and new enthusiasm among Democrats, the swing states of Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ultimately went to Trump, giving him a clear path to the White House with 292 Electoral College votes out of 270 needed to win the White House, to her 224 votes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024" target="_blank">according to The Associated Press.&nbsp;</a>

VP Harris concedes presidential race in phone call to Donald Trump

(Radio Iowa) - Republicans appear to have secured supermajorities in the Iowa legislature, although there could be recounts in some close races. 

House Speaker Pat Grassley says Republicans in the Iowa House have expanded their majority to 67 seats. Every Republican incumbent seeking reelection to the House won. Grassley suggests Democrats, by focusing on the abortion issue, were at a disadvantage. 

Republicans have held 34 of 50 seats in the Iowa Senate for the past two years and unofficial results indicate Republicans will hold that 34-seat supermajority when the legislature convenes in January.

(Radio Iowa) - Republicans appear to have secured supermajorities in the Iowa legislature, although there could be recounts in some close races. House Speaker Pat Grassley says Republicans in the Iowa House have expanded their majority to 67 seats. Every Republican incumbent seeking reelection to the House won. Grassley suggests Democrats, by focusing on the abortion issue, were at a disadvantage. Republicans have held 34 of 50 seats in the Iowa Senate for the past two years and unofficial results indicate Republicans will hold that 34-seat supermajority when the legislature convenes in January.

Republicans win 'supermajorities' in Iowa House and Senate

The Kansas City Chiefs have a history of great coaches, from Marty Schottenheimer in the 90's all the way to Andy Reid today.  

Chiefs Hall of Famer Christian Okoye, during a visit to St. Joseph, played under Schottenheimer and says while both him and Reid are great coaches, they had two different styles 

"Andy is so easy going, Marty was so serious, and he knows his football too, they both know their football, but they come from different angles," Okoye tells reporters following a sit-down Q &amp; A with Chiefs fans. "Andy Reid is just a fun-loving guy, the players love to play with him, so did Marty too but they're two different coaches." 

Okoye also sees a lot of things he likes in the two running backs manning the Chiefs backfield these days.

Okoye says while he's had no advice for them, he's a big fan of both Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco 

"When Hunt was here (before) I loved his style, I used to say that he played big even though he's a small guy, but he played big," Okoye explains.  "So is Pacheco too, Pacheco is one of those guys you think he's stomping weeds or something on the ground, but his running style is so unique and I love his tenacity, I love the way he approaches the game." 

Pacheco is currently on injured reserve, but is eyeing a return in late November, while Hunt just scored a walk off touchdown on Monday Night Football. 

The Chiefs are attempting to do something no NFL team has done before, win three Super Bowls in a row.  

And if he could still suit up and go for this team now, Okoye says he would run crazy on today's NFL 

"I always say that today's players don't know how to tackle," Okoye jokes. "So, if I played today, nobody could tackle me." 

In his career, Okoye rushed for 4,897 yards with 40 touchdowns.  He was named to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2000. 

Okoye, along with former teammate and Chiefs Hall of Famer Neil Smith, visited with Chiefs fans at the St. Jo Frontier Casino. 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730852192876.jpeg" alt="Christian Okoye and Neil Smith talk to Chiefs fans at the St. Jo Frontier Casino/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Christian Okoye and Neil Smith talk to Chiefs fans at the St. Jo Frontier Casino/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Kansas City Chiefs have a history of great coaches, from Marty Schottenheimer in the 90's all the way to Andy Reid today. Chiefs Hall of Famer Christian Okoye, during a visit to St. Joseph, played under Schottenheimer and says while both him and Reid are great coaches, they had two different styles "Andy is so easy going, Marty was so serious, and he knows his football too, they both know their football, but they come from different angles," Okoye tells reporters following a sit-down Q &amp; A with Chiefs fans. "Andy Reid is just a fun-loving guy, the players love to play with him, so did Marty too but they're two different coaches." Okoye also sees a lot of things he likes in the two running backs manning the Chiefs backfield these days.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730852264804.jpeg" alt="Christian Okoye takes photos with Chiefs fans during an autograph session at the St. Jo Frontier Casino/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Christian Okoye takes photos with Chiefs fans during an autograph session at the St. Jo Frontier Casino/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>Okoye says while he's had no advice for them, he's a big fan of both Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco "When Hunt was here (before) I loved his style, I used to say that he played big even though he's a small guy, but he played big," Okoye explains. "So is Pacheco too, Pacheco is one of those guys you think he's stomping weeds or something on the ground, but his running style is so unique and I love his tenacity, I love the way he approaches the game." Pacheco is currently on injured reserve, but is eyeing a return in late November, while Hunt just scored a walk off touchdown on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs are attempting to do something no NFL team has done before, win three Super Bowls in a row. And if he could still suit up and go for this team now, Okoye says he would run crazy on today's NFL "I always say that today's players don't know how to tackle," Okoye jokes. "So, if I played today, nobody could tackle me." In his career, Okoye rushed for 4,897 yards with 40 touchdowns. He was named to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2000. Okoye, along with former teammate and Chiefs Hall of Famer Neil Smith, visited with Chiefs fans at the St. Jo Frontier Casino. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Nigerian Nightmare talks football, Chiefs

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730891151412.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason and that reason was to save out country and to restore America to greatness and now we are going to fulfill that mission together.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2wTYk219vL">pic.twitter.com/2wTYk219vL</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854072522091745743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. JD Vance: &quot;I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/07l3cIiklu">pic.twitter.com/07l3cIiklu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854067034289574277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible. It is now clear that we&#39;ve achieved the most incredible political -- Hey! Look what happened! Is this crazy?!?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/M3AZkFe3vh">pic.twitter.com/M3AZkFe3vh</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854065386922119560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Donald Trump is elected the 47th president of the U.S.

BY:&nbsp;&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>

By the time the NFL playoffs begin in January, sports betting will be legal in Missouri.

The only remaining question now that voters approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-160.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 2</a>&nbsp;is whether bettors will use platforms licensed in Missouri or if players will have to use accounts linked to licenses from other states.

The result on sports wagering wasn’t clear until the final votes were reported from Greene County after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. The southwest Missouri county voted 55% against sports betting, narrowing the statewide margin to just over 14,000 votes out of 2.9 million cast.&nbsp;

The election didn’t go as well for the other gambling measure on the ballot. Voters said “no” to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-165.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 5</a>, which would have authorized a new casino near the Lake of the Ozarks. It is only the third time since 1980 that Missouri voters rejected a proposal to expand gambling in the state.&nbsp;

With nearly all precincts reporting, Amendment 5 was losing 52% to 48%.

