The specter of immigrants voting illegally has become a election-year talking point for Republicans across the country

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri’s Constitution has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/constitution/missouri/article-viii/section-2/">banned noncitizens from voting</a>&nbsp;since 1924. And state law requires individuals to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/title-ix/chapter-115/section-115-155/">verify they are a U.S. citizen</a>&nbsp;in order to register to vote.&nbsp;

But GOP lawmakers contend the constitutional and statutory language isn’t strong enough. Instead of saying that “all citizens” can vote, Republicans argue the state constitution should be changed to make it clear that “only citizens” can vote.&nbsp;

So on the final day of the 2024 legislative session last month, the GOP pushed through a proposal that would, among other things, ask voters to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=433">change “all” to “only.”</a>&nbsp;

“If they become a citizen, then absolutely I would welcome their engagement in our electoral process,” state Sen. Ben Brown, a Republican from Washington, said while presenting the bill to a House committee. “However, what I aim to do is to prevent the dilution of the voice of U.S. citizens.”

Critics painted the proposal as nothing more than “ballot candy” designed to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment and trick voters into signing off on the amendment’s other provision — a ban on ranked-choice voting.&nbsp;

Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters of Missouri, called the proposal a “red herring” at a legislative hearing last month.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s already against the law,” she said.&nbsp;

The idea that noncitizens could be illegally voting has become&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/28/u-s-house-panel-votes-to-advance-election-bills-targeting-noncitizens-foreign-money/">an election-year talking point</a>&nbsp;for Republicans across the country, often echoing the baseless conspiracy theory spread by former President Donald Trump that millions of undocumented immigrants voted in the 2016 election.&nbsp;

A nationwide survey by the Brennan Center for Justice found the number of noncitizens suspected to have voted in the 2016 election was only<a target="_blank" href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/noncitizen-voting-missing-millions">&nbsp;around 30</a>.&nbsp;A national&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud/search?combine=&amp;state=All&amp;year=&amp;case_type=All&amp;fraud_type=24491">database</a>&nbsp;run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/06/truth-about-noncitizen-voting-federal-elections/">recent count</a>&nbsp;by The Washington Post.

The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office this year announced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ohiosos.gov/media-center/press-releases/2024/2024-05-14a/">only 137 suspected noncitizens</a>&nbsp;were discovered to be on that state’s rolls out of roughly 8 million voters. And the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office found that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sos.ga.gov/news/secretary-raffensperger-refers-1600-noncitizen-registrants-local-das-gbi-state-election-board">1,634 noncitizens attempted to register to vote</a>&nbsp;over a 25 year period, but all had been blocked by local election officials.&nbsp;

Yet in some states, even though noncitizens are prohibited from voting in federal elections, they have been permitted to cast a ballot for local candidates.&nbsp;

In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_permitting_noncitizens_to_vote_in_the_United_States">16 cities and towns</a>&nbsp;in California, Maryland and Vermont, noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. In 2022, New York’s State Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/27/nyregion/noncitizen-voting-ruling-nyc.html">struck down</a>&nbsp;New York City’s 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution.

State Sen. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican and a candidate for governor, said the language in the Missouri Constitution designed to prohibit noncitizen voting is similar to other states where the practice is taking place locally.&nbsp;

He believes Democrats in Missouri could follow suit.

“So do I think that if (St. Louis) Mayor Tishaura Jones thought that there was an opportunity to start engaging noncitizens to vote in local St. Louis city municipal elections, would she do it using the same procedure that’s happened to these other states?” he said. “I absolutely think she would. So for me, it’s important to put these additional protections in the constitution.”&nbsp;

In 1865, Missouri voters approved a new constitution&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2015/01/11/150-years-ago-missouri-state/21743565007/">abolishing slavery</a>. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&amp;context=mo_constitutions_race">1865 “Drake Constitution,”</a>&nbsp;written by what were called Radical Republicans, took the vote away from former Confederates and extended it to immigrants who were not yet citizens but who had declared their intent to become one.

