Certain raw frozen shrimp products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods), a company located in Indonesia, and sold at Walmart stores in Missouri and a dozen other states, according to a statement from the FDA.

These products include the following product names, lot codes, and best by dates:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-advises-public-not-eat-sell-or-serve-certain-imported-frozen-shrimp-indonesian-firm#ProductDesc">Additional product information is in a table below.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

At this time, no product that has tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) has entered the U.S. commerce. FDA is working with distributors and retailers that received product from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati after the date of first detection of Cs-137 by Customs &amp; Border Protection (CBP), but from shipments that did not alert for Cs-137, to recommend that firms conduct a recall. In conjunction with other information, FDA determined that product from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati violates the Federal Food, Drug, &amp; Cosmetic Act in that it appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with Cs-137 and may pose a safety concern.&nbsp;

FDA has also added PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_1187.html">new import alert</a>&nbsp;for chemical contamination to stop products from this firm from coming into the U.S. until the firm has resolved the conditions that gave rise to the appearance of the violation.

FDA’s investigation is ongoing. This advisory will be updated as more information becomes available.&nbsp;

FDA detected Cs-137 in a single shipment of imported frozen shrimp from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati that did not enter U.S. commerce. The level of Cs-137 detected in the detained shipment was approximately 68 Bq/kg, which is below&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/supporting-document-guidance-levels-radionuclides-domestic-and-imported-foods">FDA’s Derived Intervention Level for Cs-137</a>&nbsp;of 1200 Bq/kg. At this level, the product would not pose an acute hazard to consumers. Avoiding products like the shipment FDA tested with similar levels of Cs-137 is a measure intended to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts with continued exposure over a long period of time.

The primary health effect of concern following longer term, repeated low dose exposure (e.g., through consumption of contaminated food or water over time) is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body. Additional information about Cs-137 and your health is available through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts157.pdf">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry resources</a>.

FDA is actively investigating reports of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods) of Indonesia. The U.S. Customs &amp; Border Protection (CBP) alerted FDA to the detection of Cs-137 in shipping containers at four U.S. ports (Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami). FDA collected multiple samples for radionuclide analysis, with results confirming the presence of Cs-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp. All containers and product testing positive or alerting for Cs-137 have been denied entry into the country. The agency continues to coordinate with CBP to prevent any contaminated products from reaching consumers and is working with Indonesian seafood regulatory authorities to investigate the root cause of the contamination.&nbsp;

Although testing to date has not confirmed the presence of contamination in any product in commerce, the product appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with Cs-137 and may pose a safety concern. To date, FDA has learned that Walmart has received implicated raw frozen shrimp, imported after the date of first detection of Cs-137 by CBP, but from shipments that did not alert for Cs-137. FDA has recommended Walmart recall this product.&nbsp;

Consumers should not eat or serve certain lots of Great Value raw frozen shrimp sold at Walmart stores in AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MO, MS, OH, OK, PA, TX, and WV: &nbsp;

If you have recently purchased raw frozen shrimp from Walmart that matches this description, throw it away. Do not eat or serve this product.

Cs-137 is a radioisotope of cesium that is man-made through nuclear reactions and because it is widespread worldwide, trace amounts of Cs-137 can be found in the environment, including soil, food, and air. FDA food monitoring focuses on radioisotopes (radionuclides) that are not normally present and are generally the result of human activities. Any unexpected finding of Cs-137 in a food product is evaluated to determine if follow up action is warranted on a case-by-case basis. After being alerted to the contamination of shipping containers detected by CBP, FDA initiated sampling of products which included five different shrimp products from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, one of which was a sample of frozen breaded shrimp. FDA's laboratory confirmation of Cs-137 in the breaded shrimp had detectable levels of Cs-137 present at 68.48 Bq/kg +/- 8.25 Bq/kg. There was no detectable Cs-137 in the other products tested; however, this does not rule out contamination.

FDA has not detected Cs-137 in any product above the current&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/supporting-document-guidance-levels-radionuclides-domestic-and-imported-foods">derived intervention levels for Cs-137</a>&nbsp;(1200 Bq/kg); however, FDA has concluded that the level detected in the breaded shrimp sample could represent a potential health concern for those exposed to this level of Cs-137 from consumption of the shrimp over an extended period of time combined with radiation that exists in the environment and from other sources such as medical procedures. Avoiding products like the shipment FDA tested with similar levels of Cs-137 is a measure intended to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts with continued exposure over a long period of time. FDA has taken swift action to prevent potentially contaminated product from being introduced into U.S. commerce in response to reports of contaminated shipping containers from CBP. On August 14, 2025, FDA posted a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_1187.html">import alert (IA 99-51)</a>&nbsp;for chemical contamination under section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. &nbsp;PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati has been added to the red list of this alert due to the presence of Cs-137. The import alert ensures that no implicated shrimp products will enter U.S. commerce until the company resolves the conditions that gave rise to the appearance of the violation.&nbsp;

Certain raw frozen shrimp products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods), a company located in Indonesia, and sold at Walmart stores in Missouri and a dozen other states, according to a statement from the FDA.These products include the following product names, lot codes, and best by dates:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005540-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027</li><li>Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005538-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027</li><li>Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005539-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027</li>
 </ul><a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-advises-public-not-eat-sell-or-serve-certain-imported-frozen-shrimp-indonesian-firm#ProductDesc">Additional product information is in a table below.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;At this time, no product that has tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) has entered the U.S. commerce. FDA is working with distributors and retailers that received product from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati after the date of first detection of Cs-137 by Customs &amp; Border Protection (CBP), but from shipments that did not alert for Cs-137, to recommend that firms conduct a recall. In conjunction with other information, FDA determined that product from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati violates the Federal Food, Drug, &amp; Cosmetic Act in that it appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with Cs-137 and may pose a safety concern.&nbsp;FDA has also added PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_1187.html">new import alert</a>&nbsp;for chemical contamination to stop products from this firm from coming into the U.S. until the firm has resolved the conditions that gave rise to the appearance of the violation.FDA’s investigation is ongoing. This advisory will be updated as more information becomes available.&nbsp;<h2>Health impacts of cesium exposure</h2>FDA detected Cs-137 in a single shipment of imported frozen shrimp from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati that did not enter U.S. commerce. The level of Cs-137 detected in the detained shipment was approximately 68 Bq/kg, which is below&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/supporting-document-guidance-levels-radionuclides-domestic-and-imported-foods">FDA’s Derived Intervention Level for Cs-137</a>&nbsp;of 1200 Bq/kg. At this level, the product would not pose an acute hazard to consumers. Avoiding products like the shipment FDA tested with similar levels of Cs-137 is a measure intended to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts with continued exposure over a long period of time.The primary health effect of concern following longer term, repeated low dose exposure (e.g., through consumption of contaminated food or water over time) is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body. Additional information about Cs-137 and your health is available through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts157.pdf">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry resources</a>.<h2>Recommendation</h2><ul>
 <li>If you recently purchased&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-advises-public-not-eat-sell-or-serve-certain-imported-frozen-shrimp-indonesian-firm#ProductDesc">one of the impacted lots</a>&nbsp;of Great Value raw frozen shrimp from Walmart, throw it away. Do not eat or serve this product.</li><li>Distributors and retailers should dispose of this product and should not sell or serve this product.</li><li>If you suspect you have been exposed to elevated levels of cesium, talk to your healthcare provider.</li>
 </ul><h2>Current Update</h2>August 19, 2025FDA is actively investigating reports of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods) of Indonesia. The U.S. Customs &amp; Border Protection (CBP) alerted FDA to the detection of Cs-137 in shipping containers at four U.S. ports (Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami). FDA collected multiple samples for radionuclide analysis, with results confirming the presence of Cs-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp. All containers and product testing positive or alerting for Cs-137 have been denied entry into the country. The agency continues to coordinate with CBP to prevent any contaminated products from reaching consumers and is working with Indonesian seafood regulatory authorities to investigate the root cause of the contamination.&nbsp;Although testing to date has not confirmed the presence of contamination in any product in commerce, the product appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with Cs-137 and may pose a safety concern. To date, FDA has learned that Walmart has received implicated raw frozen shrimp, imported after the date of first detection of Cs-137 by CBP, but from shipments that did not alert for Cs-137. FDA has recommended Walmart recall this product.&nbsp;Consumers should not eat or serve certain lots of Great Value raw frozen shrimp sold at Walmart stores in AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MO, MS, OH, OK, PA, TX, and WV: &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005540-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027&nbsp;</li><li>Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005538-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027&nbsp;</li><li>Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005539-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>If you have recently purchased raw frozen shrimp from Walmart that matches this description, throw it away. Do not eat or serve this product.Cs-137 is a radioisotope of cesium that is man-made through nuclear reactions and because it is widespread worldwide, trace amounts of Cs-137 can be found in the environment, including soil, food, and air. FDA food monitoring focuses on radioisotopes (radionuclides) that are not normally present and are generally the result of human activities. Any unexpected finding of Cs-137 in a food product is evaluated to determine if follow up action is warranted on a case-by-case basis. After being alerted to the contamination of shipping containers detected by CBP, FDA initiated sampling of products which included five different shrimp products from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, one of which was a sample of frozen breaded shrimp. FDA's laboratory confirmation of Cs-137 in the breaded shrimp had detectable levels of Cs-137 present at 68.48 Bq/kg +/- 8.25 Bq/kg. There was no detectable Cs-137 in the other products tested; however, this does not rule out contamination.FDA has not detected Cs-137 in any product above the current&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/supporting-document-guidance-levels-radionuclides-domestic-and-imported-foods">derived intervention levels for Cs-137</a>&nbsp;(1200 Bq/kg); however, FDA has concluded that the level detected in the breaded shrimp sample could represent a potential health concern for those exposed to this level of Cs-137 from consumption of the shrimp over an extended period of time combined with radiation that exists in the environment and from other sources such as medical procedures. Avoiding products like the shipment FDA tested with similar levels of Cs-137 is a measure intended to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts with continued exposure over a long period of time. FDA has taken swift action to prevent potentially contaminated product from being introduced into U.S. commerce in response to reports of contaminated shipping containers from CBP. On August 14, 2025, FDA posted a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_1187.html">import alert (IA 99-51)</a>&nbsp;for chemical contamination under section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. &nbsp;PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati has been added to the red list of this alert due to the presence of Cs-137. The import alert ensures that no implicated shrimp products will enter U.S. commerce until the company resolves the conditions that gave rise to the appearance of the violation.&nbsp;