Winning for Missouri Education, the committee funded by the two biggest online bookmakers, FanDuel and DraftKings, poured a record of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/spending-on-missouri-ballot-measures-nears-100-million-as-campaign-enters-final-week/">almost $41 million</a>&nbsp;into the campaign. That proved to be just enough to overcome a $14 million opposition campaign funded by Caesars Entertainment, which&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/opponents-of-missouri-sports-betting-amendment-pull-tv-ads-in-campaigns-homestretch/">pulled its television ads</a>&nbsp;three weeks before Election Day.

Initially polling with an advantage of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/29/poll-shows-missouri-voters-back-trump-hawley-abortion-rights-and-minimum-wage-hike/">20 percentage points</a>, the narrow vote on Tuesday shows how effectively an opposition campaign undermined support.

New constitutional amendments become law 30 days after the election, so the first legal bets in Missouri could be placed as early as Dec. 5.&nbsp;

Backers of Amendment 5, who spent $4.2 million to make the ballot and another $6 million on the fall campaign, were unable to overcome skepticism of the benefits of expanded gambling created by the anti-sports wagering campaign.&nbsp;

Missouri voters last defeated a gambling measure in 2004 when voters rejected a proposal similar to Amendment 5. That would have authorized a licensed casino for the White River near Rockaway Beach in southwest Missouri.&nbsp;

Under state law, casinos must be located within 1,000 feet of the main channel of either the Mississippi or Missouri rivers.

The only other gambling proposal to lose was a measure to allow wagering on simulcast horse races in 1992. Voters had approved parimutuel wagering on live horse races in 1984 but no track was built.

The initiative campaign to legalize sports betting emerged from years of frustration with the General Assembly, where a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/10/sports-wagering-bill-remains-mired-in-missouri-senate-split-over-gambling-expansion/">triangular debate</a>&nbsp;pitted casinos and sports teams against video lottery proponents against ‘gray market’ games vendors who profit from inaction.

“We’re not extremely optimistic that that’s going to happen,” Mike Whittle, general counsel for the St. Louis Cardinals,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">said last year</a>&nbsp;of the possibilities of legislative action. “I mean, we’ve kind of seen that movie way too many times.”

Missouri’s franchises from Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NHL, Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League provided the public face of the signature campaign.

The push to legalize sports wagering in Missouri began after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal law against wagering on sporting events in 2018. More than 35 states have legalized some form of the gambling since the court decision, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/news/legal-sports-betting-united-states-projections" target="_blank">every state on Missouri’s border</a>&nbsp;except Oklahoma.

Under the provisions of the amendment, each of six major professional sports teams could create a retail sports betting location within a district near its stadium. The teams could also provide fans with a branded online betting platform.

Each of the state’s six casino companies could also open a retail sportsbook at their casinos as well as offer an online platform.

And there would be two licenses for online betting companies without a link to a Missouri casino or sports team.

The profits from gambling would be taxed at 10%, but the measure allows deductions for promotional offers and federal taxes before the state revenue is calculated.&nbsp;

An economic study produced for Winning for Missouri Education estimates that $21.8 billion will be wagered during the first five years after legalization and more than 98% of the bets will be placed online.

That same study pegs the net to the state over that period at $134 million. Revenue in the fifth year is estimated at $38.7 million, about $10 million more than the maximum annual revenue projected by the fiscal note for the ballot measure.

There will be gambling at the Lake of the Ozarks, but not in a casino licensed by the Missouri Gaming Commission.

The defeat of Amendment 5 means there will be no competition for a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/10/29/osage-nation-plans-casino-hotel-for-missouris-lake-of-the-ozarks/">project launched in 2021</a>&nbsp;by the Osage Nation to have a property in Miller County taken into trust as ancestral lands where it could operate a casino and convention center.

The project is awaiting approval from federal officials. After that, the tribe and the state will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nigc.gov/general-counsel/indian-gaming-regulatory-act" target="_blank">negotiate a compact</a>&nbsp;dividing responsibilities for law enforcement on the casino property. The agreement would also establish “taxation by the Indian tribe of such activity in amounts comparable to amounts assessed by the state for comparable activities.”&nbsp;

Tribes have the right to offer gambling that mirrors what the state allows “for any purpose by any person, organization, or entity.”

If the state refuses to negotiate a compact, or does not do so in good faith, the tribe may sue in federal court.

