Friends, family, and long, hot practices for the Kansas City
Chiefs who just wrapped up a full weekend of practices in pads.

The Chiefs practices for more than two hours on Sunday.

Offensive lineman Trey Smith acknowledges things get a little
chippy between the offense and the defense during drills.

“I mean, coach sets the tempo, but it’s football man,” Smith
tells reporters after Sunday’s practice on the Missouri Western State
University campus. “Anger, sparks are going to fly, bodies might get hit a
little harder than expected. It is what it is, though. At the end of the day,
we’re grown men out here competing for jobs. Man, there’s going to be tension
and there’s going to be a lot of hot heads and stuff going on, but even cool
tempers, we know what our goal is at the end of the year, though. We’re going
to get after it.”

Linebacker Drue Tranquill returns to the team after signing an
extension.

“We’ve got a great group of guys and we’re excited to play
ball,” Tranquill tells reporters post-practice. “One of the things I noticed
when I came to Kansas City is you just had a group of guys who love to play
football. The days get long out here at St. Joe. They can get hot. Thankfully,
we had a nice breeze today. Everybody felt it. It felt good. But the spirit was
high. We’ve just got a lot in the balance. We’ve got a lot to compete for. We
know, Coach Reid says it every day, you’ve just got to show up and push
through.”

Smith says it is a privilege to line up with long-time friend
of Creed Humphrey.

“Creed and I have known each other since sophomore year of
high school. So, we’ve always been friends. And to be able to play with a guy,
to have that continuity, that chemistry together as well, it makes our jobs a
lot easier; a lot of things we don’t have to verbalize.” Smith says. “It’s been
a huge help, man. It’s easy when you play next to a talent player like that.”

And Tranquill praises the sacrifices made by the wives
and families as the players sequester on the Missouri Western campus for
training camp.

“Our families go through a lot for us to play this
game. They don’t get nearly the credit we do,” Tranquill says. “They don’t get
to talk to the media, the media doesn’t really talk about them, and so the
stuff that they do behind the scenes to make this possible is nothing short of
amazing. They know how much we love and appreciate them. We love our wives, we
love our kids, we love our family.”

The Chiefs return to the practice fields on the Missouri Western
campus tomorrow morning, before taking Tuesday off.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722200481498.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Center Creed Humphrey talk with coaches during Training Camp warmups./Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Center Creed Humphrey talk with coaches during Training Camp warmups./Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostFriends, family, and long, hot practices for the Kansas City
Chiefs who just wrapped up a full weekend of practices in pads.The Chiefs practices for more than two hours on Sunday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722200567585.jpeg" alt="Trey Smith/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Trey Smith/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>Offensive lineman Trey Smith acknowledges things get a little
chippy between the offense and the defense during drills.“I mean, coach sets the tempo, but it’s football man,” Smith
tells reporters after Sunday’s practice on the Missouri Western State
University campus. “Anger, sparks are going to fly, bodies might get hit a
little harder than expected. It is what it is, though. At the end of the day,
we’re grown men out here competing for jobs. Man, there’s going to be tension
and there’s going to be a lot of hot heads and stuff going on, but even cool
tempers, we know what our goal is at the end of the year, though. We’re going
to get after it.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722200618724.jpeg" alt="Drue Tranquill/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Drue Tranquill/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>Linebacker Drue Tranquill returns to the team after signing an
extension.“We’ve got a great group of guys and we’re excited to play
ball,” Tranquill tells reporters post-practice. “One of the things I noticed
when I came to Kansas City is you just had a group of guys who love to play
football. The days get long out here at St. Joe. They can get hot. Thankfully,
we had a nice breeze today. Everybody felt it. It felt good. But the spirit was
high. We’ve just got a lot in the balance. We’ve got a lot to compete for. We
know, Coach Reid says it every day, you’ve just got to show up and push
through.”Smith says it is a privilege to line up with long-time friend
of Creed Humphrey.“Creed and I have known each other since sophomore year of
high school. So, we’ve always been friends. And to be able to play with a guy,
to have that continuity, that chemistry together as well, it makes our jobs a
lot easier; a lot of things we don’t have to verbalize.” Smith says. “It’s been
a huge help, man. It’s easy when you play next to a talent player like that.”And Tranquill praises the sacrifices made by the wives
and families as the players sequester on the Missouri Western campus for
training camp.“Our families go through a lot for us to play this
game. They don’t get nearly the credit we do,” Tranquill says. “They don’t get
to talk to the media, the media doesn’t really talk about them, and so the
stuff that they do behind the scenes to make this possible is nothing short of
amazing. They know how much we love and appreciate them. We love our wives, we
love our kids, we love our family.”The Chiefs return to the practice fields on the Missouri Western
campus tomorrow morning, before taking Tuesday off.

Chiefs wrap up a full weekend of Training Camp in St. Joseph

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Saturday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Taurus driven by Rebecca M. Cox, 22, Chillicothe, was northbound on LIV 239 two miles north of Chillicothe.

The car traveled off the east side of the road, rolled and came to rest on its top. EMS transported Cox to Hedrick Medical Center. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Saturday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Taurus driven by Rebecca M. Cox, 22, Chillicothe, was northbound on LIV 239 two miles north of Chillicothe.The car traveled off the east side of the road, rolled and came to rest on its top. EMS transported Cox to Hedrick Medical Center. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman injured after rollover accident

After an exciting offseason that saw Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce trotting around the globe, he's now back with the Chiefs seeking to make history.  

Kelce says that it hasn't been much of a transition to get back to work at training camp, and calls St. Joseph his "sanctuary" 

"St. Joe, year 12, that means I've spent just about an entire year of my life up here in the dorms," Kelce tells reporter's post-practice. "Everybody may see that as pretty grueling, but I enjoy it man, there's something about this place that gets you ready every single year and I'm not going to lie I got pretty excited as the time started counting down to get out here and get this thing rolling." 