Walmart recalls frozen shrimp sold in Missouri over potential radioactive contamination

PLATTE COUNTY—One person was injured and another arrested in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday in Platte County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1996 Dodge Caravan driven by a 48-year-old Parkville man was northbound on Interstate 29 just south of 64th Street. The van rear-ended a 2018 Isuzu passenger vehicle.&nbsp; The Isuzu driver, later identified as a Todd M. Moulin, 48, Kansas City, Missouri, left the scene of the crash.

KC Fire transported the van driver to North Kansas City Hospital.&nbsp; The Patrol later arrested Moulin on requested charges of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a crash, no valid license and for no insurance. He was released for treatment at North Kansas City Hospital.

PLATTE COUNTY—One person was injured and another arrested in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday in Platte County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1996 Dodge Caravan driven by a 48-year-old Parkville man was northbound on Interstate 29 just south of 64th Street. The van rear-ended a 2018 Isuzu passenger vehicle.&nbsp; The Isuzu driver, later identified as a Todd M. Moulin, 48, Kansas City, Missouri, left the scene of the crash.KC Fire transported the van driver to North Kansas City Hospital.&nbsp; The Patrol later arrested Moulin on requested charges of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a crash, no valid license and for no insurance. He was released for treatment at North Kansas City Hospital.

One injured, one accused of DUI after rear-end crash

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Tuesday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Peterbilt semi driven by a 66-year-old Amazonia man was westbound on U.S. 136 at Route EE in New Hampton. The semi attempted to pass a 2015 Chevy Malibu driven by a 45-year-old Bethany woman that had slowed to make a left turn.

The right front of the semi struck the left front of the car.

Grand River Ambulance transported the Bethany woman to Mosaic in Albany. The semi driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Tuesday in Harrison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Peterbilt semi driven by a 66-year-old Amazonia man was westbound on U.S. 136 at Route EE in New Hampton. The semi attempted to pass a 2015 Chevy Malibu driven by a 45-year-old Bethany woman that had slowed to make a left turn.The right front of the semi struck the left front of the car.Grand River Ambulance transported the Bethany woman to Mosaic in Albany. The semi driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman injured after semi, car crash

A new class of the St. Joseph Sports Hall of Fame will be enshrined this weekend.  

St. Joseph Sports Commission Executive Director Brett Esely says every class in the hall has something special about it, and the more he's thought about this one, the more he defines it as a gritty class 

"They all come from a great background here in St. Joe, they all did elite things, and these were guys that had careers that expand longevity," Esely says on the KFEQmunnity show.  "And I think you would assume that with most hall of fame inductees." 

While Esely says this class is gritty, he says there's also one other thing that stands out about the 2025 class. 

"You have folks in this class that were really good at what they did, but you have folks that were really good mentors and helped other people either achieve their best or just get to a level where they feel comfortable," Esely explains.  "And I think that's a huge piece of what a hall of famer is, is you're great at what you do, but you're great at making people comfortable and better at what they do, and there's a lot of that in this class and all over it." 

Esely says many in the class did this as mentors to others, using Bob Boyles as an example, 

"Bob has a gym in his home, that's been his day to day job for a number of years, and he has trained athletes on all levels whether they be world class athletes, a unique thing is Rob Calloway, whose also in our class, worked with Bob for a while training wise, but you also have athletes that are just trying to reach personal fitness goals and stay in shape," Esely says. 

Esely says Sunday's enshrinement ceremony is sure to bring a lot of great stories to tell and relive during the ceremony.   

Nine individuals, one team, and one special Olympic athlete will have their names etched into the St. Joseph history books during Sunday's enshrinement ceremony.  

There are still tickets available for the ceremony that can be purchased online for $25.  The ceremony will take place on Sunday at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center from 5 to 7pm. 

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

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post A new class of the St. Joseph Sports Hall of Fame will be enshrined this weekend. St. Joseph Sports Commission Executive Director Brett Esely says every class in the hall has something special about it, and the more he's thought about this one, the more he defines it as a gritty class "They all come from a great background here in St. Joe, they all did elite things, and these were guys that had careers that expand longevity," Esely says on the KFEQmunnity show. "And I think you would assume that with most hall of fame inductees." While Esely says this class is gritty, he says there's also one other thing that stands out about the 2025 class. "You have folks in this class that were really good at what they did, but you have folks that were really good mentors and helped other people either achieve their best or just get to a level where they feel comfortable," Esely explains. "And I think that's a huge piece of what a hall of famer is, is you're great at what you do, but you're great at making people comfortable and better at what they do, and there's a lot of that in this class and all over it." Esely says many in the class did this as mentors to others, using Bob Boyles as an example, "Bob has a gym in his home, that's been his day to day job for a number of years, and he has trained athletes on all levels whether they be world class athletes, a unique thing is Rob Calloway, whose also in our class, worked with Bob for a while training wise, but you also have athletes that are just trying to reach personal fitness goals and stay in shape," Esely says. Esely says Sunday's enshrinement ceremony is sure to bring a lot of great stories to tell and relive during the ceremony. Nine individuals, one team, and one special Olympic athlete will have their names etched into the St. Joseph history books during Sunday's enshrinement ceremony. There are still tickets available for the ceremony that can be purchased online for $25. The ceremony will take place on Sunday at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center from 5 to 7pm. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

"Gritty" 2025 St. Joseph Hall of Fame class to be enshrined this weekend

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/7qY2f1Ae51C9hIRFkvka1r?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning Sports

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/1IhjzyFXShRa40YZ8uCipm?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning News

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating the theft of a&nbsp;&nbsp;Kubota side by side work vehicle owned by Mammoth Construction of Meriden, Kansas, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The vehicle was taken from a job site at the Atchison High School football field. It is believed the vehicle was taken around 2:00AM on Monday&nbsp; and driven through a fence on the west side of the complex. 

Police later recovered the vehicle near 15th and Santa Fe Street. Police released no additional details including possible suspect details.

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating the theft of a&nbsp;&nbsp;Kubota side by side work vehicle owned by Mammoth Construction of Meriden, Kansas, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.The vehicle was taken from a job site at the Atchison High School football field. It is believed the vehicle was taken around 2:00AM on Monday&nbsp; and driven through a fence on the west side of the complex. Police later recovered the vehicle near 15th and Santa Fe Street. Police released no additional details including possible suspect details.