BY:&nbsp;&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>By the time the NFL playoffs begin in January, sports betting will be legal in Missouri.The only remaining question now that voters approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-160.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 2</a>&nbsp;is whether bettors will use platforms licensed in Missouri or if players will have to use accounts linked to licenses from other states.The result on sports wagering wasn’t clear until the final votes were reported from Greene County after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. The southwest Missouri county voted 55% against sports betting, narrowing the statewide margin to just over 14,000 votes out of 2.9 million cast.&nbsp;The election didn’t go as well for the other gambling measure on the ballot. Voters said “no” to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-165.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 5</a>, which would have authorized a new casino near the Lake of the Ozarks. It is only the third time since 1980 that Missouri voters rejected a proposal to expand gambling in the state.&nbsp;With nearly all precincts reporting, Amendment 5 was losing 52% to 48%.Winning for Missouri Education, the committee funded by the two biggest online bookmakers, FanDuel and DraftKings, poured a record of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/spending-on-missouri-ballot-measures-nears-100-million-as-campaign-enters-final-week/">almost $41 million</a>&nbsp;into the campaign. That proved to be just enough to overcome a $14 million opposition campaign funded by Caesars Entertainment, which&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/opponents-of-missouri-sports-betting-amendment-pull-tv-ads-in-campaigns-homestretch/">pulled its television ads</a>&nbsp;three weeks before Election Day.Initially polling with an advantage of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/29/poll-shows-missouri-voters-back-trump-hawley-abortion-rights-and-minimum-wage-hike/">20 percentage points</a>, the narrow vote on Tuesday shows how effectively an opposition campaign undermined support.New constitutional amendments become law 30 days after the election, so the first legal bets in Missouri could be placed as early as Dec. 5.&nbsp;Backers of Amendment 5, who spent $4.2 million to make the ballot and another $6 million on the fall campaign, were unable to overcome skepticism of the benefits of expanded gambling created by the anti-sports wagering campaign.&nbsp;Missouri voters last defeated a gambling measure in 2004 when voters rejected a proposal similar to Amendment 5. That would have authorized a licensed casino for the White River near Rockaway Beach in southwest Missouri.&nbsp;Under state law, casinos must be located within 1,000 feet of the main channel of either the Mississippi or Missouri rivers.The only other gambling proposal to lose was a measure to allow wagering on simulcast horse races in 1992. Voters had approved parimutuel wagering on live horse races in 1984 but no track was built.<h2>Amendment 2</h2>The initiative campaign to legalize sports betting emerged from years of frustration with the General Assembly, where a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/10/sports-wagering-bill-remains-mired-in-missouri-senate-split-over-gambling-expansion/">triangular debate</a>&nbsp;pitted casinos and sports teams against video lottery proponents against ‘gray market’ games vendors who profit from inaction.“We’re not extremely optimistic that that’s going to happen,” Mike Whittle, general counsel for the St. Louis Cardinals,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">said last year</a>&nbsp;of the possibilities of legislative action. “I mean, we’ve kind of seen that movie way too many times.”Missouri’s franchises from Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NHL, Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League provided the public face of the signature campaign.The push to legalize sports wagering in Missouri began after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal law against wagering on sporting events in 2018. More than 35 states have legalized some form of the gambling since the court decision, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/news/legal-sports-betting-united-states-projections" target="_blank">every state on Missouri’s border</a>&nbsp;except Oklahoma.Under the provisions of the amendment, each of six major professional sports teams could create a retail sports betting location within a district near its stadium. The teams could also provide fans with a branded online betting platform.Each of the state’s six casino companies could also open a retail sportsbook at their casinos as well as offer an online platform.And there would be two licenses for online betting companies without a link to a Missouri casino or sports team.The profits from gambling would be taxed at 10%, but the measure allows deductions for promotional offers and federal taxes before the state revenue is calculated.&nbsp;An economic study produced for Winning for Missouri Education estimates that $21.8 billion will be wagered during the first five years after legalization and more than 98% of the bets will be placed online.That same study pegs the net to the state over that period at $134 million. Revenue in the fifth year is estimated at $38.7 million, about $10 million more than the maximum annual revenue projected by the fiscal note for the ballot measure.<h2>Amendment 5</h2>There will be gambling at the Lake of the Ozarks, but not in a casino licensed by the Missouri Gaming Commission.The defeat of Amendment 5 means there will be no competition for a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/10/29/osage-nation-plans-casino-hotel-for-missouris-lake-of-the-ozarks/">project launched in 2021</a>&nbsp;by the Osage Nation to have a property in Miller County taken into trust as ancestral lands where it could operate a casino and convention center.The project is awaiting approval from federal officials. After that, the tribe and the state will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nigc.gov/general-counsel/indian-gaming-regulatory-act" target="_blank">negotiate a compact</a>&nbsp;dividing responsibilities for law enforcement on the casino property. The agreement would also establish “taxation by the Indian tribe of such activity in amounts comparable to amounts assessed by the state for comparable activities.”&nbsp;Tribes have the right to offer gambling that mirrors what the state allows “for any purpose by any person, organization, or entity.”If the state refuses to negotiate a compact, or does not do so in good faith, the tribe may sue in federal court.

Missouri voters narrowly approve sports betting amendment

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

An effort to hike the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and guarantee paid sick leave won the support of Missouri voters Tuesday night.&nbsp;

Proposition A was approved by Missouri voters 58% to 41%.

The approval follows a trend of Missourians using the initiative petition process to increase the minimum wage — and more broadly, of Missourians using that process to advance policies at odds with the beliefs of the state’s Republican dominated legislature.

Proposition A was&nbsp;<a href="https://mohealthyfamilies.org/endorsements/" target="_blank">backed by</a>&nbsp;various unions and workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights organizations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/statement/Missouri2024" target="_blank">over 500 state business owners</a>&nbsp;and others.&nbsp;

Some business groups, including the state Chamber of Commerce, have opposed it, especially the guaranteed sick leave portion. But there wasn’t a coordinated opposition campaign.&nbsp;

The campaign in favor of the measure, called Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages, raised nearly $6 million — including from out-of-state groups that don’t disclose their donors — and collected 210,000 signatures to have the issue placed on the statewide ballot.

The current minimum wage in Missouri is $12.30, which is equivalent to $492 per week, before taxes. The ballot measure would raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.75 next year and $15 in January 2026.&nbsp;

The increase would affect over 562,000 workers in the state, according to the Missouri Budget Project, or nearly 1 in 4 workers. The minimum wage would be adjusted based on inflation every year after 2026.

Voters approved a minimum-wage hike in 2006, with 75% of the vote, and again in 2018, with 62% of the vote.

And businesses will be required to provide one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to five days per year for small businesses and seven days per year for larger businesses. Small businesses are those with fewer than 15 employees.

The paid sick time provision will go into effect on May 1, 2025.

Without sick leave, proponents argue, workers have to choose between their financial and physical wellbeing — going into work sick or losing out on a needed paycheck.

Missouri will join 15 states that require employers to provide paid sick leave. The United States, unlike nearly every other country, lacks federal paid sick leave, so states, as well as cities, have taken the lead.&nbsp;

Some business groups raised alarm particularly with the sick leave provisions, saying the proposal constitutes government overreach in what should be the decisions of business owners.

At the same time, a coalition of hundreds of businesspeople in the state have signed on to support the ballot measure, arguing the policies help their bottom line, causing lower employee turnover, increased productivity and better health and safety conditions.