Kelce says the biggest challenge this offseason was getting his body ready after the toll taken on it last season.

There is a lot of excitement this Chiefs Training Camp about new faces that promise to make an already dynamic team even more competitive.  

Kelce says he's excited about a lot of those new pieces. 

"We got new chess pieces, guys that have different traits and we're just trying to blend that all together to make the best team possible, both on offense and defense and obviously special teams," Kelce says.  "It's just the ultimate grind session of working together." 

"We have to be more together right now then even, well I don't want to say during the season, but right now this is where you really build that togetherness, that chemistry, that ability to lean on each other and fight for each other." 

While there are a lot of new faces on this year's Chiefs team stepping into new roles, it's the same story for one not so new face on the defense. 

The Chiefs lost linebacker Willie Gay to free agency this offseason, and now it's expected that third year linebacker Leo Chenal will have his role expanded to fill that gap.  

Chenal says right now he's just doing whatever coaches ask him to do.  

"I have certain strengths to my game, whether it's getting on the line or addressing blockers, so it's really just doing whatever Spags asks me to do," Chenal explains.  "Lining up in the A gap, on the edge, off the ball, I'm getting more and more comfortable with the things I didn't do in college and hopefully it will get me more time on the field, and I can help the team out as best I can." 

Chenal says it's been good to learn all these different formations and says he's been working with guys like George Karlaftis, Chris Jones, and defensive line coach Terry Bradden on ways to line up and defensive line moves.  

The Chiefs held their second practice in full pads and practiced for nearly two hours today.  They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 at Missouri Western State University.

The Chiefs know whose kicking, but who could be returning kicks?

Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub knows who's going to be kicking off this season, but as for punt and kick returns that's still being determined. 

Toub says every practice he has at least 19 guys working out at punt and kick return, but realistically in his mind there are five or six that could take the job.  

"(Xavier) Worthy no question, (Kadarius) Toney is in there, Mecole, Hollywood he's exciting to think that he can do it," Toub says. "And the guy that's done a really good job is Nikko Remigio." 

Toub says he's already tabbed Harrison Butker as the guy who will be kicking off this season, under new kickoff rules, which Toub says he's both excited and nervous about. 

"We've been working on it a lot, we'll work on it again tomorrow in practice, you work on it in walkthroughs almost every time," Toub explains. "But there's a lot of unknowns with it, how are teams going to attack you, what are they going to do and what are the kickers going to do, what's going to be the philosophy, and how are they going to officiate it too."  

Toub says it's going to be an ongoing learning process and stresses the importance of this year's preseason games.

Chiefs' receiver Justin Watson was again not in pads for practice today.  Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said on Friday that he's day to day with an ankle injury.   

Watson was spotted after practice getting some work in taking passes off the jugs machine kneeling on one knee.  There was no boot, no noticeable wrap, no noticeable limp before he headed back to the training complex. 

Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson again left practice early following cornerback and wide receiver drills.  He did walk off the field on his own power and seemed to want to return to practice before leaving for the training complex.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722105594971.jpeg" alt="Travis Kelce holds off a defender as he runs downfield/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Travis Kelce holds off a defender as he runs downfield/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAfter an exciting offseason that saw Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce trotting around the globe, he's now back with the Chiefs seeking to make history. Kelce says that it hasn't been much of a transition to get back to work at training camp, and calls St. Joseph his "sanctuary" "St. Joe, year 12, that means I've spent just about an entire year of my life up here in the dorms," Kelce tells reporter's post-practice. "Everybody may see that as pretty grueling, but I enjoy it man, there's something about this place that gets you ready every single year and I'm not going to lie I got pretty excited as the time started counting down to get out here and get this thing rolling." Kelce says the biggest challenge this offseason was getting his body ready after the toll taken on it last season.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722105659670.jpeg" alt="Travis Kelce celebrates after scoring a touchdown during drills at Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Travis Kelce celebrates after scoring a touchdown during drills at Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>There is a lot of excitement this Chiefs Training Camp about new faces that promise to make an already dynamic team even more competitive. Kelce says he's excited about a lot of those new pieces. "We got new chess pieces, guys that have different traits and we're just trying to blend that all together to make the best team possible, both on offense and defense and obviously special teams," Kelce says. "It's just the ultimate grind session of working together." "We have to be more together right now then even, well I don't want to say during the season, but right now this is where you really build that togetherness, that chemistry, that ability to lean on each other and fight for each other." While there are a lot of new faces on this year's Chiefs team stepping into new roles, it's the same story for one not so new face on the defense. The Chiefs lost linebacker Willie Gay to free agency this offseason, and now it's expected that third year linebacker Leo Chenal will have his role expanded to fill that gap. Chenal says right now he's just doing whatever coaches ask him to do. "I have certain strengths to my game, whether it's getting on the line or addressing blockers, so it's really just doing whatever Spags asks me to do," Chenal explains. "Lining up in the A gap, on the edge, off the ball, I'm getting more and more comfortable with the things I didn't do in college and hopefully it will get me more time on the field, and I can help the team out as best I can." Chenal says it's been good to learn all these different formations and says he's been working with guys like George Karlaftis, Chris Jones, and defensive line coach Terry Bradden on ways to line up and defensive line moves. The Chiefs held their second practice in full pads and practiced for nearly two hours today. They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 at Missouri Western State University.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722105811467.png" alt="Leo Chenal (54) walks down the hill along with receiver Justin Watson (84), linebacker Cole Christiansen (48) and Drue Tranquill (23)/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Leo Chenal (54) walks down the hill along with receiver Justin Watson (84), linebacker Cole Christiansen (48) and Drue Tranquill (23)/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>The Chiefs know whose kicking, but who could be returning kicks? Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub knows who's going to be kicking off this season, but as for punt and kick returns that's still being determined. Toub says every practice he has at least 19 guys working out at punt and kick return, but realistically in his mind there are five or six that could take the job. "(Xavier) Worthy no question, (Kadarius) Toney is in there, Mecole, Hollywood he's exciting to think that he can do it," Toub says. "And the guy that's done a really good job is Nikko Remigio." Toub says he's already tabbed Harrison Butker as the guy who will be kicking off this season, under new kickoff rules, which Toub says he's both excited and nervous about. "We've been working on it a lot, we'll work on it again tomorrow in practice, you work on it in walkthroughs almost every time," Toub explains. "But there's a lot of unknowns with it, how are teams going to attack you, what are they going to do and what are the kickers going to do, what's going to be the philosophy, and how are they going to officiate it too." Toub says it's going to be an ongoing learning process and stresses the importance of this year's preseason games.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722105936347.jpeg" alt="Kicker Harrison Butker (7) attempts a kick as new punter Matt Araiza (49) holds/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Kicker Harrison Butker (7) attempts a kick as new punter Matt Araiza (49) holds/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Injury Report Chiefs' receiver Justin Watson was again not in pads for practice today. Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said on Friday that he's day to day with an ankle injury. Watson was spotted after practice getting some work in taking passes off the jugs machine kneeling on one knee. There was no boot, no noticeable wrap, no noticeable limp before he headed back to the training complex. Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson again left practice early following cornerback and wide receiver drills. He did walk off the field on his own power and seemed to want to return to practice before leaving for the training complex.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