The provision rewarded the largest immigrant group in Missouri at the time, Germans, who were among the most anti-slavery, and therefore Radical Republican voters.&nbsp;

The franchise was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cdm16795.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16795coll26/id/23750/rec/34">taken away from noncitizens in 1924</a>, when newcomers were more likely to come from eastern and southern Europe, in an amendment proposed by a state Constitutional Convention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/12864/rec/25">passed with 53.5%</a>&nbsp;of the vote.

In addition to the century-old constitutional prohibition, state law also requires Missourians to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/title-ix/chapter-115/section-115-155/">declare whether they are a U.S. citizen</a>&nbsp;when registering to vote. And Missouri Secretary of State Jay Aschroft, a Republican and candidate for governor, has repeatedly clarified over the years that state law says “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article242407526.html">you have to be a citizen to register to vote</a>.”

Much of Missouri’s debate this year about noncitizen voting took place as part of a session-long fight over a Republican push to make it harder to amend the state constitution through the initiative petition process.&nbsp;

A campaign to legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability submitted more than 380,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, paving the way for the proposed constitutional amendment to potentially land on the November ballot.

In response, Republicans hoped to raise the threshold for amending the constitution from a simple majority statewide to both a majority of votes statewide and a majority of votes in five of the state’s eight congressional districts.

Under that proposal, approximately 23% of voters could theoretically control the outcome, where a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/05/as-few-as-1-in-5-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-senate-proposal/">vote against an amendment in four districts would be enough to defeat it statewide</a>.

Many Republican proponents of raising the bar for amending the constitution acknowledged its chances of winning voter approval was slim.&nbsp;

“Raising the threshold is a loser and various states have proven that’s a loser,” Tim Jones, state director of the Missouri Freedom Caucus,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/05/as-few-as-1-in-5-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-senate-proposal/">said earlier this year</a>.&nbsp;

So to bolster the amendment’s chances, Republicans added the noncitizen voting provision.&nbsp;

Senate Democrats refused to allow the proposal to go to the ballot with the noncitizen language, arguing it was deceptive. They staged&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/15/50-hour-filibuster-forces-more-negotiations-on-gop-backed-initiative-petition-changes/">a 50-hour filibuster&nbsp;</a>that ultimately killed the proposal amid Republican infighting.&nbsp;

“It’s in there to deceive voters,” state Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat, said during the filibuster about the noncitizen voting ban. “It’s already law, but they want to trick voters into thinking it’s not law. It’s deceiving language added to the bill.”

Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, seemed to agree, telling a reporter from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/EmilyManleyTV/status/1790534660918743202">Nextar Media Group</a>&nbsp;that “it’s already illegal for an illegal to vote in the state of Missouri. We’ve already got that part.”

With the Senate mired in gridlock, the House picked up and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/ranked-choice-voting-missouri-ballot/">passed the rank-choice voting amendment</a>&nbsp;that included noncitizen provision. After months of heated debate over the issue, it was barely mentioned when the rank-choice voting ban was sent to the ballot on the session’s final day.