The ballot measure would change the state law but not the constitution, meaning the legislature could overturn it, but those on both sides of the issue told The Independent last month they see that as unlikely.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730884985514.png" alt=" Daniel Tucker, a leader with the Missouri Workers Center, teaches chants customized to an initiative petition to raise the minimum wage and mandate paid sick leave outside of the Secretary of State’s office building in Jefferson City in May (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Daniel Tucker, a leader with the Missouri Workers Center, teaches chants customized to an initiative petition to raise the minimum wage and mandate paid sick leave outside of the Secretary of State’s office building in Jefferson City in May (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>An effort to hike the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and guarantee paid sick leave won the support of Missouri voters Tuesday night.&nbsp;Proposition A was approved by Missouri voters 58% to 41%.The approval follows a trend of Missourians using the initiative petition process to increase the minimum wage — and more broadly, of Missourians using that process to advance policies at odds with the beliefs of the state’s Republican dominated legislature.Proposition A was&nbsp;<a href="https://mohealthyfamilies.org/endorsements/" target="_blank">backed by</a>&nbsp;various unions and workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights organizations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/statement/Missouri2024" target="_blank">over 500 state business owners</a>&nbsp;and others.&nbsp;Some business groups, including the state Chamber of Commerce, have opposed it, especially the guaranteed sick leave portion. But there wasn’t a coordinated opposition campaign.&nbsp;The campaign in favor of the measure, called Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages, raised nearly $6 million — including from out-of-state groups that don’t disclose their donors — and collected 210,000 signatures to have the issue placed on the statewide ballot.The current minimum wage in Missouri is $12.30, which is equivalent to $492 per week, before taxes. The ballot measure would raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.75 next year and $15 in January 2026.&nbsp;The increase would affect over 562,000 workers in the state, according to the Missouri Budget Project, or nearly 1 in 4 workers. The minimum wage would be adjusted based on inflation every year after 2026.Voters approved a minimum-wage hike in 2006, with 75% of the vote, and again in 2018, with 62% of the vote.And businesses will be required to provide one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to five days per year for small businesses and seven days per year for larger businesses. Small businesses are those with fewer than 15 employees.The paid sick time provision will go into effect on May 1, 2025.Without sick leave, proponents argue, workers have to choose between their financial and physical wellbeing — going into work sick or losing out on a needed paycheck.Missouri will join 15 states that require employers to provide paid sick leave. The United States, unlike nearly every other country, lacks federal paid sick leave, so states, as well as cities, have taken the lead.&nbsp;Some business groups raised alarm particularly with the sick leave provisions, saying the proposal constitutes government overreach in what should be the decisions of business owners.At the same time, a coalition of hundreds of businesspeople in the state have signed on to support the ballot measure, arguing the policies help their bottom line, causing lower employee turnover, increased productivity and better health and safety conditions.The ballot measure would change the state law but not the constitution, meaning the legislature could overturn it, but those on both sides of the issue told The Independent last month they see that as unlikely.

Missourians vote to increase minimum wage, require paid sick leave

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>

Abortion-rights advocates say the amendment will grant widespread access to abortion in Missouri for the first time in years

ST. LOUIS — Abortions rights will be enshrined in the Missouri Constitution, after voters on Tuesday overturned the state’s near-total abortion ban.

The Associated Press called the race at 10:30 p.m. with Amendment 3 winning 54% to 46%.

“We did not accept this nightmare thrust upon us,” said Tori Schafer, deputy director for policy and campaigns of the ACLU of Missouri.&nbsp;

When the amendment goes into effect in 30 days, abortion will be legal up until the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb on its own, or around 24 weeks, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/understanding-and-navigating-viability#:~:text=Later%20in%20pregnancy%2C%20a%20clinician,fully%20develop%20in%20the%20uterus." target="_blank">American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists</a>.

The amendment also protects access to other reproductive health care, like birth control.

Missouri has a long history of electing anti-abortion lawmakers who over the last several years crafted some of the more restrictive laws in the country, known as TRAP laws, or “targeted regulation of abortion providers.”

The legislature in 2019 passed a “trigger law,” meant to go into effect if Roe v. Wade fell. When the constitutional right to an abortion was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/24/abortion-is-now-illegal-in-missouri-in-wake-of-u-s-supreme-court-ruling/">Missouri was the first state to&nbsp;</a>make virtually all abortions illegal.

A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 due to a series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions.

Between June 24, 2022 and July 31, 2024, 74 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to health department data.

In January, a coalition called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom formally kicked off a citizen-led initiative petition process to get abortion on the ballot.&nbsp;

The coalition, whose leaders include the ACLU of Missouri, Abortion Action Missouri and the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates, emphasized the state’s strict abortion laws in the months leading up to the election.

The abortion-rights campaign saw overwhelming support across the state early on, turning in more than 380,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office in May.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The campaign behind the amendment successfully raised more than $16 million leading up to the November election, according to reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission. This money, a significant portion of which came from out-of-state groups that don’t disclose their donors, helped fund TV ads and other messaging across the state.&nbsp;

Those opposed to the amendment launched a mostly grassroots effort to fight the amendment with the help of anti-abortion lawmakers, churches and activists. Their messaging leaned heavily into claims that the amendment would legalize gender-affirming surgeries for minors, something&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/16/missouri-abortion-gender-affirming-health-care-amendment-3/">legal experts have disputed.</a>

Several different PACs created to encourage Missourians to “vote no” cumulatively raised a few million dollars to fight the amendment, including through radio ad buys, billboards and fliers, mostly relying on word-of-mouth to raise concerns with the amendment.&nbsp;

Susan Prinster, 72, a member of&nbsp;Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in&nbsp;O’Fallon, gathered with a few dozen other parishioners to pray the rosary on Tuesday afternoon, hours before polls closed across the state.&nbsp;

“I’m very scared,” Prinster said following the recitation of the rosary late Tuesday afternoon in&nbsp;St. Charles County as part of a larger effort across the Archdiocese of St. Louis to pray for the defeat of Amendment 3.&nbsp;“I don’t know where this thing came from.”

Prinster remembers the moment 52 years ago when she learned Roe v. Wade, a U.S. Supreme Court decision that protected the constitutional right to an abortion, was decided. She was holding her first child, still an infant, in her arms at her home in Missouri.

“It was awful,” she said, recalling how she looked down at her child as they swayed in a rocking chair.&nbsp;

Sylvia Kiphart, a retired preschool teacher who now serves as coordinator for Assumption’s “Pro-Life” program, said if Amendment 3 passes she hopes a new ballot measure is quickly introduced attempting to overturn it.

“We’ve got to stop them,” she said. “We’ve got to. We can’t keep killing babies.”