After traveling the globe, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce glad to be back in St. Joseph

CALDWELL COUNTY—A teen driver was injured and another driver arrested after&nbsp; an accident just before 10:30p.m. Friday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Ram 2500 driven by&nbsp; Torey S. Lenz, 35, Curtis, Nebraska, was westbound in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 36 one mile south of Kidder.

The pickup struck a 2005 Honda Pilot driven by a 16-year-old Breckenridge girl head-on.

Cameron ambulance transported the teen to Children's Mercy. Lenz refused treatment at the scene.&nbsp; He was arrested on requested charges of Felony driving while intoxicated causing serious injury, driving the wrong driving the wrong direction on a divided highway and for no seat belt. The teen driver was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

CALDWELL COUNTY—A teen driver was injured and another driver arrested after&nbsp; an accident just before 10:30p.m. Friday in Caldwell County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Ram 2500 driven by&nbsp; Torey S. Lenz, 35, Curtis, Nebraska, was westbound in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 36 one mile south of Kidder.The pickup struck a 2005 Honda Pilot driven by a 16-year-old Breckenridge girl head-on.Cameron ambulance transported the teen to Children's Mercy. Lenz refused treatment at the scene.&nbsp; He was arrested on requested charges of Felony driving while intoxicated causing serious injury, driving the wrong driving the wrong direction on a divided highway and for no seat belt. The teen driver was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Mo. teen hospitalized, driver arrested after wrong-way crash

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. —One person was injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Friday in Atchison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Dodge Durango driven by Corie D. Hicks, 42, Fairfax, was northbound on Route N three miles south of Tarkio following a John Deere Gator driven by Roger L. Pennel, 65, Fairfax.

The SUV attempted to pass the UTV as Pennel began to turn left into a field. The SUV struck the UTV on the driver's side.

Atchison Holt EMS transported Hicks to Fairfax Community Hospital. Pennel was not injured. Hicks was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. —One person was injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Friday in Atchison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Dodge Durango driven by Corie D. Hicks, 42, Fairfax, was northbound on Route N three miles south of Tarkio following a John Deere Gator driven by Roger L. Pennel, 65, Fairfax.The SUV attempted to pass the UTV as Pennel began to turn left into a field. The SUV struck the UTV on the driver's side.Atchison Holt EMS transported Hicks to Fairfax Community Hospital. Pennel was not injured. Hicks was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Mo. woman injured after SUV collides with UTV

Chiefs Training Camp returned to the Missouri Western State
University practice fields after taking Thursday off.

Head Coach Andy Reid says this first day of practice in pads
went well.

“Good day. Back in pads, which is a positive. The guys moved
around great,” Reid tells reporters after practice. “We’re in this wrap up
phase, so it was an hour and 40 minute practice and then we’ll kick it up a
little bit more tomorrow, eventually get to our normal practice.”

An hour and 40 minutes under hot conditions.

Still, Reid says the offense and defense traded light-hearted jabs
and did the work they needed to do.

“I thought the guys worked hard,” Reid says. “They challenged
each other back and forth, offense, defense; positive.”

The Chiefs returned to practice on the Missouri Western campus
Friday after taking Thursday off. A full weekend schedule awaits.

Kansas City added speed to its receiver corps by signing
Hollywood Brown, drafting Xavier Worthy, and retaining Mecole Hardman, hoping
to revive a potent offense.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says these receivers can allow him
to go deep.

“It’s getting better and better. Obviously, we missed on some
today. We’ve hit on some earlier in camp, but that’s what we’re doing it for.
We’re out here to practice, try to shoot the ball down the field by going
against the best defense in the National Football League,” Mahomes tells
reporters post-practice. “We’ll continue to get better and better with building
chemistry as the camp goes on.”

Mahomes says he hopes to be able to throw deep passes, which will
open up the middle for tight end Travis Kelce and others. Mahomes is quick to
point out the running back corps is strong as well.

Mahomes also says he has seen a rising star on defense in
cornerback Trent McDuffie, who he says has given him fits.

“That’s what we want. We want to play against the best and
that’s what we’re doing on a day-to-day basis,” Mahomes says. “I mean, Trent
man’s good. That man’s really good. I try him. I always tell him I’m going to
try him once or twice a day. You all have seen he’s gotten me a couple of times
and I’ve gotten over him, but that’s what makes great players great players.”

The team returns to practice tomorrow morning at 9:15.