Police recover stolen construction company UTV

In the Kansas City area, all but one carrier have asked Kansas and Missouri regulators for the right to bump up premiums — in one case by 40%

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>

If you are one of the 617,000 people in Missouri or Kansas buying health insurance on&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://healthcare.gov/" target="_blank">healthcare.gov</a>, expect sticker shock when next year’s premiums are announced.

With few exceptions, insurance companies selling health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace plan to increase rates in 2026. In the Kansas City area, all but one carrier have asked Kansas and Missouri regulators for the right to bump up premiums — in one case by 40%.

Only Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City proposed a decrease.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/how-much-and-why-aca-marketplace-premiums-are-going-up-in-2026/#Distribution%20of%20proposed%202026%20rate%20changes%20among%20312%20ACA%20Marketplace%20insurers" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;of proposed rates by KFF and the Peterson Center on Healthcare found a median planned increase of 18% among the 312 insurers participating in ACA marketplaces nationwide. That is 11 percentage points higher than last year and the steepest increase request since 2018.

Only four insurers nationwide said they would decrease rates.

According to the KFF report, insurance companies cited numerous reasons for the increases, including inflation, increasing labor costs and the high price of specialty drugs like GLP-1 weight loss medications.

But health policy experts said much of the blame should fall on new Trump administration laws and policies that will increase the cost of marketplace coverage, drive healthy people to drop out and leave behind patients who cost the most.

The first policy that will drive up prices is that enhanced tax credits are expected to expire.

Since 2021 those tax credits have offset the cost of health plans for more than 90% of people enrolled in the ACA marketplaces and made coverage more widely available. The tax credits, which helped double marketplace enrollment between 2021 and 2025, expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t renew them.

The second policy driving up prices involves a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/cms-9884-f-2025-pi-rule-master-5cr-062025.pdf" target="_blank">Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule</a>&nbsp;that overhauls how the marketplace operates.

Some changes will make it harder for people to enroll and keep coverage, such as shortening the enrollment period, eliminating automatic reenrollment and adding stricter eligibility checks. Other changes upend how insurance payments are formulated, which could drive up premiums and force people to pay more for deductibles and copays.

“The bottom line is that out-of-pocket premiums will go up,” said Gideon Lukens, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, who co-authored a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/administrations-aca-marketplace-rule-will-raise-health-care-costs-for-millions-of" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;about the changes. “People will pay higher deductibles and copays, and the maximum out-of-pocket limits will also go up. … And then a lot of people lose coverage as a result.”

The ACA marketplace reached more than 24 million enrollees nationally in 2025, including&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2025/marketplace-fact-sheets/Missouri.pdf" target="_blank">417,000 in Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2025/marketplace-fact-sheets/Kansas.pdf" target="_blank">200,050 in Kansas</a>. That was a record, and double the enrollment in 2021 when enhanced tax subsidies first went into effect. During that same period, Missouri’s enrollment also doubled, while Kansas’ climbed 133%.

But those enrollment highs are widely expected to plummet next year as premiums increase. In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.khi.org/articles/marketplace-enrollment-peaks-before-expected-decline/" target="_blank">recent report</a>, the Kansas Health Institute predicted that Kansas ACA enrollment could immediately return to 2021 levels and uninsured rates could “greatly increase.”

Anything that makes insurance harder to get — and especially more expensive — leads to fewer people being covered, experts said.

And next year’s potential insurance premium increases come as the Congressional Budget Office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-08/61367-Distributional-Effects.pdf" target="_blank">predicts</a>&nbsp;that policy changes from the Trump administration will lead to an annual decline in overall resources for the country’s poorest households between 2026 and 2034. The CBO said poor households will lose an average of $1,200 annually during the period, while top-income households can expect to gain $13,600.

Lukens said increased health insurance premiums caused by the expiration of enhanced tax credits and CMS rule changes could effectively lead the country back to a time before the ACA was adopted, when many people couldn’t afford insurance and found it difficult to access health care.

“It’s not a repeal of the ACA, but the size of the impact is comparable,” he said. “The way it’s done is more of a death-by-a-thousand-cuts way — a lot of changes that will just generally add a lot of red tape and make it harder for people to keep coverage, to enroll in coverage, and will raise costs. But the overall impact of it will be to increase the number of people without coverage by getting close to where we were before the ACA.”

Once the dust settles, an estimated 8 million people are expected to lose coverage through the ACA marketplace. On top of that, 9 million could lose Medicaid under federal legislation passed in July, which cuts federal spending on the program by close to $1 trillion and adds new obstacles to keep coverage, like work requirements and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/25/missouri-work-requirements-medicaid-mo-healthnet/" target="_blank">documenting hours worked</a>.

“The worst case scenario here is bad,” said Caitlin Donovan, a spokesperson for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patientadvocate.org/" target="_blank">Patient Advocate Foundation</a>, which helps people around the country with chronic and life-threatening illnesses find care. “It’s really bad.”

Ultimately, she said, when people lose health coverage they’re less likely to seek care and more likely to get sicker before getting help. That makes care cost more, puts more strain on hospitals and other health care providers and, ultimately, continues the cycle of insurance rates climbing.

“There is going to be a sicker population that’s in a much worse situation,” Donovan said.

When people who are young and healthy don’t participate in the insurance market, leaving behind people who are more expensive to cover, it can trigger a cycle of increasing premiums, said Christopher Garmon, assistant professor of health administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

“Anything that makes healthy people less likely to enroll is going to increase costs and cause premiums to go up, and make healthy people less likely to enroll,” he said. “And that is a vicious cycle.”

ACA premium&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/18/affordable-care-act-health-coverage-at-risk-unless-congress-acts/" target="_blank">changes will vary</a>&nbsp;based on where a person lives, their age and income. KFF has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/interactive/how-much-more-would-people-pay-in-premiums-if-the-acas-enhanced-subsidies-expired/" target="_blank">calculator</a>&nbsp;that can help people know how much they may see rates increase come January.

The Commonwealth Fund&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/maps-and-interactives/2025/aug/what-aca-marketplaces-do-your-state" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;that people in Missouri who receive tax credits will see a $720 jump in annual premiums, while the same group in Kansas will see a $590 annual increase.

Most of the insurance companies in the Kansas and Missouri marketplaces have requested premium increases next year.

In Kansas, Celtic Insurance Co. proposed a 40% increase, the highest jump. But Medica Insurance Co. said its rates need to go up 29.3% in Kansas. In Missouri, Medica proposed an increase of 29.2%, while Celtic proposed a jump of 24.4%.

Medica provided a written statement, saying the company’s rate request “reflects the trend toward increased use of medical services as well as the expiration of enhanced subsidies for those who depend on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for coverage.”

“We urge the Congress to promptly extend assistance that promotes stability in this vital market serving millions of Americans,” the Medica statement said.

Other carriers in the Kansas City market proposing rate increases include Oscar Insurance Co., which is asking for a 14.4% increase in Kansas and an 11.7% increase in Missouri, and United Healthcare Insurance Co., which wants a 10.1% bump in Kansas and a 10.7% increase in Missouri.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is the only carrier in the market — and one of just four in the country — planning to lower rates next year.

The company said it would drop rates 6.1% in Kansas and 4.4% in Missouri.

In a written statement, Rachel Arnett, Blue Cross vice president of sales, said the company had “evaluated our product offerings, gathered feedback from our customers, and developed a variety of options on the ACA Marketplace for health insurance in 2026.”

Those include “a new focused provider network,” which it said would bring lower premiums and predictable cost, and plans to offer its primary care model,&nbsp;<a href="https://spiracare.com/about/" target="_blank">Spira Care Access</a>, through nine area centers.

A spokesperson for the carrier declined to answer questions about the rate reduction and did not provide other details about the scope of the coverage.

Proposed rates must be approved by state insurance regulators before they are officially listed in the marketplace.

That should happen this fall in time for the ACA marketplaces’ open enrollment period, which begins Nov. 1. This year, people will have until Jan. 15 to complete enrollment. But next year that window will shorten to Nov. 1 through Dec. 15.

But many people may not realize how much the ACA will be changing next year or understand what options they may have for coverage. That’s because earlier this year the Trump administration cut funding for navigators who help people find health insurance through the ACA marketplace or, if they qualify, Medicaid.