While the amendment will go into effect in early December, abortion won’t immediately become readily accessible across the state.&nbsp;

Leaders with Missourians for Constitutional Freedom have said many of the state’s existing TRAP laws, which made access nearly impossible prior to the abortion ban, will first need to be challenged in court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725887984419.png" alt="Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability gathered at a rally hosted by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom on Feb. 6 in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability gathered at a rally hosted by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom on Feb. 6 in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/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>Abortion-rights advocates say the amendment will grant widespread access to abortion in Missouri for the first time in years</h2>ST. LOUIS — Abortions rights will be enshrined in the Missouri Constitution, after voters on Tuesday overturned the state’s near-total abortion ban.The Associated Press called the race at 10:30 p.m. with Amendment 3 winning 54% to 46%.“We did not accept this nightmare thrust upon us,” said Tori Schafer, deputy director for policy and campaigns of the ACLU of Missouri.&nbsp;When the amendment goes into effect in 30 days, abortion will be legal up until the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb on its own, or around 24 weeks, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/understanding-and-navigating-viability#:~:text=Later%20in%20pregnancy%2C%20a%20clinician,fully%20develop%20in%20the%20uterus." target="_blank">American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists</a>.The amendment also protects access to other reproductive health care, like birth control.Missouri has a long history of electing anti-abortion lawmakers who over the last several years crafted some of the more restrictive laws in the country, known as TRAP laws, or “targeted regulation of abortion providers.”The legislature in 2019 passed a “trigger law,” meant to go into effect if Roe v. Wade fell. When the constitutional right to an abortion was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/24/abortion-is-now-illegal-in-missouri-in-wake-of-u-s-supreme-court-ruling/">Missouri was the first state to&nbsp;</a>make virtually all abortions illegal.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730868620268.png" alt=" Tori Schafer, an attorney with the ACLU of Missouri, speaks to a few hundred people gathered Tuesday in St. Louis for an Amendment 3 watch party as the crowd waits on election results (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Tori Schafer, an attorney with the ACLU of Missouri, speaks to a few hundred people gathered Tuesday in St. Louis for an Amendment 3 watch party as the crowd waits on election results (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 due to a series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions.Between June 24, 2022 and July 31, 2024, 74 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to health department data.In January, a coalition called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom formally kicked off a citizen-led initiative petition process to get abortion on the ballot.&nbsp;The coalition, whose leaders include the ACLU of Missouri, Abortion Action Missouri and the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates, emphasized the state’s strict abortion laws in the months leading up to the election.The abortion-rights campaign saw overwhelming support across the state early on, turning in more than 380,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office in May.&nbsp;&nbsp;The campaign behind the amendment successfully raised more than $16 million leading up to the November election, according to reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission. This money, a significant portion of which came from out-of-state groups that don’t disclose their donors, helped fund TV ads and other messaging across the state.&nbsp;Those opposed to the amendment launched a mostly grassroots effort to fight the amendment with the help of anti-abortion lawmakers, churches and activists. Their messaging leaned heavily into claims that the amendment would legalize gender-affirming surgeries for minors, something&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/16/missouri-abortion-gender-affirming-health-care-amendment-3/">legal experts have disputed.</a>Several different PACs created to encourage Missourians to “vote no” cumulatively raised a few million dollars to fight the amendment, including through radio ad buys, billboards and fliers, mostly relying on word-of-mouth to raise concerns with the amendment.&nbsp;Susan Prinster, 72, a member of&nbsp;Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in&nbsp;O’Fallon, gathered with a few dozen other parishioners to pray the rosary on Tuesday afternoon, hours before polls closed across the state.&nbsp;“I’m very scared,” Prinster said following the recitation of the rosary late Tuesday afternoon in&nbsp;St. Charles County as part of a larger effort across the Archdiocese of St. Louis to pray for the defeat of Amendment 3.&nbsp;“I don’t know where this thing came from.”Prinster remembers the moment 52 years ago when she learned Roe v. Wade, a U.S. Supreme Court decision that protected the constitutional right to an abortion, was decided. She was holding her first child, still an infant, in her arms at her home in Missouri.“It was awful,” she said, recalling how she looked down at her child as they swayed in a rocking chair.&nbsp;Sylvia Kiphart, a retired preschool teacher who now serves as coordinator for Assumption’s “Pro-Life” program, said if Amendment 3 passes she hopes a new ballot measure is quickly introduced attempting to overturn it.“We’ve got to stop them,” she said. “We’ve got to. We can’t keep killing babies.”While the amendment will go into effect in early December, abortion won’t immediately become readily accessible across the state.&nbsp;Leaders with Missourians for Constitutional Freedom have said many of the state’s existing TRAP laws, which made access nearly impossible prior to the abortion ban, will first need to be challenged in court.

Missouri voters approve Amendment 3, overturn state’s abortion ban 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

OZARK — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley won a second term on Tuesday, cruising to victory over a well-financed rival&nbsp;in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2018.&nbsp;

Hawley led Marine veteran Lucas Kunce 52% to 45% when the Associated Press called the race at 9:30 p.m.

“They said they were going to turn Missouri blue,” Hawley told supporters Tuesday night. “They said they would invest whatever it took to beat us. They said they were going to make an example of the State of Missouri. Well, tonight we made an example of them.”

A former U.S. Supreme Court clerk and law professor at the University of Missouri, Hawley briefly served as the state’s attorney general before jumping into the 2018 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill.&nbsp;He survived a national Democratic wave that year and defeated McCaskill by six percentage points.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since joining the Senate, Hawley has struck a more populist tone, abandoning previous opposition to anti-union “right-to-work” laws and minimum wage hikes. He also championed an unsuccessful push to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to cover individuals exposed to nuclear material left over from atomic bomb development in St. Louis.&nbsp;

It was his support for the RECA expansion that impressed Debbie Hedgepeth, who is retired and lives in Rolla. She said she supports Hawley because of “what he does for Missouri” and all he believes in.

“He is a man of faith,” she said, “and he’s done a lot for St. Louis, as far as the bill to clean the (nuclear) waste.”

Sam Coryell, who lives in Springfield, works in commercial real estate and say she attends the same church as the Hawleys when they are in Missouri, said Hawley “does a great job in the Senate of holding our leaders, both Republican and Democrat, accountable.”

Hawley was criticized in 2021 for expressing support for Jan. 6 rioters shortly before they stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump. He was later captured on video running through the Capitol to escape the mob.

He has defended his decision to object to the certification of the 2020 presidential election, despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing that would have impacted the outcome of that race.&nbsp;

In his campaign for re-election, Hawley worked to paint Kunce as an extremist, highlighting the Democrat’s support for transgender rights and slamming his call for the country to transition off of fossil fuels.&nbsp;

Hawley also openly mocked Kunce after a reporter was injured by a bullet fragment at one of his shooting-range campaign events, releasing a television ad saying Kunce “can’t shoot straight” and calling him a “reckless liberal.”