The Red Rally will be held at Civic Center Park, beginning at
one o’clock Saturday afternoon.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722022714230.jpeg" alt="Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes speaks to reporters after Friday's Training Camp practice./Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes speaks to reporters after Friday's Training Camp practice./Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostChiefs Training Camp returned to the Missouri Western State
University practice fields after taking Thursday off.Head Coach Andy Reid says this first day of practice in pads
went well.“Good day. Back in pads, which is a positive. The guys moved
around great,” Reid tells reporters after practice. “We’re in this wrap up
phase, so it was an hour and 40 minute practice and then we’ll kick it up a
little bit more tomorrow, eventually get to our normal practice.”An hour and 40 minutes under hot conditions.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722022793136.jpeg" alt="Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid answers questions following Friday's practice./Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid answers questions following Friday's practice./Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>Still, Reid says the offense and defense traded light-hearted jabs
and did the work they needed to do.“I thought the guys worked hard,” Reid says. “They challenged
each other back and forth, offense, defense; positive.”The Chiefs returned to practice on the Missouri Western campus
Friday after taking Thursday off. A full weekend schedule awaits.Kansas City added speed to its receiver corps by signing
Hollywood Brown, drafting Xavier Worthy, and retaining Mecole Hardman, hoping
to revive a potent offense.Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says these receivers can allow him
to go deep.“It’s getting better and better. Obviously, we missed on some
today. We’ve hit on some earlier in camp, but that’s what we’re doing it for.
We’re out here to practice, try to shoot the ball down the field by going
against the best defense in the National Football League,” Mahomes tells
reporters post-practice. “We’ll continue to get better and better with building
chemistry as the camp goes on.”Mahomes says he hopes to be able to throw deep passes, which will
open up the middle for tight end Travis Kelce and others. Mahomes is quick to
point out the running back corps is strong as well.Mahomes also says he has seen a rising star on defense in
cornerback Trent McDuffie, who he says has given him fits.“That’s what we want. We want to play against the best and
that’s what we’re doing on a day-to-day basis,” Mahomes says. “I mean, Trent
man’s good. That man’s really good. I try him. I always tell him I’m going to
try him once or twice a day. You all have seen he’s gotten me a couple of times
and I’ve gotten over him, but that’s what makes great players great players.”The team returns to practice tomorrow morning at 9:15.The Red Rally will be held at Civic Center Park, beginning at
one o’clock Saturday afternoon.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Chiefs return to practice at MWSU, honing an offense with more speed

In response to questions from The Independent, state cannabis regulators said they’ve opened an investigation into three licenses awarded last year to verify whether they ‘continue to be majority owned and operated by eligible individuals’

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

When John Payne was leading the campaign to legalize recreational cannabis in 2022, he faced a major hurdle.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/03/09/with-legalization-looming-black-missourians-worry-about-losing-out-in-marijuana-industry/">Black business owners were largely excluded</a>&nbsp;from the medical marijuana program when licenses to grow and sell cannabis were doled out by the state in 2019, and many feared history was about to repeat itself.&nbsp;

So to soothe the concerns and win over&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/01/st-louis-mayor-tishaura-jones-announces-opposition-to-missouri-marijuana-amendment/">skeptics</a>, Payne partnered with Black community leaders to come up with what they hoped was a solution — a social equity program, known as “microbusiness licenses,” that would diversify the industry and ensure communities most impacted by the War on Drugs were not once again left out of the burgeoning industry.

“We do know from data that the people who have been harmed by marijuana prohibition directly, Black Americans are overrepresented,” Payne, who is white,<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/14/missouri-official-vows-to-conduct-survey-on-cannabis-business-demographics/">&nbsp;told The Independent last year</a>.

Because marijuana prohibition did the most harm on the Black community — Black Missourians are 2.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white Missourians — “that should carry over into a disproportionate good impact of the microbusiness licenses,” Payne said.

But documents uncovered by The Independent show that in some cases, Payne and his business partners were the ones aiming to benefit most from the social-equity program.

Payne’s name is connected to more than 300 social-equity applications submitted earlier this year for the second round of microbusiness licenses, winning six of the 24 dispensary licenses&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/mb-lottery-results-dispensary060424.pdf" target="_blank">selected through a lottery</a>&nbsp;in June and officially&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/mb-approved-denied-list072524.pdf" target="_blank">issued</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday.&nbsp;

For some of the applications, Payne recruited eligible Missourians and had them sign a 47-page contract that would ultimately give him and his partners 90.1% of profits and majority control of the business.&nbsp;

Despite only owning a fraction of the business, under state law the applicants would bear the lion’s share of the regulatory scrutiny. If they ever want to walk away from the deal, they would be required to pay a nearly $1 million fee.&nbsp;

In an interview with The Independent, Payne defended the contract, saying the arrangement was designed for people who wanted to get into the industry but didn’t want to put in their own money.&nbsp;

Payne insists the six successful applications he’s involved with this year didn’t use the contract. However, one license connected to Payne that was approved last year involved a nearly identical contract, which The Independent obtained through a public records request.

Four legal experts who reviewed the contract from this year for The Independent concluded it was unfair and potentially predatory. All four agreed state cannabis regulators should reject any license application connected to the contract because it violates the constitutional mandate requiring licenses to be “majority owned and operated” by the eligible applicant.&nbsp;

“If you don’t have the staying power and legal assistance, you’re going to get screwed,” said Michael Goldberg, managing partner of the Chicago-based firm Goldberg Law Group, about the 47-page contract.&nbsp;

Nimrod Chapel — an attorney, president of the Missouri NAACP and an outspoken critic of the 2022 legalization amendment — believes the contract meets the&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/news/newsitem/uuid/86ba6e97-2847-45fb-ab71-5d37f8579b2c/missouri-cannabis-regulators-provide-guidance-cautions-to-future-microbusiness-applicants" target="_blank">state’s definition of “predatory practices.”</a>

“I find it incredibly disappointing that this section of licensees is getting monopolized by John Payne,” Chapel said, “the very person who was in the middle of the campaign for cannabis legalization and used this as a way to gain minority buy-in.”&nbsp;

Joseph von Kaenel, a St. Louis corporate governance attorney, likened the arrangement to companies “abusing” public contracting dollars meant to empower minority businesses by “finding a woman or minority to front the business.”&nbsp;

The contract states several times that, “the applicant understands that this agreement is not predatory.”