Funding for public information campaigns about ACA coverage and the open enrollment period has also been cut, meaning some enrollees could miss deadlines or forget to reenroll, which could also add to the number of uninsured.

Justin Gust, vice president of community engagement with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/" target="_blank">El Centro Inc.</a>, said he’s seen this play out before. The last time Trump was in the White House virtually all of the funding for public information campaigns was eliminated. And the consequences were not good.

“There was a huge reduction in people enrolling,” he said.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/18/brace-for-sticker-shock-if-youre-buying-health-insurance-on-the-aca-marketplace/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712259163846.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
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 </figure><h2>In the Kansas City area, all but one carrier have asked Kansas and Missouri regulators for the right to bump up premiums — in one case by 40%</h2>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>If you are one of the 617,000 people in Missouri or Kansas buying health insurance on&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://healthcare.gov/" target="_blank">healthcare.gov</a>, expect sticker shock when next year’s premiums are announced.With few exceptions, insurance companies selling health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace plan to increase rates in 2026. In the Kansas City area, all but one carrier have asked Kansas and Missouri regulators for the right to bump up premiums — in one case by 40%.Only Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City proposed a decrease.The story is similar across the country.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/how-much-and-why-aca-marketplace-premiums-are-going-up-in-2026/#Distribution%20of%20proposed%202026%20rate%20changes%20among%20312%20ACA%20Marketplace%20insurers" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;of proposed rates by KFF and the Peterson Center on Healthcare found a median planned increase of 18% among the 312 insurers participating in ACA marketplaces nationwide. That is 11 percentage points higher than last year and the steepest increase request since 2018.Only four insurers nationwide said they would decrease rates.According to the KFF report, insurance companies cited numerous reasons for the increases, including inflation, increasing labor costs and the high price of specialty drugs like GLP-1 weight loss medications.But health policy experts said much of the blame should fall on new Trump administration laws and policies that will increase the cost of marketplace coverage, drive healthy people to drop out and leave behind patients who cost the most.<h2>Expiring tax credits and new rules</h2>The first policy that will drive up prices is that enhanced tax credits are expected to expire.Since 2021 those tax credits have offset the cost of health plans for more than 90% of people enrolled in the ACA marketplaces and made coverage more widely available. The tax credits, which helped double marketplace enrollment between 2021 and 2025, expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t renew them.The second policy driving up prices involves a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/cms-9884-f-2025-pi-rule-master-5cr-062025.pdf" target="_blank">Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule</a>&nbsp;that overhauls how the marketplace operates.Some changes will make it harder for people to enroll and keep coverage, such as shortening the enrollment period, eliminating automatic reenrollment and adding stricter eligibility checks. Other changes upend how insurance payments are formulated, which could drive up premiums and force people to pay more for deductibles and copays.“The bottom line is that out-of-pocket premiums will go up,” said Gideon Lukens, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, who co-authored a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/administrations-aca-marketplace-rule-will-raise-health-care-costs-for-millions-of" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;about the changes. “People will pay higher deductibles and copays, and the maximum out-of-pocket limits will also go up. … And then a lot of people lose coverage as a result.”<h2>Comparable to repealing Obamacare</h2>The ACA marketplace reached more than 24 million enrollees nationally in 2025, including&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2025/marketplace-fact-sheets/Missouri.pdf" target="_blank">417,000 in Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2025/marketplace-fact-sheets/Kansas.pdf" target="_blank">200,050 in Kansas</a>. That was a record, and double the enrollment in 2021 when enhanced tax subsidies first went into effect. During that same period, Missouri’s enrollment also doubled, while Kansas’ climbed 133%.But those enrollment highs are widely expected to plummet next year as premiums increase. In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.khi.org/articles/marketplace-enrollment-peaks-before-expected-decline/" target="_blank">recent report</a>, the Kansas Health Institute predicted that Kansas ACA enrollment could immediately return to 2021 levels and uninsured rates could “greatly increase.”Anything that makes insurance harder to get — and especially more expensive — leads to fewer people being covered, experts said.And next year’s potential insurance premium increases come as the Congressional Budget Office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-08/61367-Distributional-Effects.pdf" target="_blank">predicts</a>&nbsp;that policy changes from the Trump administration will lead to an annual decline in overall resources for the country’s poorest households between 2026 and 2034. The CBO said poor households will lose an average of $1,200 annually during the period, while top-income households can expect to gain $13,600.Lukens said increased health insurance premiums caused by the expiration of enhanced tax credits and CMS rule changes could effectively lead the country back to a time before the ACA was adopted, when many people couldn’t afford insurance and found it difficult to access health care.“It’s not a repeal of the ACA, but the size of the impact is comparable,” he said. “The way it’s done is more of a death-by-a-thousand-cuts way — a lot of changes that will just generally add a lot of red tape and make it harder for people to keep coverage, to enroll in coverage, and will raise costs. But the overall impact of it will be to increase the number of people without coverage by getting close to where we were before the ACA.”<h2>A vicious cycle</h2>Once the dust settles, an estimated 8 million people are expected to lose coverage through the ACA marketplace. On top of that, 9 million could lose Medicaid under federal legislation passed in July, which cuts federal spending on the program by close to $1 trillion and adds new obstacles to keep coverage, like work requirements and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/25/missouri-work-requirements-medicaid-mo-healthnet/" target="_blank">documenting hours worked</a>.“The worst case scenario here is bad,” said Caitlin Donovan, a spokesperson for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patientadvocate.org/" target="_blank">Patient Advocate Foundation</a>, which helps people around the country with chronic and life-threatening illnesses find care. “It’s really bad.”Ultimately, she said, when people lose health coverage they’re less likely to seek care and more likely to get sicker before getting help. That makes care cost more, puts more strain on hospitals and other health care providers and, ultimately, continues the cycle of insurance rates climbing.“There is going to be a sicker population that’s in a much worse situation,” Donovan said.When people who are young and healthy don’t participate in the insurance market, leaving behind people who are more expensive to cover, it can trigger a cycle of increasing premiums, said Christopher Garmon, assistant professor of health administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.“Anything that makes healthy people less likely to enroll is going to increase costs and cause premiums to go up, and make healthy people less likely to enroll,” he said. “And that is a vicious cycle.”ACA premium&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/18/affordable-care-act-health-coverage-at-risk-unless-congress-acts/" target="_blank">changes will vary</a>&nbsp;based on where a person lives, their age and income. KFF has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/interactive/how-much-more-would-people-pay-in-premiums-if-the-acas-enhanced-subsidies-expired/" target="_blank">calculator</a>&nbsp;that can help people know how much they may see rates increase come January.The Commonwealth Fund&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/maps-and-interactives/2025/aug/what-aca-marketplaces-do-your-state" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;that people in Missouri who receive tax credits will see a $720 jump in annual premiums, while the same group in Kansas will see a $590 annual increase.<h2>Rising premiums in Kansas and Missouri</h2>Most of the insurance companies in the Kansas and Missouri marketplaces have requested premium increases next year.In Kansas, Celtic Insurance Co. proposed a 40% increase, the highest jump. But Medica Insurance Co. said its rates need to go up 29.3% in Kansas. In Missouri, Medica proposed an increase of 29.2%, while Celtic proposed a jump of 24.4%.Celtic could not be reached for comment.Medica provided a written statement, saying the company’s rate request “reflects the trend toward increased use of medical services as well as the expiration of enhanced subsidies for those who depend on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for coverage.”“We urge the Congress to promptly extend assistance that promotes stability in this vital market serving millions of Americans,” the Medica statement said.Other carriers in the Kansas City market proposing rate increases include Oscar Insurance Co., which is asking for a 14.4% increase in Kansas and an 11.7% increase in Missouri, and United Healthcare Insurance Co., which wants a 10.1% bump in Kansas and a 10.7% increase in Missouri.Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is the only carrier in the market — and one of just four in the country — planning to lower rates next year.The company said it would drop rates 6.1% in Kansas and 4.4% in Missouri.In a written statement, Rachel Arnett, Blue Cross vice president of sales, said the company had “evaluated our product offerings, gathered feedback from our customers, and developed a variety of options on the ACA Marketplace for health insurance in 2026.”Those include “a new focused provider network,” which it said would bring lower premiums and predictable cost, and plans to offer its primary care model,&nbsp;<a href="https://spiracare.com/about/" target="_blank">Spira Care Access</a>, through nine area centers.A spokesperson for the carrier declined to answer questions about the rate reduction and did not provide other details about the scope of the coverage.<h2>Less help available&nbsp;</h2>Proposed rates must be approved by state insurance regulators before they are officially listed in the marketplace.That should happen this fall in time for the ACA marketplaces’ open enrollment period, which begins Nov. 1. This year, people will have until Jan. 15 to complete enrollment. But next year that window will shorten to Nov. 1 through Dec. 15.But many people may not realize how much the ACA will be changing next year or understand what options they may have for coverage. That’s because earlier this year the Trump administration cut funding for navigators who help people find health insurance through the ACA marketplace or, if they qualify, Medicaid.Funding for public information campaigns about ACA coverage and the open enrollment period has also been cut, meaning some enrollees could miss deadlines or forget to reenroll, which could also add to the number of uninsured.Justin Gust, vice president of community engagement with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/" target="_blank">El Centro Inc.</a>, said he’s seen this play out before. The last time Trump was in the White House virtually all of the funding for public information campaigns was eliminated. And the consequences were not good.“There was a huge reduction in people enrolling,” he said.This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/18/brace-for-sticker-shock-if-youre-buying-health-insurance-on-the-aca-marketplace/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<figure>
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Missourians buying health insurance on ACA marketplace face highest rate hikes since 2018