In turn, Kunce hammered Hawley as an out-of-touch plutocrat, pointing out that Hawley’s campaign spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private plane flights across the state after attacking McCaskill for the same thing in 2018.&nbsp;

Hawley also caught flak for reports that he only rarely visited Missouri during his six years in the Senate.&nbsp;

In the end, despite being outraised by Kunce, Hawley emerged victorious.&nbsp;

“What Missouri has said is loud and clear,” Hawley said in his victory speech. “Missouri has said we believe in this country, that God is not done with America yet and we are here to fight for America’s future.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730865582651.png" alt="Hawley family after voting on Tuesday-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Hawley family after voting on Tuesday-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a> OZARK — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley won a second term on Tuesday, cruising to victory over a well-financed rival&nbsp;in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2018.&nbsp;Hawley led Marine veteran Lucas Kunce 52% to 45% when the Associated Press called the race at 9:30 p.m.“They said they were going to turn Missouri blue,” Hawley told supporters Tuesday night. “They said they would invest whatever it took to beat us. They said they were going to make an example of the State of Missouri. Well, tonight we made an example of them.”A former U.S. Supreme Court clerk and law professor at the University of Missouri, Hawley briefly served as the state’s attorney general before jumping into the 2018 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill.&nbsp;He survived a national Democratic wave that year and defeated McCaskill by six percentage points.&nbsp;&nbsp;Since joining the Senate, Hawley has struck a more populist tone, abandoning previous opposition to anti-union “right-to-work” laws and minimum wage hikes. He also championed an unsuccessful push to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to cover individuals exposed to nuclear material left over from atomic bomb development in St. Louis.&nbsp;It was his support for the RECA expansion that impressed Debbie Hedgepeth, who is retired and lives in Rolla. She said she supports Hawley because of “what he does for Missouri” and all he believes in.“He is a man of faith,” she said, “and he’s done a lot for St. Louis, as far as the bill to clean the (nuclear) waste.”Sam Coryell, who lives in Springfield, works in commercial real estate and say she attends the same church as the Hawleys when they are in Missouri, said Hawley “does a great job in the Senate of holding our leaders, both Republican and Democrat, accountable.”Hawley was criticized in 2021 for expressing support for Jan. 6 rioters shortly before they stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump. He was later captured on video running through the Capitol to escape the mob.He has defended his decision to object to the certification of the 2020 presidential election, despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing that would have impacted the outcome of that race.&nbsp;In his campaign for re-election, Hawley worked to paint Kunce as an extremist, highlighting the Democrat’s support for transgender rights and slamming his call for the country to transition off of fossil fuels.&nbsp;Hawley also openly mocked Kunce after a reporter was injured by a bullet fragment at one of his shooting-range campaign events, releasing a television ad saying Kunce “can’t shoot straight” and calling him a “reckless liberal.”In turn, Kunce hammered Hawley as an out-of-touch plutocrat, pointing out that Hawley’s campaign spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private plane flights across the state after attacking McCaskill for the same thing in 2018.&nbsp;Hawley also caught flak for reports that he only rarely visited Missouri during his six years in the Senate.&nbsp;In the end, despite being outraised by Kunce, Hawley emerged victorious.&nbsp;“What Missouri has said is loud and clear,” Hawley said in his victory speech. “Missouri has said we believe in this country, that God is not done with America yet and we are here to fight for America’s future.”

Josh Hawley defeats Lucas Kunce in Missouri U.S. Senate race

By REBECCA RIVAS &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri’s next governor will be Mike Kehoe, a Republican who cruised to victory Tuesday night over Democrat Crystal Quade.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:30 p.m. with 22% of precincts reporting and Kehoe leading Quade 52% to 46%.

“Our victory tonight, it’s a win for our cops, our firefighters, our farmers, and our job creators,” Kehoe told supporters Tuesday night. “It’s a win for students who deserve good schools and a brighter future. It’s a win for families who want safe streets and lower taxes. So, to all Missourians, this is your victory. Enjoy tonight because tomorrow morning, we get to work together for an even safer, stronger, and more prosperous Missouri.”

Kehoe has served six years as lieutenant governor after being appointed to the job by Gov. Mike Parson in 2018.&nbsp;

Kehoe’s biggest hurdle to becoming&nbsp; governor came during a contentious primary in August, when he beat out two fellow Republicans who boasted being more conservative on issues.&nbsp;

Leading up to the primary, Kehoe trailed Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in most polls until the summer, when the $16 million campaign war chest he amassed enabled him to fill the airwaves, overwhelming opponents and surviving a late onslaught of outside spending.

He won the primary with just under 40% of the vote.

Kehoe’s message was that he was a more interested in governing than politics.&nbsp;

“Missourians are a little bit sick of hate politics,” Kehoe said in a July interview with The Independent.&nbsp;

However, Quade, who has served as Democratic leader in the Missouri House, cautioned voters not to view Kehoe as less “extreme” than his primary rivals.&nbsp;

“While folks may say that one (Republican candidate) is more moderate than the other, the reality is Lt. Gov. Kehoe would sign the same pieces of legislation that the extremists in Jefferson City would send him regardless,” Quade told reporters, following the annual governor’s ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in August.

Kehoe is the youngest of six children raised by a single mother in St. Louis. His mom worked three jobs to support the family, he said, and when he was old enough he got a job washing cars at a local auto dealership.&nbsp;

When he had enough money, he bought a struggling company that built ambulances, doubling it in size over the next five years to what is now one of the largest ambulance manufacturers in the world.

At the age of 30, he bought a Ford dealership in Jefferson City, putting down roots in the community and building the business over the next two decades. He sold the dealership in 2011.

He was elected to the state Senate in 2012 and was the chamber’s majority leader when Parson appointed him lieutenant governor in 2018. Kehoe won a full term as lieutenant governor in 2020.&nbsp;