“It doesn’t mean it’s true,” said Michael Wolff, a former chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court and dean emeritus of the St. Louis University Law School.

But the harshest criticism came from Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis NAACP who served on the committee that helped write the 2022 legalization amendment. Pruitt said he brought the idea for the social-equity licenses to Payne and spent months working alongside him publicly defending the proposal during the 2022 campaign.

“I’m insulted,” Pruitt said. “This is indentured servitude. That’s what this is.”

There are seven categories where people can&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/28/missouri-holds-outreach-events-in-run-up-to-lottery-for-cannabis-microbusiness-licenses/">qualify for a microbusiness license</a>, ranging from a lower income level or living in an area considered impoverished to having past arrests or incarcerations related to marijuana offenses.

“When you look at the categories and the qualifications, there’s no doubt that overwhelmingly the qualifications are geared up for people who were impacted by the unjust enforcement of marijuana laws,” Pruitt said. “No one would dispute that that population, in most cases, are African Americans.”&nbsp;

Payne told The Independent his critics have it all wrong.&nbsp;

The contract The Independent obtained was used in a “relatively small number” of the more than 300 microbusiness applications that his company worked on.

“The applicants in these cases were typically personal contacts of our team members with whom we could envision a mutually beneficial long-term partnership,” Payne said.&nbsp;

Payne founded the cannabis consultancy group Amendment 2 Consultants and is a leader in the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, also known as MoCann Trade. He said the trade association’s law firm — Armstrong Teasdale — wrote the contract.&nbsp;

Even though the firm’s name appears in the contract, Armstrong Teasdale adamantly denies preparing or providing it to Payne.&nbsp;

“The firm had nothing to do with that agreement,” said Jay Wager, Armstrong Teasdale’s acting chief business development director, adding that Payne is not the firm’s client.

When asked if Payne repurposed an agreement written by Armstrong Teasdale without the firm’s permission, Wager said the firm is “too busy” helping their clients to read the agreement to see if the language was theirs.

Payne did not respond to questions about Armstrong Teasdale’s comments.&nbsp;

In response to The Independent’s questions, the Division of Cannabis Regulation said it has opened an investigation into three microbusiness licenses awarded last October and connected to Payne in order to verify that the licenses “continue to be majority owned and operated by eligible individuals,” spokeswoman Lisa Cox said.

The Independent obtained the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25002786-mbd000007-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">notices of investigation</a>&nbsp;the division sent Tuesday evening to Payne, who is the designated contact for the licenses, giving him seven days to provide documents regulators need to verify ownership.&nbsp;

Garrett Farley said he was approached by Payne this spring to apply for a social-equity dispensary license.&nbsp;

Payne said he would take care of the $1,500 application fee and do all the work to get the dispensary running — and Farley could sit back and get a paycheck when profits rolled in every quarter.&nbsp;

“The way he made it seem,” Farley, who is white, told The Independent, “there was like no catch.”

Farley is a cannabis union organizer — something Payne didn’t know at the time. He said he was curious about the social-equity process, but the way Payne described the deal raised red flags for him. When Payne shared the 47-page agreement, it confirmed Farley’s suspicions.&nbsp;

The moment Farley won a license, his contract states, he’d have to pay nearly $1 million as a “break-up fee” to walk away— even though the only investment the consultant had put in at that point was the $1,500 application fee.&nbsp;

He’d have to immediately set up an LLC, where he would give up almost all control of the business. So if he ever wanted to sell the license he wouldn’t have the voting power to make that choice.

Instead, he’d only get 9.9% of the profits if the license was ever sold.&nbsp;

He’d later have to transfer ownership to the person who would eventually loan the company $1 million in startup costs.

If he failed to do any of these steps, he’d be in breach of contract.&nbsp;

After reviewing the contract, the St. Louis NAACP’s Pruitt compared it to “the slave owner giving me some land to work on. It’s their company, they put up the capital, they’re preparing the applications, they’re paying the fees, they’re managing the business. And if at any time me as the slave fails to do something, I owe them.”

Payne vehemently disagreed with that assessment.

“I see it as a partnership,” Payne told The Independent. “That is an agreement for the long term.”

Payne confirmed that he never told Farley about the break-up fee when they talked about the deal, but he said that was because Armstrong Teasdale had not finished drafting the agreement.&nbsp;

“I did not actually write the agreement, and did not yet have it at that point,” Payne said. “I will say that if I had known that exact figure was in there, yeah, I would have explained that. But there does have to be some provision on what happens if a contract is voided.”

Von Kaenel, the St. Louis corporate governance attorney, said the amount of the breakup fee is significant.&nbsp;

He said the amount is “so far in excess of any damages” that are likely to occur that it “could be considered a punitive provision calculated to limit applicant’s business options.”&nbsp;

While Farley would be entitled to 9.9% of the company’s profits, the LLC must pay Payne a $10,000 monthly consulting fee before the applicant receives any revenue.&nbsp;

“Frankly, that’s a decent deal for helping to essentially manage a lot of the administrative functions of a dispensary,” Payne said. “It is not as if the applicant is on the hook, that it is the business that is on the hook for that.”

All four of the legal experts who analyzed the agreement said it does not meet the constitutional mandate that the business is to be “majority owned and operated” by the eligible applicant.&nbsp;

If Farley won the license, he must set up an LLC and ask the state to approve a name change of the license. After that happens, a board with three managers would be established to make all the top-level decisions about the company.