“It seems like we’ve been wringing our hands for about a week or two on this particular issue,” state Rep. Brad Banderman, a St. Clair Republican, said during the House debate, “but on this day, on this Senate Joint Resolution, the other side of the aisle doesn’t seem to be standing at mics complaining.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701356450030.png" alt="&nbsp;A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002 -photo Sherman Smith" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002 -photo Sherman Smith</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The specter of immigrants voting illegally has become a election-year talking point for Republicans across the country</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s Constitution has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/constitution/missouri/article-viii/section-2/">banned noncitizens from voting</a>&nbsp;since 1924. And state law requires individuals to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/title-ix/chapter-115/section-115-155/">verify they are a U.S. citizen</a>&nbsp;in order to register to vote.&nbsp;But GOP lawmakers contend the constitutional and statutory language isn’t strong enough. Instead of saying that “all citizens” can vote, Republicans argue the state constitution should be changed to make it clear that “only citizens” can vote.&nbsp;So on the final day of the 2024 legislative session last month, the GOP pushed through a proposal that would, among other things, ask voters to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=433">change “all” to “only.”</a>&nbsp;“If they become a citizen, then absolutely I would welcome their engagement in our electoral process,” state Sen. Ben Brown, a Republican from Washington, said while presenting the bill to a House committee. “However, what I aim to do is to prevent the dilution of the voice of U.S. citizens.”Critics painted the proposal as nothing more than “ballot candy” designed to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment and trick voters into signing off on the amendment’s other provision — a ban on ranked-choice voting.&nbsp;Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters of Missouri, called the proposal a “red herring” at a legislative hearing last month.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s already against the law,” she said.&nbsp;The idea that noncitizens could be illegally voting has become&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/28/u-s-house-panel-votes-to-advance-election-bills-targeting-noncitizens-foreign-money/">an election-year talking point</a>&nbsp;for Republicans across the country, often echoing the baseless conspiracy theory spread by former President Donald Trump that millions of undocumented immigrants voted in the 2016 election.&nbsp;A nationwide survey by the Brennan Center for Justice found the number of noncitizens suspected to have voted in the 2016 election was only<a target="_blank" href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/noncitizen-voting-missing-millions">&nbsp;around 30</a>.&nbsp;A national&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud/search?combine=&amp;state=All&amp;year=&amp;case_type=All&amp;fraud_type=24491">database</a>&nbsp;run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/06/truth-about-noncitizen-voting-federal-elections/">recent count</a>&nbsp;by The Washington Post.The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office this year announced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ohiosos.gov/media-center/press-releases/2024/2024-05-14a/">only 137 suspected noncitizens</a>&nbsp;were discovered to be on that state’s rolls out of roughly 8 million voters. And the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office found that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sos.ga.gov/news/secretary-raffensperger-refers-1600-noncitizen-registrants-local-das-gbi-state-election-board">1,634 noncitizens attempted to register to vote</a>&nbsp;over a 25 year period, but all had been blocked by local election officials.&nbsp;Yet in some states, even though noncitizens are prohibited from voting in federal elections, they have been permitted to cast a ballot for local candidates.&nbsp;In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_permitting_noncitizens_to_vote_in_the_United_States">16 cities and towns</a>&nbsp;in California, Maryland and Vermont, noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. In 2022, New York’s State Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/27/nyregion/noncitizen-voting-ruling-nyc.html">struck down</a>&nbsp;New York City’s 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution.State Sen. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican and a candidate for governor, said the language in the Missouri Constitution designed to prohibit noncitizen voting is similar to other states where the practice is taking place locally.&nbsp;He believes Democrats in Missouri could follow suit.“So do I think that if (St. Louis) Mayor Tishaura Jones thought that there was an opportunity to start engaging noncitizens to vote in local St. Louis city municipal elections, would she do it using the same procedure that’s happened to these other states?” he said. “I absolutely think she would. So for me, it’s important to put these additional protections in the constitution.”&nbsp;<h2>Already illegal?&nbsp;</h2>In 1865, Missouri voters approved a new constitution&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2015/01/11/150-years-ago-missouri-state/21743565007/">abolishing slavery</a>. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&amp;context=mo_constitutions_race">1865 “Drake Constitution,”</a>&nbsp;written by what were called Radical Republicans, took the vote away from former Confederates and extended it to immigrants who were not yet citizens but who had declared their intent to become one.The provision rewarded the largest immigrant group in Missouri at the time, Germans, who were among the most anti-slavery, and therefore Radical Republican voters.&nbsp;The franchise was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cdm16795.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16795coll26/id/23750/rec/34">taken away from noncitizens in 1924</a>, when newcomers were more likely to come from eastern and southern Europe, in an amendment proposed by a state Constitutional Convention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/12864/rec/25">passed with 53.5%</a>&nbsp;of the vote.In addition to the century-old constitutional prohibition, state law also requires Missourians to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/title-ix/chapter-115/section-115-155/">declare whether they are a U.S. citizen</a>&nbsp;when registering to vote. And Missouri Secretary of State Jay Aschroft, a Republican and candidate for governor, has repeatedly clarified over the years that state law says “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article242407526.html">you have to be a citizen to register to vote</a>.”Much of Missouri’s debate this year about noncitizen voting took place as part of a session-long fight over a Republican push to make it harder to amend the state constitution through the initiative petition process.&nbsp;A campaign to legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability submitted more than 380,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, paving the way for the proposed constitutional amendment to potentially land on the November ballot.In response, Republicans hoped to raise the threshold for amending the constitution from a simple majority statewide to both a majority of votes statewide and a majority of votes in five of the state’s eight congressional districts.Under that proposal, approximately 23% of voters could theoretically control the outcome, where a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/05/as-few-as-1-in-5-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-senate-proposal/">vote against an amendment in four districts would be enough to defeat it statewide</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717506839178.png" alt=" Missouri state Sens. Denny Hoskins, left, and Rick Brattin, center, confer with Freedom Caucus Director Tim Jones (Elaine S. Povich/Stateline)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri state Sens. Denny Hoskins, left, and Rick Brattin, center, confer with Freedom Caucus Director Tim Jones (Elaine S. Povich/Stateline).</figcaption>
 </figure>Many Republican proponents of raising the bar for amending the constitution acknowledged its chances of winning voter approval was slim.&nbsp;“Raising the threshold is a loser and various states have proven that’s a loser,” Tim Jones, state director of the Missouri Freedom Caucus,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/05/as-few-as-1-in-5-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-senate-proposal/">said earlier this year</a>.&nbsp;So to bolster the amendment’s chances, Republicans added the noncitizen voting provision.&nbsp;Senate Democrats refused to allow the proposal to go to the ballot with the noncitizen language, arguing it was deceptive. They staged&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/15/50-hour-filibuster-forces-more-negotiations-on-gop-backed-initiative-petition-changes/">a 50-hour filibuster&nbsp;</a>that ultimately killed the proposal amid Republican infighting.&nbsp;“It’s in there to deceive voters,” state Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat, said during the filibuster about the noncitizen voting ban. “It’s already law, but they want to trick voters into thinking it’s not law. It’s deceiving language added to the bill.”Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, seemed to agree, telling a reporter from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/EmilyManleyTV/status/1790534660918743202">Nextar Media Group</a>&nbsp;that “it’s already illegal for an illegal to vote in the state of Missouri. We’ve already got that part.”With the Senate mired in gridlock, the House picked up and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/ranked-choice-voting-missouri-ballot/">passed the rank-choice voting amendment</a>&nbsp;that included noncitizen provision. After months of heated debate over the issue, it was barely mentioned when the rank-choice voting ban was sent to the ballot on the session’s final day.“It seems like we’ve been wringing our hands for about a week or two on this particular issue,” state Rep. Brad Banderman, a St. Clair Republican, said during the House debate, “but on this day, on this Senate Joint Resolution, the other side of the aisle doesn’t seem to be standing at mics complaining.”