As governor, Kehoe has vowed to eliminate the state income tax and develop a crime plan that can be rolled out when the legislature reconvenes in January.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730863694885.png" alt=" Mike Kehoe, the Republican candidate for Missouri governor, thanks supporters as he steps onstage for his victory speech the night of the primary election in August (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Mike Kehoe, the Republican candidate for Missouri governor, thanks supporters as he steps onstage for his victory speech the night of the primary election in August (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By REBECCA RIVAS &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s next governor will be Mike Kehoe, a Republican who cruised to victory Tuesday night over Democrat Crystal Quade.The Associated Press called the race at 8:30 p.m. with 22% of precincts reporting and Kehoe leading Quade 52% to 46%.“Our victory tonight, it’s a win for our cops, our firefighters, our farmers, and our job creators,” Kehoe told supporters Tuesday night. “It’s a win for students who deserve good schools and a brighter future. It’s a win for families who want safe streets and lower taxes. So, to all Missourians, this is your victory. Enjoy tonight because tomorrow morning, we get to work together for an even safer, stronger, and more prosperous Missouri.”Kehoe has served six years as lieutenant governor after being appointed to the job by Gov. Mike Parson in 2018.&nbsp;Kehoe’s biggest hurdle to becoming&nbsp; governor came during a contentious primary in August, when he beat out two fellow Republicans who boasted being more conservative on issues.&nbsp;Leading up to the primary, Kehoe trailed Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in most polls until the summer, when the $16 million campaign war chest he amassed enabled him to fill the airwaves, overwhelming opponents and surviving a late onslaught of outside spending.He won the primary with just under 40% of the vote.Kehoe’s message was that he was a more interested in governing than politics.&nbsp;“Missourians are a little bit sick of hate politics,” Kehoe said in a July interview with The Independent.&nbsp;However, Quade, who has served as Democratic leader in the Missouri House, cautioned voters not to view Kehoe as less “extreme” than his primary rivals.&nbsp;“While folks may say that one (Republican candidate) is more moderate than the other, the reality is Lt. Gov. Kehoe would sign the same pieces of legislation that the extremists in Jefferson City would send him regardless,” Quade told reporters, following the annual governor’s ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in August.Kehoe is the youngest of six children raised by a single mother in St. Louis. His mom worked three jobs to support the family, he said, and when he was old enough he got a job washing cars at a local auto dealership.&nbsp;When he had enough money, he bought a struggling company that built ambulances, doubling it in size over the next five years to what is now one of the largest ambulance manufacturers in the world.At the age of 30, he bought a Ford dealership in Jefferson City, putting down roots in the community and building the business over the next two decades. He sold the dealership in 2011.He was elected to the state Senate in 2012 and was the chamber’s majority leader when Parson appointed him lieutenant governor in 2018. Kehoe won a full term as lieutenant governor in 2020.&nbsp;As governor, Kehoe has vowed to eliminate the state income tax and develop a crime plan that can be rolled out when the legislature reconvenes in January.&nbsp;

Republican Mike Kehoe wins Missouri governor’s race over Democrat Crystal Quade

(Radio Iowa) - At least 675,000 Iowans cast ballots before Election Day. 

Data from the Iowa Secretary of State's website shows Republicans with a statewide edge over Democrats in early voting. However, Democrats outnumbered Republicans casting absentee ballots in the first, second and third congressional districts. 

Nearly one-point-seven million Iowans were active registered voters on Friday, November 1st. The data suggests around 40 percent of them had already voted when precincts opened this (Tuesday) morning for Election Day.

(Radio Iowa) - At least 675,000 Iowans cast ballots before Election Day. Data from the Iowa Secretary of State's website shows Republicans with a statewide edge over Democrats in early voting. However, Democrats outnumbered Republicans casting absentee ballots in the first, second and third congressional districts. Nearly one-point-seven million Iowans were active registered voters on Friday, November 1st. The data suggests around 40 percent of them had already voted when precincts opened this (Tuesday) morning for Election Day.

Hundreds of thousands of Iowans voted early in this year's election

House Chief Clerk Dana Miller is suing over allegations Plocher tried to silence her during an ethics probe and circulated a letter asking House members to remove her from office

Attorneys for House Speaker Dean Plocher argued Monday that a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/31/missouri-house-chief-clerk-sues-dean-plocher-rod-jetton-alleging-whistleblower-retaliation/">whistleblower lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed against him by the chamber’s chief clerk should be dismissed because he had no power to retaliate against her.&nbsp;

In a hearing before Cole County Associate Circuit Judge Brian Stumpe, attorneys for the House and Plocher said because Chief Clerk Dana Miller is elected by a majority vote of the 163-member House she is out of reach for Plocher — even if he wanted her fired.&nbsp;

The only way she could have been fired or demoted, they said, is by a majority vote of the 163-member House.

“This involves a power struggle between two co-equal elected officers of the House,” said Chuck Adamson, an assistant attorney general representing the House.

In response, Miller’s attorney argued that it was the threats of retaliation included in a letter circulated in the House that triggered the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=105.055&amp;bid=35405&amp;hl=" target="_blank">state whistleblower statute</a>.

“They tried to get her removed,” said Kevin Baldwin, Miller’s attorney. “They tried to change and alter the conditions of her employment.”

At the end of the hearing, Stumpe gave both sides two weeks to file final pleadings before he decides whether to dismiss Plocher, end the case by dismissing the lawsuit outright or to let the case continue.

Miller in May sued Plocher, Rod Jetton, his chief of staff, and the Missouri House. The lawsuit was being filed, Miller and Baldwin said in May, because obstruction and intimidation by Plocher and Jetton scuttled an ethics inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing by Plocher.&nbsp;

Miller dismissed her case against Jetton earlier this month.

Plocher, who in August finished fourth in the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/06/denny-hoskins-wins-republican-nomination-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">GOP primary for secretary of state</a>, became embroiled in controversy last year when he was accused of engaging in “unethical and perhaps unlawful conduct” as part of his months-long push to get the House to award an $800,000 contract to a private company to manage constituent information.

A month later, The Independent reported Plocher had on numerous occasions over the last five years illegally sought taxpayer reimbursement from the Legislature for airfare, hotels and other travel costs already paid for by his campaign.

An investigator’s report detailed how some potential witnesses allegedly refused to speak out of fear Plocher would use his power as speaker to retaliate against them, while others did not appear because Plocher decided who the committee could compel to testify. And Plocher refused to cooperate with the attorney hired to collect evidence for the committee.

“This is a case about accountability,” Baldwin said to Stumpe on Monday.

In arguments to Stumpe, Lowell Pearson — Plocher’s attorney — said one of the key elements Miller would need to have a successful whistleblower case is that she was targeted for disclosing information not otherwise known to the public. Nothing Miller was concerned about wasn’t already being discussed in public, he said.

The case, he said, “reflects a weaponization of (the whistleblower law) in a manner that was never intended.”

The speaker and chief clerk of the House are the two officers of the chamber named in the Missouri Constitution. Both are elected by a majority vote as the chamber reorganizes after an election.

Miller has worked in state government for 31 years, with 23 years as a member of the House staff. She was elected chief clerk in 2018 and has held that post under four speakers. Miller is not seeking re-election as chief clerk.

In court filings&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/dean-plocher-asks-judge-to-dismiss-whistleblower-lawsuit-alleging-harassment-intimidation/">seeking dismissal</a>, Plocher claimed he, personally, was not Miller’s supervisor and that the dispute is a political question, not a personnel issue.