In Farley’s case, the board would have included one of Payne’s business partners, who Payne said would also be eligible for a microbusiness license because he has a marijuana charge on his record.&nbsp;

The other board manager is fronting the money, Payne said, and is eligible because she lives in a qualifying ZIP code.

Von Kaenel called the board structure the agreement’s “fatal blow,” because it gives Farley only a third of the voting power and a sliver of the company’s equity.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We pay the application fee, we are going to pay for everything to get up and running,” Payne told Farley in a meeting together. “And we’re going to basically put in the work to do that. And in exchange, we would take 90% of the equity, you will keep 10% of the equity.”

Goldberg, the Chicago attorney, said the profit distribution and company control are what the state regulators should be looking at.

“This contract should not get past the state,” he said. “Social-equity applicants are supposed to have control. They’re not supposed to have 10% or one third of the voting power. That’s the whole thing.”

Missouri cannabis law says&nbsp;a person or group cannot have significant voting or financial interest in more than one microbusiness license — or the state can revoke the license.&nbsp;

The contract is between Farley and a consultant group called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25003040-comonca-llc" target="_blank">Comonca LLC</a>, with whom&nbsp;Payne is the registered agent in documents filed with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office.&nbsp;

“The minute Mr. Applicant signs that agreement with the consultant, the consultant already has an interest in the business,” said Wolff, the former state Supreme Court judge.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That’s largely because if the applicant changes his mind and wants to get out of the deal, he owes them $995,750 in liquidated damages, or their expected value of the license, Wolff said.

And if the agreements are the same for all six dispensary licenses connected to Payne in this round, then Payne and his associates indeed have a financial interest in all of these licenses, Wolff said.

Payne told The Independent that none of the applicants with an agreement like Farley’s won a license. He could not elaborate about how many of his applications included agreements that were similar to Farley because either he&nbsp;wasn’t involved in that aspect for all of his clients or he signed a nondisclosure agreement.

Contracts of winning applicants will soon be publicly available now that the latest round of licenses have been issued, and the state has officially begun its post-licensure review.&nbsp;

Payne said he believes the agreement will win the division’s approval.

“It is going to be something that is compliant with what the department requires because I trust the standard of Armstrong’s work,” Payne said.&nbsp;

These are not the first licenses Payne has orchestrated — and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">caused a stir.</a>&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/29/missouri-announces-lottery-results-for-microbusiness-cannabis-licenses/">first round of 48 microbusiness licenses</a>&nbsp;– 16 of which were dispensary licenses – were selected through a lottery last August. Payne’s clients won two dispensary licenses and two wholesale licenses.

One dispensary license was under investigation by the Division of Cannabis Regulators for several months, after the division issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25002783-mbd000007_nopr_121523" target="_blank">letter in December</a>&nbsp;stating that the application was “misleading.”

In its letter to Payne, the state said the licensee “entered an agreement that transfers ownership and operational control to another entity. This is cause for revocation… in violation of” the regulations requiring all owners to be disclosed in the application.&nbsp;

The nature of the agreement also did not allow the state to “verify the microbusiness license will be majority owned and operated by individuals who meet qualifications,” state regulators said in the letter.&nbsp;

The Independent obtained a copy of a redacted contract through a public records request, and the available language is almost identical to the contract offered to Farley.

As with Farley’s contract, last year’s contract states that, “​​Armstrong Teasdale LLP has no conflict of interest in drafting this agreement.” But Wager said the firm could not comment on whether it wrote the contract for this licensee.

Payne was able to submit new documents that satisfied these concerns, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25002784-mbd7_nopr-satisfied_03112024" target="_blank">March 21 letter</a>&nbsp;from the division. The state allowed the applicant to retain the license, but this week opened a new investigation into the ownership structure – along with the two wholesale licenses where Payne is the designated contact.&nbsp;

Cox, the spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, confirmed the investigation focused on the ownership of the license holder but could not offer additional details about the inquiry.&nbsp;

Ownership issues led to the state&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/27/missouri-revokes-nine-social-equity-cannabis-business-licenses-for-out-of-state-companies/">revoking eight microbusiness licenses</a>&nbsp;in the first round last year, she said.

“We will continue to exercise our authority at each stage of this process to ensure the microbusiness program is benefiting the individuals for whom it was so evidently designed,” Cox said.

The state recently approved this licensee’s request to change the name of the license to “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25003021-green-zebra-llc" target="_blank">Green Zebra LLC</a>,” Cox confirmed. According to the contract, the next step would be to establish a three-member board, leaving the original applicant with one-third of the voting power.&nbsp;

Given the timeline, it’s possible the board structure sparked the state’s inquiry.

Payne did not respond to a request for comment on the state’s investigation, but he previously told The Independent all board members would meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

As for Farley, he never ended up signing the contract to jump into the lottery for a Missouri social-equity license, but said Payne submitted his name anyway.&nbsp;

He didn’t get a license, but on July 3 received a letter from Payne’s group asking him if he would like to submit his name in the Minnesota social equity cannabis license lottery.&nbsp;

Missouri cannabis leader accused of using ‘predatory’ contracts to win social-equity licenses

A sweeping anti-crime bill signed into law recently by Governor Mike Parson included Valentines Law 

Valentines Law, named after St. Louis County Police Officer Antonio Valentine, who died from injuries suffered during a police chase, increases the penalties for fleeing from law enforcement.  

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says the passage of Valentines Law is good for everyone, not just law enforcement.  

"It makes our community safer; it makes Missouri safer, and just a really good law and I think should have a profound effect on people running from us," Luster tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr.  

Luster says people running from police is something that they see often. 

"Part of that is they think that we're not going to chase them, and sometimes we don't, car chases are very difficult to navigate," Luster explains. "Circumstances can change in seconds, so you're always weighing the risk vs reward, is the danger this person’s presenting outweigh us chasing them or not, because of the risk it imposes." 