ATCHISON COUNTY—A Kansas felon is back in jail on new allegations.

On Sunday, police arrested 31-year-old&nbsp;Kasandra O. Alexander of Atchison on a Jackson County Kansas District Court warrant for failure to appear in court, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

She remains jailed. She has two previous drug convictions in Doniphan and Atchison County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755566247666.png" alt="Alexander photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Alexander photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—A Kansas felon is back in jail on new allegations.On Sunday, police arrested 31-year-old&nbsp;Kasandra O. Alexander of Atchison on a Jackson County Kansas District Court warrant for failure to appear in court, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.She remains jailed. She has two previous drug convictions in Doniphan and Atchison County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Police: Kansas felon back in jail for skipping court

St. Joseph's Commerce Bank branch, along with the Kansas City Royals, is supporting youth baseball and softball with an equipment collection drive.  

To help kick off the drive, Royals pitcher and St. Joseph native Noah Cameron made an appearance to help collect equipment and meet fans. 

Cameron says it means everything to get to come back to St. Joseph for an event like this 

"It's super important to me, super special, to be able to come back home," Cameron tells reporters during the event at Commerce Bank.  "I say I'm obviously from close to Kansas City, so people kind of know that I'm a hometown guy but they don't necessarily know I'm from here, so it's definitely super special to be able to represent this drive and what we're doing here." 

The equipment collected by the St. Joseph branch will be donated to Pony Express baseball.  Cameron says it's special to help with because of his connection to the organization. 

"I wouldn't be here without them, I played for the Pony Express a long time ago, so it's kind of my roots I guess where kind of started playing ball," Cameron explains.  "Over at Eagles Field was kind of where I grew up playing, so it's definitely really cool to impact that." 

It's been quite the year for the St. Joseph Central alum since he's joined the Kansas City starting rotation.  

Cameron has started 17 games and boasts a 2.47 ERA with a 7-5 record. He currently ranks fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting.  

Cameron says to keep the success going, it’s just about getting better every day.  

"Obviously we're game planning well, everything's going pretty well so far, so we've just got to continue doing what we're doing," Cameron says.  "There's a lot of season left, we're not where we want to be right now as a team, so just got to continue fighting every day, just showing up and getting better." 

Equipment being collected during the drive includes baseballs, bats, gloves, hats, helmets, and socks among other items.  

The equipment drive runs through September 30th. 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755533702189.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals pitcher and St. Joseph's Noah Cameron met and took pictures with fans helping Commerce Bank kick off it's equipment drive gathering baseball and softball equipment for Pony Express Baseball/ Photo courtesy of Darren Doyle KQ2" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals pitcher and St. Joseph's Noah Cameron met and took pictures with fans helping Commerce Bank kick off it's equipment drive gathering baseball and softball equipment for Pony Express Baseball/ Photo courtesy of Darren Doyle KQ2</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph's Commerce Bank branch, along with the Kansas City Royals, is supporting youth baseball and softball with an equipment collection drive. To help kick off the drive, Royals pitcher and St. Joseph native Noah Cameron made an appearance to help collect equipment and meet fans. Cameron says it means everything to get to come back to St. Joseph for an event like this "It's super important to me, super special, to be able to come back home," Cameron tells reporters during the event at Commerce Bank. "I say I'm obviously from close to Kansas City, so people kind of know that I'm a hometown guy but they don't necessarily know I'm from here, so it's definitely super special to be able to represent this drive and what we're doing here." The equipment collected by the St. Joseph branch will be donated to Pony Express baseball. Cameron says it's special to help with because of his connection to the organization. "I wouldn't be here without them, I played for the Pony Express a long time ago, so it's kind of my roots I guess where kind of started playing ball," Cameron explains. "Over at Eagles Field was kind of where I grew up playing, so it's definitely really cool to impact that." It's been quite the year for the St. Joseph Central alum since he's joined the Kansas City starting rotation. Cameron has started 17 games and boasts a 2.47 ERA with a 7-5 record. He currently ranks fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Cameron says to keep the success going, it’s just about getting better every day. "Obviously we're game planning well, everything's going pretty well so far, so we've just got to continue doing what we're doing," Cameron says. "There's a lot of season left, we're not where we want to be right now as a team, so just got to continue fighting every day, just showing up and getting better." Equipment being collected during the drive includes baseballs, bats, gloves, hats, helmets, and socks among other items. The equipment drive runs through September 30th. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Cameron returns home helping Commerce Bank celebrate drive kick-off

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3whBMLQ1ThuIlw0mpqdlFd?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/10TwgZP56DSRUy8SCwQ9Iq?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

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

Only state Sens. Nick Schroer and Adam Schnelting remain in a group whose quarrels with GOP leadership defined years of Missouri Senate gridlock

Just as the Missouri Freedom Caucus appears on the cusp of its biggest legislative victories, half of its members in the Senate have quit.&nbsp;

Missouri lawmakers are poised to return to Jefferson City next month to redraw the state’s eight congressional districts in order to gerrymander the Kansas City-based seat of Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. They’re also considering changes to the initiative petition process to make it harder for Missourians to change the state constitution.&nbsp;

Both have been longtime priorities of the Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-right GOP state lawmakers whose quarrels with party leaders led to years of Missouri Senate gridlock.

Yet after years of holding outsize sway in Missouri politics, the Senate Freedom Caucus is down to only two members.&nbsp;

State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican and former caucus chairman, quit in June following a break with the group over&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/09/missouri-freedom-caucus-royals-chiefs-stadium/">a $1.5 billion incentive package to finance stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals</a>.&nbsp;

State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair, who also voted in favor of the stadium bill, soon joined him. He told The Independent last week that his differences with the caucus focused on tactics, not policy.&nbsp;

“I’ve got nothing but respect for my friends in the Freedom Caucus,” Hudson said.

The departures mean only two state senators from St. Charles County — Nick Schroer and Adam Schnelting — are still aligned with the Freedom Caucus.&nbsp;

Schroer, who took over as caucus chairman after Brattin stepped down, insists the group is “stronger than ever” despite the loss of half its Senate membership.&nbsp;

There are 11 members of the caucus in the House, Schroer said, and numerous candidates likely to join the group who are running in GOP primaries for open Senate seats next year. Not to mention, he said, Missouri’s secretary of state and two congressmen are Freedom Caucus alums.&nbsp;

“I’m not concerned whatsoever that at this moment we only have two very strong senators,” he said. “And I think those numbers are going to grow. But just like in years past, there are going to be senators who may not be wearing the Freedom Caucus insignia, but they are going to be with us on 99.9% of issues.”

But the caucus’ dwindling numbers in the Senate, where its influence was always most acutely felt, has some wondering if its days in the center of the Missouri political spotlight are drawing to a close.&nbsp;

It began in 2018, when a group of GOP senators formed what they called the conservative caucus.&nbsp;

The group’s formation set off an escalating war with Republican leadership that culminated four years later when acrimony became so bad that the Senate adjourned a day early for the first time since a fixed adjournment date was set in the state constitution in 1952.