“There is no way an individual, Speaker Plocher, can be a public employer,” Pearson said Monday.

Miller claims in her lawsuit that problems with Plocher began before he was speaker, when she confronted him in May 2022 over several complaints about his treatment of female Republican lawmakers, including a woman who said she considered filing an ethics complaint against him.

When she raised those concerns with Plocher, Miller said he responded by saying: “stupid Republican women…they are an invasive species.”

In the motion to dismiss, Pearson argues that any alleged threats against her job were relayed to Miller by a third party — not Plocher — and are therefore hearsay.&nbsp;

The threats took the form of a letter being circulated to House members seeking to get Miller fired, Baldwin said. That amounts to adverse action and retaliation under the law, he said.

Baldwin also said the power of the speaker makes the letter a credible threat to her job.

Pearson, however, said the limitations on the speaker’s power means the threat was not credible. If Plocher couldn’t muster the votes to fire her, he said, the threat was meaningless.

“You can’t warn someone of an act you can’t perform,” he said.

The ethics investigation and whistleblower lawsuit have racked up big legal bills for Plocher but his political donors have covered at least some of the cost up to now. According to campaign disclosure forms filed in September, a PAC called Missouri United paid David Steelman and his law firm $21,000 on Aug. 23. The PAC paid Pearson’s law firm $52,000 on Aug. 28.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697056839654.png" alt=" Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>House Chief Clerk Dana Miller is suing over allegations Plocher tried to silence her during an ethics probe and circulated a letter asking House members to remove her from office</h2>BY:&nbsp;&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>Attorneys for House Speaker Dean Plocher argued Monday that a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/31/missouri-house-chief-clerk-sues-dean-plocher-rod-jetton-alleging-whistleblower-retaliation/">whistleblower lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed against him by the chamber’s chief clerk should be dismissed because he had no power to retaliate against her.&nbsp;In a hearing before Cole County Associate Circuit Judge Brian Stumpe, attorneys for the House and Plocher said because Chief Clerk Dana Miller is elected by a majority vote of the 163-member House she is out of reach for Plocher — even if he wanted her fired.&nbsp;The only way she could have been fired or demoted, they said, is by a majority vote of the 163-member House.“This involves a power struggle between two co-equal elected officers of the House,” said Chuck Adamson, an assistant attorney general representing the House.In response, Miller’s attorney argued that it was the threats of retaliation included in a letter circulated in the House that triggered the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=105.055&amp;bid=35405&amp;hl=" target="_blank">state whistleblower statute</a>.“They tried to get her removed,” said Kevin Baldwin, Miller’s attorney. “They tried to change and alter the conditions of her employment.”At the end of the hearing, Stumpe gave both sides two weeks to file final pleadings before he decides whether to dismiss Plocher, end the case by dismissing the lawsuit outright or to let the case continue.Miller in May sued Plocher, Rod Jetton, his chief of staff, and the Missouri House. The lawsuit was being filed, Miller and Baldwin said in May, because obstruction and intimidation by Plocher and Jetton scuttled an ethics inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing by Plocher.&nbsp;Miller dismissed her case against Jetton earlier this month.Plocher, who in August finished fourth in the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/06/denny-hoskins-wins-republican-nomination-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">GOP primary for secretary of state</a>, became embroiled in controversy last year when he was accused of engaging in “unethical and perhaps unlawful conduct” as part of his months-long push to get the House to award an $800,000 contract to a private company to manage constituent information.A month later, The Independent reported Plocher had on numerous occasions over the last five years illegally sought taxpayer reimbursement from the Legislature for airfare, hotels and other travel costs already paid for by his campaign.An investigator’s report detailed how some potential witnesses allegedly refused to speak out of fear Plocher would use his power as speaker to retaliate against them, while others did not appear because Plocher decided who the committee could compel to testify. And Plocher refused to cooperate with the attorney hired to collect evidence for the committee.“This is a case about accountability,” Baldwin said to Stumpe on Monday.In arguments to Stumpe, Lowell Pearson — Plocher’s attorney — said one of the key elements Miller would need to have a successful whistleblower case is that she was targeted for disclosing information not otherwise known to the public. Nothing Miller was concerned about wasn’t already being discussed in public, he said.The case, he said, “reflects a weaponization of (the whistleblower law) in a manner that was never intended.”The speaker and chief clerk of the House are the two officers of the chamber named in the Missouri Constitution. Both are elected by a majority vote as the chamber reorganizes after an election.Miller has worked in state government for 31 years, with 23 years as a member of the House staff. She was elected chief clerk in 2018 and has held that post under four speakers. Miller is not seeking re-election as chief clerk.In court filings&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/dean-plocher-asks-judge-to-dismiss-whistleblower-lawsuit-alleging-harassment-intimidation/">seeking dismissal</a>, Plocher claimed he, personally, was not Miller’s supervisor and that the dispute is a political question, not a personnel issue.“There is no way an individual, Speaker Plocher, can be a public employer,” Pearson said Monday.Miller claims in her lawsuit that problems with Plocher began before he was speaker, when she confronted him in May 2022 over several complaints about his treatment of female Republican lawmakers, including a woman who said she considered filing an ethics complaint against him.When she raised those concerns with Plocher, Miller said he responded by saying: “stupid Republican women…they are an invasive species.”In the motion to dismiss, Pearson argues that any alleged threats against her job were relayed to Miller by a third party — not Plocher — and are therefore hearsay.&nbsp;The threats took the form of a letter being circulated to House members seeking to get Miller fired, Baldwin said. That amounts to adverse action and retaliation under the law, he said.Baldwin also said the power of the speaker makes the letter a credible threat to her job.Pearson, however, said the limitations on the speaker’s power means the threat was not credible. If Plocher couldn’t muster the votes to fire her, he said, the threat was meaningless.“You can’t warn someone of an act you can’t perform,” he said.The ethics investigation and whistleblower lawsuit have racked up big legal bills for Plocher but his political donors have covered at least some of the cost up to now. According to campaign disclosure forms filed in September, a PAC called Missouri United paid David Steelman and his law firm $21,000 on Aug. 23. The PAC paid Pearson’s law firm $52,000 on Aug. 28.Steelman and Pearson defended Plocher while he was under investigation by the Missouri House Ethics Committee earlier this year. The committee has not paid any additional legal bills on Plocher’s behalf. It had about $56,000 on hand in late October, according to the latest filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

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