The anti-crime package signed into law, carried out by Parkville Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, also included Max's Law and Blair's Law.  

Luster praises Luetkemeyer for carrying the bill through a divisive session. 

"He was able to get those three kind of wrapped into one bill and get those through the finish line, along with some help from both sides of the aisle, to get those over the finish line and get those signed into law, "Luster says. 

Luetkemeyer has worked to get this package passed through the last three legislative sessions but ran into several roadblocks along the way.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721937344903.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster is grateful to see several laws passed within an anti crime package/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster is grateful to see several laws passed within an anti crime package/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post A sweeping anti-crime bill signed into law recently by Governor Mike Parson included Valentines Law Valentines Law, named after St. Louis County Police Officer Antonio Valentine, who died from injuries suffered during a police chase, increases the penalties for fleeing from law enforcement. St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says the passage of Valentines Law is good for everyone, not just law enforcement. "It makes our community safer; it makes Missouri safer, and just a really good law and I think should have a profound effect on people running from us," Luster tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. Luster says people running from police is something that they see often. "Part of that is they think that we're not going to chase them, and sometimes we don't, car chases are very difficult to navigate," Luster explains. "Circumstances can change in seconds, so you're always weighing the risk vs reward, is the danger this person’s presenting outweigh us chasing them or not, because of the risk it imposes." The anti-crime package signed into law, carried out by Parkville Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, also included Max's Law and Blair's Law. Luster praises Luetkemeyer for carrying the bill through a divisive session. "He was able to get those three kind of wrapped into one bill and get those through the finish line, along with some help from both sides of the aisle, to get those over the finish line and get those signed into law, "Luster says. Luetkemeyer has worked to get this package passed through the last three legislative sessions but ran into several roadblocks along the way.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph Police Chief says Valentines Law is good for everyone, not just police

PLATTE COUNTY—The unidentified body found Monday in a wooded area near NE 194th Terrace has been identified as&nbsp;25-year-old Josiah Papa of Leavenworth, according to a statement from Smithville Police.

On July 22, police responded to a report of the body of a white male in a densely vegetated area, according to police.

During the initial investigation, a search warrant was obtained for a nearby residence. The search warrant was executed with assistance of the Clay County Sheriff and Kansas City Police. Papa was reported missing on July 12. Anyone with information on the disappearance of Papa is urged to contact police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721989550945.png" alt="Josiah Papa photo Smithville. Police" />
 <figcaption>Josiah Papa photo Smithville. Police</figcaption>
 </figure>PLATTE COUNTY—The unidentified body found Monday in a wooded area near NE 194th Terrace has been identified as&nbsp;25-year-old Josiah Papa of Leavenworth, according to a statement from Smithville Police.On July 22, police responded to a report of the body of a white male in a densely vegetated area, according to police.During the initial investigation, a search warrant was obtained for a nearby residence. The search warrant was executed with assistance of the Clay County Sheriff and Kansas City Police. Papa was reported missing on July 12. Anyone with information on the disappearance of Papa is urged to contact police.

Police ID body found as missing Kansas man

United States Senate candidate, Democrat Lucas Kunce,
campaigns in St. Joseph prior to the August primary, hoping this year to win
the nomination of Democrats to take on incumbent Republican Josh Hawley.

Kunce, a former Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan,
says he wants to give a voice in the U.S. Senate to ordinary Missourians, like
those who helped his family through a rough time when he was a child.

“I’m doing this race to represent the folks who took care of
me as a kid and everyday Missourians. I don’t take any corporate PAC money. I
don’t take federal lobbyist money. I don’t take money from Big Pharma folks;
there’s a long list,” Kunce tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And I think we’re
doing it the right way and I want to fundamentally change who has power in this
country so that we can have power again and our communities are like they used
to be.”

Kunce, who is from Independence, made a stop in St. Joseph,
speaking to an enthusiastic crowd at the UA Local 45 Plumbers and Pipefitters
Hall.

Kunce lost a close primary race to Trudy Busch Valentine two
years ago. Kunce says he learned a lot from that loss.

“We had to figure out how to raise money the right way. I
mentioned all the folks that I don’t take money from, right? Well, when I first
started the campaign, a bunch of people were, like, ‘That’s stupid. You can’t
win a modern campaign that way,’” Kunce says. “I just think it’s stupid to say
you’re going to represent people when you can’t and you have to represent the
folks you’re taking money from. What we learned in that first campaign was how
to do it the right way.”

Kunce garnered 38% of the vote in the 2022 Democratic U.S.
Senate primary, losing to Valentine, who won 43%. Valentine lost to Republican
Eric Schmitt in the General Election.

As for the recent events of his party in Washington, Kunce doesn’t
see the decision of President Biden to end his re-election bid and the
elevation of Vice President Kamla Harris as the presumptive party nominee to
have much effect on his race.

“With my background and the way we’re doing things, we were
positioned to win this race a year ago. We’re positioned to win the race a
month ago. We’re positioned to win the race today,” Kunce says. “For me, the top
of the ticket here in Missouri; it’s my race and the initiative petition that’s
coming up, the one that would protect women’s reproductive rights. That’s going
to be driving a lot of turnout. It’s going to be where a lot of focus is.”