Soon after, the conservative caucus announced it was disbanding.&nbsp;

A year later, six Republican senators — most of whom were part of the conservative caucus — announced the formation of the Missouri Freedom Caucus.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And the Republican civil war resumed almost immediately.&nbsp;

The 2023 legislative session saw Freedom Caucus members using near-daily procedural maneuvers to gum up the Senate. Republican leadership responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/23/missouri-freedom-caucus-leaders-ousted-from-senate-chairmanships-over-stall-tactics/">stripping caucus members of committee assignments</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/25/missouri-senate-gop-warfare-escalates-with-suggestion-of-expelling-freedom-caucus-leader/">musing about their expulsion</a>.&nbsp;

The 2024 session saw no improvement, resulting in fewer bills passed than any year in living memory, including the COVID-shortened session in 2020.&nbsp;

Throughout the turmoil, the group kept losing members.&nbsp;

State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, quit in 2021, telling The Independent at the time that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/09/she-doesnt-have-a-tribe-cindy-olaughlins-new-role-tests-ability-to-bridge-factions/">she grew tired of the group’s disruptive tactics</a>. She went on to become majority leader and president pro tem of the Senate, routinely squabbling with her former caucus colleagues.&nbsp;

GOP state Sen. Jill Carter of Granby left the group last year, saying she could no longer in good conscience be a part of “<a href="https://www.missourinet.com/2024/05/08/missouri-senator-further-explains-decision-to-leave-freedom-caucus/" target="_blank">actions behind the scenes that defame grassroots and violate the needs of my constituents</a>.”

Tensions in the Senate cooled this year, with&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/27/dysfunction-derailed-the-missouri-senate-for-years-so-far-2025-has-been-quiet/">term limits pushing key figures on both sides of the fight out of the chamber</a>. The detente led to a much more productive session, marked more by partisan squabbling than GOP infighting.&nbsp;

That changed after Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers back into special session in June to pass incentives aimed at keeping the Chiefs and Royals from moving to Kansas.&nbsp;

The Freedom Caucus vowed to oppose the funding scheme, which it decried as a “handout to billionaire sports team owners.” But Brattin and Hudson voted in support of the plan after a provision was added making changes to local property tax bills.

Both were accused of betraying the caucus’ principles, with the group’s longtime political adviser publicly calling for the Freedom Caucus to “disband and join the uniparty that runs Jefferson City.”

Brattin quit soon after, saying he opposed the stadium funding but voted in favor after the property tax provisions were added that he believed would benefit his constituents.&nbsp;

“I agree with the caucus probably on 95% of the issues,” Hudson said, “and I intend to continue to be allies with them and work with them on issues that we agree on. There have been some times where tactically, there may have been some disagreements where I may have wanted to go a different direction.”

Schroer said the fact that the legislature is poised to debate a congressional map that seeks to eliminate the Democratic-leaning seat in Kansas City shows the Freedom Caucus is anything but dead.&nbsp;

“Back in 2022, the Freedom Caucus pushed for a 7-1 map and couldn’t get enough Republicans to help us,” he said. “Now we’re going to do it.”

The overarching goal, he said, is that the Freedom Caucus will pull the party to the right so the caucus will no longer need to exist at all.&nbsp;

“When we’ve got enough of these strong-willed conservatives that are able to stand up to the establishment and stand up to special interest groups, hopefully at that point we’ll have a majority of the majority,” he said, “ and there will be no need for the Freedom Caucus.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755512662140.png" alt=" State Sen. Nick Schroer, a Defiance Republican, offers a floor substitute to his cannabis bill on April 9, kicking off a lengthy debate of the legislation (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Nick Schroer, a Defiance Republican, offers a floor substitute to his cannabis bill on April 9, kicking off a lengthy debate of the legislation (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Only state Sens. Nick Schroer and Adam Schnelting remain in a group whose quarrels with GOP leadership defined years of Missouri Senate gridlock</h2>Just as the Missouri Freedom Caucus appears on the cusp of its biggest legislative victories, half of its members in the Senate have quit.&nbsp;Missouri lawmakers are poised to return to Jefferson City next month to redraw the state’s eight congressional districts in order to gerrymander the Kansas City-based seat of Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. They’re also considering changes to the initiative petition process to make it harder for Missourians to change the state constitution.&nbsp;Both have been longtime priorities of the Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-right GOP state lawmakers whose quarrels with party leaders led to years of Missouri Senate gridlock.Yet after years of holding outsize sway in Missouri politics, the Senate Freedom Caucus is down to only two members.&nbsp;State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican and former caucus chairman, quit in June following a break with the group over&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/09/missouri-freedom-caucus-royals-chiefs-stadium/">a $1.5 billion incentive package to finance stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals</a>.&nbsp;State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair, who also voted in favor of the stadium bill, soon joined him. He told The Independent last week that his differences with the caucus focused on tactics, not policy.&nbsp;“I’ve got nothing but respect for my friends in the Freedom Caucus,” Hudson said.The departures mean only two state senators from St. Charles County — Nick Schroer and Adam Schnelting — are still aligned with the Freedom Caucus.&nbsp;Schroer, who took over as caucus chairman after Brattin stepped down, insists the group is “stronger than ever” despite the loss of half its Senate membership.&nbsp;There are 11 members of the caucus in the House, Schroer said, and numerous candidates likely to join the group who are running in GOP primaries for open Senate seats next year. Not to mention, he said, Missouri’s secretary of state and two congressmen are Freedom Caucus alums.&nbsp;“I’m not concerned whatsoever that at this moment we only have two very strong senators,” he said. “And I think those numbers are going to grow. But just like in years past, there are going to be senators who may not be wearing the Freedom Caucus insignia, but they are going to be with us on 99.9% of issues.”But the caucus’ dwindling numbers in the Senate, where its influence was always most acutely felt, has some wondering if its days in the center of the Missouri political spotlight are drawing to a close.&nbsp;It began in 2018, when a group of GOP senators formed what they called the conservative caucus.&nbsp;The group’s formation set off an escalating war with Republican leadership that culminated four years later when acrimony became so bad that the Senate adjourned a day early for the first time since a fixed adjournment date was set in the state constitution in 1952.Soon after, the conservative caucus announced it was disbanding.&nbsp;A year later, six Republican senators — most of whom were part of the conservative caucus — announced the formation of the Missouri Freedom Caucus.&nbsp;&nbsp;And the Republican civil war resumed almost immediately.&nbsp;The 2023 legislative session saw Freedom Caucus members using near-daily procedural maneuvers to gum up the Senate. Republican leadership responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/23/missouri-freedom-caucus-leaders-ousted-from-senate-chairmanships-over-stall-tactics/">stripping caucus members of committee assignments</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/25/missouri-senate-gop-warfare-escalates-with-suggestion-of-expelling-freedom-caucus-leader/">musing about their expulsion</a>.&nbsp;The 2024 session saw no improvement, resulting in fewer bills passed than any year in living memory, including the COVID-shortened session in 2020.&nbsp;Throughout the turmoil, the group kept losing members.&nbsp;State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, quit in 2021, telling The Independent at the time that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/09/she-doesnt-have-a-tribe-cindy-olaughlins-new-role-tests-ability-to-bridge-factions/">she grew tired of the group’s disruptive tactics</a>. She went on to become majority leader and president pro tem of the Senate, routinely squabbling with her former caucus colleagues.&nbsp;GOP state Sen. Jill Carter of Granby left the group last year, saying she could no longer in good conscience be a part of “<a href="https://www.missourinet.com/2024/05/08/missouri-senator-further-explains-decision-to-leave-freedom-caucus/" target="_blank">actions behind the scenes that defame grassroots and violate the needs of my constituents</a>.”Tensions in the Senate cooled this year, with&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/27/dysfunction-derailed-the-missouri-senate-for-years-so-far-2025-has-been-quiet/">term limits pushing key figures on both sides of the fight out of the chamber</a>. The detente led to a much more productive session, marked more by partisan squabbling than GOP infighting.&nbsp;That changed after Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers back into special session in June to pass incentives aimed at keeping the Chiefs and Royals from moving to Kansas.&nbsp;The Freedom Caucus vowed to oppose the funding scheme, which it decried as a “handout to billionaire sports team owners.” But Brattin and Hudson voted in support of the plan after a provision was added making changes to local property tax bills.Both were accused of betraying the caucus’ principles, with the group’s longtime political adviser publicly calling for the Freedom Caucus to “disband and join the uniparty that runs Jefferson City.”Brattin quit soon after, saying he opposed the stadium funding but voted in favor after the property tax provisions were added that he believed would benefit his constituents.&nbsp;Hudson quit a month later.&nbsp;“I agree with the caucus probably on 95% of the issues,” Hudson said, “and I intend to continue to be allies with them and work with them on issues that we agree on. There have been some times where tactically, there may have been some disagreements where I may have wanted to go a different direction.”Schroer said the fact that the legislature is poised to debate a congressional map that seeks to eliminate the Democratic-leaning seat in Kansas City shows the Freedom Caucus is anything but dead.&nbsp;“Back in 2022, the Freedom Caucus pushed for a 7-1 map and couldn’t get enough Republicans to help us,” he said. “Now we’re going to do it.”The overarching goal, he said, is that the Freedom Caucus will pull the party to the right so the caucus will no longer need to exist at all.&nbsp;“When we’ve got enough of these strong-willed conservatives that are able to stand up to the establishment and stand up to special interest groups, hopefully at that point we’ll have a majority of the majority,” he said, “ and there will be no need for the Freedom Caucus.”