Kunce is one of four Democrats running in the August primary. His
primary opponent is state Sen. Karla May of St. Louis. Mita Biswas of St. Louis
and December Harmon of Columbia are also in the race on the Democratic side.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721931776012.jpeg" alt="Democrat US Senate candidate, Lucas Kunce, addresses the crowd UA Local 45 Plumbers &amp; Pipefitters in St. Joseph/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Democrat US Senate candidate, Lucas Kunce, addresses the crowd UA Local 45 Plumbers &amp; Pipefitters in St. Joseph/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostUnited States Senate candidate, Democrat Lucas Kunce,
campaigns in St. Joseph prior to the August primary, hoping this year to win
the nomination of Democrats to take on incumbent Republican Josh Hawley.Kunce, a former Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan,
says he wants to give a voice in the U.S. Senate to ordinary Missourians, like
those who helped his family through a rough time when he was a child.“I’m doing this race to represent the folks who took care of
me as a kid and everyday Missourians. I don’t take any corporate PAC money. I
don’t take federal lobbyist money. I don’t take money from Big Pharma folks;
there’s a long list,” Kunce tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And I think we’re
doing it the right way and I want to fundamentally change who has power in this
country so that we can have power again and our communities are like they used
to be.”Kunce, who is from Independence, made a stop in St. Joseph,
speaking to an enthusiastic crowd at the UA Local 45 Plumbers and Pipefitters
Hall.Kunce lost a close primary race to Trudy Busch Valentine two
years ago. Kunce says he learned a lot from that loss.“We had to figure out how to raise money the right way. I
mentioned all the folks that I don’t take money from, right? Well, when I first
started the campaign, a bunch of people were, like, ‘That’s stupid. You can’t
win a modern campaign that way,’” Kunce says. “I just think it’s stupid to say
you’re going to represent people when you can’t and you have to represent the
folks you’re taking money from. What we learned in that first campaign was how
to do it the right way.”Kunce garnered 38% of the vote in the 2022 Democratic U.S.
Senate primary, losing to Valentine, who won 43%. Valentine lost to Republican
Eric Schmitt in the General Election.As for the recent events of his party in Washington, Kunce doesn’t
see the decision of President Biden to end his re-election bid and the
elevation of Vice President Kamla Harris as the presumptive party nominee to
have much effect on his race.“With my background and the way we’re doing things, we were
positioned to win this race a year ago. We’re positioned to win the race a
month ago. We’re positioned to win the race today,” Kunce says. “For me, the top
of the ticket here in Missouri; it’s my race and the initiative petition that’s
coming up, the one that would protect women’s reproductive rights. That’s going
to be driving a lot of turnout. It’s going to be where a lot of focus is.”Kunce is one of four Democrats running in the August primary. His
primary opponent is state Sen. Karla May of St. Louis. Mita Biswas of St. Louis
and December Harmon of Columbia are also in the race on the Democratic side.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Democrat Lucas Kunce brings his US Senate campaign to St. Joseph

St. Joseph police are investigating a shooting Wednesday
afternoon that left a resident with serious gunshot wounds.

Police report 20-year-old Taylor Lanaman was shot in both
legs. Lanaman is hospitalized in serious, but stable condition, according to
police.

Police received an emergency call around 2:40 Wednesday afternoon about
a shooting near the intersection of North 16th and Grand Avenue.

The St. Joseph Police Department reports detectives later served
a search warrant at 415 Blake Street and took a 30-year-old into custody.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph police are investigating a shooting Wednesday
afternoon that left a resident with serious gunshot wounds.Police report 20-year-old Taylor Lanaman was shot in both
legs. Lanaman is hospitalized in serious, but stable condition, according to
police.Police received an emergency call around 2:40 Wednesday afternoon about
a shooting near the intersection of North 16th and Grand Avenue.The St. Joseph Police Department reports detectives later served
a search warrant at 415 Blake Street and took a 30-year-old into custody.The investigation continues.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

One wounded, one arrested in St. Joseph shooting

It took less than a week for the president of the United
States to end his re-election campaign and for Democrats to replace him as
their presumptive nominee.

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, a Republican,
questions whether President Joe Biden ended his candidacy willingly.

“Well, I was just very surprised, very surprised that the
president decided to pull out,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “One day he
said he was in and there was no getting him out and he said his cognitive ability
was as good as it’s ever been. And then the next thing you know, he’s pushed
out and they’ve crowned a new candidate.”

Graves backs up his statement by pointing out Biden had
insisted he was staying in the race.

“And then he meets with a few party leaders and the next thing
you know he announces he’s quitting the race,” Graves says. “There’s no other
explanation than he was pushed out.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721330354017.png" alt="File Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostIt took less than a week for the president of the United
States to end his re-election campaign and for Democrats to replace him as
their presumptive nominee.Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, a Republican,
questions whether President Joe Biden ended his candidacy willingly.“Well, I was just very surprised, very surprised that the
president decided to pull out,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “One day he
said he was in and there was no getting him out and he said his cognitive ability
was as good as it’s ever been. And then the next thing you know, he’s pushed
out and they’ve crowned a new candidate.”Graves backs up his statement by pointing out Biden had
insisted he was staying in the race.“And then he meets with a few party leaders and the next thing
you know he announces he’s quitting the race,” Graves says. “There’s no other
explanation than he was pushed out.”Graves says the exit of Biden and elevation of Harris is a
stunning turnaround.“The other side likes to claim that President Trump is a
threat to democracy. Yet, they threw the democratic process completely out and
did not have an open forum to pick a new candidate,” Graves says.Graves calls it hypocritical.But fellow Republican, Eastern Kansas Congressman Jake
LaTurner, says the switch makes sense.“If I were a Democrat, that’s what I would’ve wanted to happen,”
LaTurner tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “President Biden clearly didn’t have the
energy or the mental faculties to continue this campaign, let alone be
president for another four years.”Should Biden resign as president?“I don’t know the answer to that,” LaTurner says, adding it
will depend on whether he has the mental capacity to continue as president, “but
Kamala Harris being the president is not something that I am interested in now
or in the future.”LaTurner says he’s not sure how these events might impact the
November elections. LaTurner is not running for re-election.Graves, who is running for re-election, says the switch might
actually help Republicans in November.“I think, ironically, that it’s better for maintaining the
majority in the House and taking the majority in the Senate,” Graves says. “It’ll
be interesting to see. There’s a lot of water to cross under the bridge between
now and November.”Graves does say it’s extraordinarily late in the political
process to choose a new candidate for president.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.