Missouri Freedom Caucus left with only two Senate members after summer of defections

CALDWELL COUNTY—A Missouri was injured in an accident and then arrested just before 9:30p.m. Saturday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford F150 driven by 28-year-old Jarrad W. Stone of Cameron was eastbound on NE Independence Drive at NE Springhill Road one mile south of Hamilton. 

&nbsp;The driver failed to stop at the T-intersection. The pickup traveled off the road, struck an embankment and a tree. Stone was arrested on requested charges of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and careless and imprudent driving involving an accident.

 A private vehicle transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.

CALDWELL COUNTY—A Missouri was injured in an accident and then arrested just before 9:30p.m. Saturday in Caldwell County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford F150 driven by 28-year-old Jarrad W. Stone of Cameron was eastbound on NE Independence Drive at NE Springhill Road one mile south of Hamilton. &nbsp;The driver failed to stop at the T-intersection. The pickup traveled off the road, struck an embankment and a tree. Stone was arrested on requested charges of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and careless and imprudent driving involving an accident. A private vehicle transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.

Mo. man accused of DWI after pickup crash into a tree

Missouri had a total teacher turnover rate of 14.6% during the 2023-24 school year, more than double the national average

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/juliannamejia/">JULIANNA MEJIA</a>

Summertime may almost be over, but for teachers like Audra Day, the work has been nonstop.

Day is a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School during the academic year, but has spent her break as a summer school teacher and mentor while also preparing for the upcoming school year.

She said one of the misconceptions about being a teacher is that they have the entire summer off. In reality, Day doesn’t have the opportunity to take much of a break outside of the weeks that bookend summer school activities.

“That’s only for four weeks off, which is what most people get off for vacation,” Day said.

Though she loves her job, Day said it can be frustrating.

Missouri had a total teacher turnover rate of 14.6% during the 2023-24 school year, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.primecenter.org/education-reports-database/teacher-turnover" target="_blank">a May 2025 report</a>&nbsp;led by Cameron Anglum, a researcher affiliated with St. Louis University’s PRiME Center. That’s more than double the national average of 7% during the same school year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-29.html" target="_blank">according to research organization RAND</a>.

Anglum defines total teacher turnover as teachers switching districts within Missouri and teachers leaving Missouri public education altogether. He said both the pandemic and the years following were rough for teachers as online accommodations were limited and the ensuing global inflation made teacher salaries even more dismal by comparison.

“You mix all of those things together, and it was an enormously difficult two- or three-year period for teachers,” Anglum said. “Teaching in general is an enormously difficult profession, but over the pandemic, working conditions worsened pretty significantly.”

The National Education Association&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-pay-and-student-spending-how-does-your-state-rank" target="_blank">ranks Missouri</a>&nbsp;as the 49th state in the nation in both average teacher starting salary and average educator salary, as of the 2023-24 school year. As teacher turnover rates remain high, Anglum said the pressure of filling in the gaps weighs on educators and school districts.

“When schools see an increase in teachers leaving, that places a much larger burden on recruiting new teachers, and we often don’t have the supply of new teachers to fill those vacant positions,” Anglum said.

As issues with teacher retention and recruitment continue, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state legislature have implemented policies to improve teacher pay before classes begin next month.

During the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=244" target="_blank">Senate Bill 727</a>, which requires the minimum salary for teachers to increase from $25,000 to $40,000 for the 2025-26 school year, with a minimum salary of $46,000 for educators with master’s degrees and at least ten years of experience.

“This hopefully will be part of one of several strategies that will help us get more qualified teachers into the field and keep the ones that we have,” said Kari Monsees, former deputy commissioner of the Division of Administrative and Financial Services at DESE, who retired in June.

To facilitate this, lawmakers created and have provided funding for an initiative known as the Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Program. While these grants existed before, the same legislation that implemented higher minimum teacher salaries also created the formal program that will provide school districts paying wages below the minimum with funding to comply with the new state policy.

While the intent is good, some experts said the grant program could cause uncertainty for continued funding in future school years.

Caitlin Whaley is the senior director of advocacy and governmental relations for the Missouri School Boards’ Association. Whaley said that because the grant is subject to annual state appropriations that are not mandated by law, it may not be a reliable funding stream.

“We certainly appreciate that the legislature is willing to put their money where their mouth is and fund that program, but it’s just hard to rely on it year over year, when you don’t know when that funding could potentially not be renewed,” she said.

Rebeka McIntosh, president of the Missouri National Education Association and a former educator, said that increasing the teacher salary and funding certain aspects of education like transportation and the foundation formula is a good first step, but it’s the bare minimum. She said the state also made several cuts and withholdings for educational programs recently.

“Those have direct impact on our public school classrooms, and that is of great concern,” she said. “To say we need to recruit, retain, and then to cut the legs off from underneath … that will then fall again onto districts to find some sort of avenue to have to Scotch tape it together again, and our students deserve better.”

Even more, Todd Fuller, spokesperson for Missouri State Teachers Association, said the increase in minimum salary still leaves Missouri behind its neighboring states, which have also been increasing the minimum salaries for their educators.

“It’s felt like a battle to try to get us to a point where teachers are adequately compensated and we’ve finally gotten to a starting salary of $40,000, [but] the frustrating part of that is when you look at us and all the states bordering Missouri, we’re still last,” Fuller said. “Just as soon as we increase that salary, everybody else has increased their salary, and it keeps us still toward the bottom of starting salaries.”

While organizations like MSTA have been advocating for an increase in the minimum salary, Fuller said the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://msta.org/news-and-media/2025-member-survey" target="_blank">an annual survey</a>&nbsp;from the group show that the reason for high teacher turnover rates is not entirely because of pay, though it is a contributing factor for some.

“Salary is not the number one reason that teachers are leaving,” Fuller said. “Teachers are leaving because of discipline issues. They’re leaving because of unrealistic expectations for classroom management, especially when they don’t have backing from the administration.”

As an educator for 30 years, Aimee Epley, a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School, feels that those outside of education may not realize the challenges that teachers face in their profession.

“I think they think that we’re glorified babysitters, so they don’t feel that pay is low because they don’t have an understanding of what we actually do,” Epley said. “Once you have somebody come in and observe, people are in awe of how a classroom is handled and ran.”

As rewarding as her career has been, Epley was relieved when her daughter didn’t pursue work in education despite being interested in that vocation.

“I knew she had the heart of a teacher. I was afraid of that, because I didn’t want her to be a teacher, because I didn’t want her to struggle financially in ways I have had to struggle,” Epley said.

Still, Epley remains hopeful for the future of education.

“I think we’re going to be on a struggle bus for a while, and then I think it’ll eventually swing back,” Epley said. “I don’t think there’s a point where we’re not appreciated for the job we do. I [just] don’t think we’re fiscally supported for the job that we do.”

This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/government/on-a-struggle-bus-educators-await-increase-in-starting-teacher-pay-amid-high-turnover-rates/article_8bb8e10d-1a94-49ef-826a-c224e7f3208b.html" target="_blank">Missouri Business Alert</a>, a digital newsroom covering businessand the economy in Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755398942914.png" alt=" Aimee Epley is a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption> Aimee Epley is a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Missouri had a total teacher turnover rate of 14.6% during the 2023-24 school year, more than double the national average</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/juliannamejia/">JULIANNA MEJIA</a>Summertime may almost be over, but for teachers like Audra Day, the work has been nonstop.Day is a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School during the academic year, but has spent her break as a summer school teacher and mentor while also preparing for the upcoming school year.She said one of the misconceptions about being a teacher is that they have the entire summer off. In reality, Day doesn’t have the opportunity to take much of a break outside of the weeks that bookend summer school activities.“That’s only for four weeks off, which is what most people get off for vacation,” Day said.Though she loves her job, Day said it can be frustrating.Missouri had a total teacher turnover rate of 14.6% during the 2023-24 school year, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.primecenter.org/education-reports-database/teacher-turnover" target="_blank">a May 2025 report</a>&nbsp;led by Cameron Anglum, a researcher affiliated with St. Louis University’s PRiME Center. That’s more than double the national average of 7% during the same school year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-29.html" target="_blank">according to research organization RAND</a>.Anglum defines total teacher turnover as teachers switching districts within Missouri and teachers leaving Missouri public education altogether. He said both the pandemic and the years following were rough for teachers as online accommodations were limited and the ensuing global inflation made teacher salaries even more dismal by comparison.“You mix all of those things together, and it was an enormously difficult two- or three-year period for teachers,” Anglum said. “Teaching in general is an enormously difficult profession, but over the pandemic, working conditions worsened pretty significantly.”The National Education Association&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-pay-and-student-spending-how-does-your-state-rank" target="_blank">ranks Missouri</a>&nbsp;as the 49th state in the nation in both average teacher starting salary and average educator salary, as of the 2023-24 school year. As teacher turnover rates remain high, Anglum said the pressure of filling in the gaps weighs on educators and school districts.“When schools see an increase in teachers leaving, that places a much larger burden on recruiting new teachers, and we often don’t have the supply of new teachers to fill those vacant positions,” Anglum said.As issues with teacher retention and recruitment continue, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state legislature have implemented policies to improve teacher pay before classes begin next month.During the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=244" target="_blank">Senate Bill 727</a>, which requires the minimum salary for teachers to increase from $25,000 to $40,000 for the 2025-26 school year, with a minimum salary of $46,000 for educators with master’s degrees and at least ten years of experience.“This hopefully will be part of one of several strategies that will help us get more qualified teachers into the field and keep the ones that we have,” said Kari Monsees, former deputy commissioner of the Division of Administrative and Financial Services at DESE, who retired in June.To facilitate this, lawmakers created and have provided funding for an initiative known as the Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Program. While these grants existed before, the same legislation that implemented higher minimum teacher salaries also created the formal program that will provide school districts paying wages below the minimum with funding to comply with the new state policy.While the intent is good, some experts said the grant program could cause uncertainty for continued funding in future school years.Caitlin Whaley is the senior director of advocacy and governmental relations for the Missouri School Boards’ Association. Whaley said that because the grant is subject to annual state appropriations that are not mandated by law, it may not be a reliable funding stream.“We certainly appreciate that the legislature is willing to put their money where their mouth is and fund that program, but it’s just hard to rely on it year over year, when you don’t know when that funding could potentially not be renewed,” she said.Rebeka McIntosh, president of the Missouri National Education Association and a former educator, said that increasing the teacher salary and funding certain aspects of education like transportation and the foundation formula is a good first step, but it’s the bare minimum. She said the state also made several cuts and withholdings for educational programs recently.“Those have direct impact on our public school classrooms, and that is of great concern,” she said. “To say we need to recruit, retain, and then to cut the legs off from underneath … that will then fall again onto districts to find some sort of avenue to have to Scotch tape it together again, and our students deserve better.”Even more, Todd Fuller, spokesperson for Missouri State Teachers Association, said the increase in minimum salary still leaves Missouri behind its neighboring states, which have also been increasing the minimum salaries for their educators.“It’s felt like a battle to try to get us to a point where teachers are adequately compensated and we’ve finally gotten to a starting salary of $40,000, [but] the frustrating part of that is when you look at us and all the states bordering Missouri, we’re still last,” Fuller said. “Just as soon as we increase that salary, everybody else has increased their salary, and it keeps us still toward the bottom of starting salaries.”While organizations like MSTA have been advocating for an increase in the minimum salary, Fuller said the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://msta.org/news-and-media/2025-member-survey" target="_blank">an annual survey</a>&nbsp;from the group show that the reason for high teacher turnover rates is not entirely because of pay, though it is a contributing factor for some.“Salary is not the number one reason that teachers are leaving,” Fuller said. “Teachers are leaving because of discipline issues. They’re leaving because of unrealistic expectations for classroom management, especially when they don’t have backing from the administration.”As an educator for 30 years, Aimee Epley, a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School, feels that those outside of education may not realize the challenges that teachers face in their profession.“I think they think that we’re glorified babysitters, so they don’t feel that pay is low because they don’t have an understanding of what we actually do,” Epley said. “Once you have somebody come in and observe, people are in awe of how a classroom is handled and ran.”As rewarding as her career has been, Epley was relieved when her daughter didn’t pursue work in education despite being interested in that vocation.“I knew she had the heart of a teacher. I was afraid of that, because I didn’t want her to be a teacher, because I didn’t want her to struggle financially in ways I have had to struggle,” Epley said.Still, Epley remains hopeful for the future of education.“I think we’re going to be on a struggle bus for a while, and then I think it’ll eventually swing back,” Epley said. “I don’t think there’s a point where we’re not appreciated for the job we do. I [just] don’t think we’re fiscally supported for the job that we do.”This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/government/on-a-struggle-bus-educators-await-increase-in-starting-teacher-pay-amid-high-turnover-rates/article_8bb8e10d-1a94-49ef-826a-c224e7f3208b.html" target="_blank">Missouri Business Alert</a>, a digital newsroom covering businessand the economy in Missouri.

Missouri educators await increase in starting teacher pay amid high turnover rates

ATCHISON COUNTY —A St. Joseph couple are in custody after a police investigation in Atchison.

On Thursday, police arrested 35-year-old&nbsp;Christopher C. Cash and 43-year-old Crystal L. Cash both of St. Joseph in the 11000 block U.S.59. He was booked into jail in connection with a Nodaway County Missouri warrant for stealing, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp;

She was jailed on a Nodaway County Missouri warrant for stealing and a Doniphan County Ks warrant for failure to appear in court.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ATCHISON COUNTY —A St. Joseph couple are in custody after a police investigation in Atchison.On Thursday, police arrested 35-year-old&nbsp;Christopher C. Cash and 43-year-old Crystal L. Cash both of St. Joseph in the 11000 block U.S.59. He was booked into jail in connection with a Nodaway County Missouri warrant for stealing, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp;She was jailed on a Nodaway County Missouri warrant for stealing and a Doniphan County Ks warrant for failure to appear in court.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Joseph couple jailed for alleged theft in Kansas

With school beginning next week around St. Joseph, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office is giong to be keeping an eye on school zones and bus routes. 

Captain Mike Hess says the Sheriff's office wants everyone to be sure to refamiliarize themselves with safety measures around school areas 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post With school beginning next week around St. Joseph, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office is giong to be keeping an eye on school zones and bus routes. Captain Mike Hess says the Sheriff's office wants everyone to be sure to refamiliarize themselves with safety measures around school areas "Meaning watch your speeds in the school zones, those speeds will be enforced," Hess says on the KFEQmunnity show. "And especially school bus safety, as you start to travel those roadways that you haven't seen school busses on in a few months, get used to those coming back out, because we always usually have some events with school busses regardless of what time of year, so we want to make sure folks are very careful with that." Hess says the Sheriff's office is always enforcing these safety measures on some level, but for the first two weeks of school there will be an enhanced push to protect children. Hess says every year the Sheriff's office hears some of the same complaints from people when it comes to traffic in school zones. "We're seeing a tremendous amount of speeders in the area through the school zone, or we're having a problem with some folks passing a school bus when the red stop sign is out," Hess explains. "And we want to make sure those are just prevented from the beginning, get everybody in the habit of stopping behind a school bus, you have to stop." Hess reminds everyone that not stopping for a bus with its stop sign out is a ticket able offense. During the first two weeks of school officers will be out on random bus routes monitoring for violators. Hess reminds drivers those school zones can be anything that is marked with that school zone sign where drivers should be aware and slow down "So it could be a cross walk associated to it, it could be the area immediately in front, to the side, however you want to phrase that, of the school," Hess says. "But all those speeds are reduced because of the amount of children around." Hess points out all these measures are to make sure people are aware of the school zone rules and are refamiliarizing themselves with them as school starts back up. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

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