Already outlawed in Missouri, noncitizen voting ban will appear on statewide ballot

<a href="mailto:jbklaudt@ksu.edu">By JACOB KLAUDT</a> K-State Research and Extension news service

Drought plaguing parts of Kansas created shorter wheat plants and thinner crop stands this year. In turn, Kansas State University wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato advises growers to make adjustments at harvest time.

“This year, the biggest cause for short wheat has been drought stress,” he said. “During springtime, the crop starts to go through a phase called stem elongation. That’s when plant height is determined. In certain areas, there was virtually no moisture, which caused the plants to be short.”

Not all areas of Kansas have experienced this level of drought. Lollato said irregular rain patterns gave rise to significant plant height differences across counties and even in the same fields.

“The Kansas crop is not uniformly short. A very sparse and variable rainfall distribution created these ‘waves’ within areas where tall and short plants occur, simultaneously, in those locations,” he said.

According to Lollato, producers can attach stripper headers to the front of their combines to effectively harvest small wheat plants. Stripper headers separate the grain head from the remaining plant. On the other hand, traditional headers detach plants halfway down their stems.

Lollato said, “Essentially, they have fingers on them. Those fingers pluck the heads out from the stem. The stripper headers feed the combine with only the wheat heads, which means having a cleaner product go into the combine, with increased efficiency.”

Harvesting low-standing wheat plants with a stripper header can help improve soil quality in semi-arid areas.

“They leave more crop residue behind. It will act as a barrier against weeds and shade the fields, which cools soil temperatures and delays weed emergence. Moisture retention is another important advantage. Stripper headers reduce water loss through evaporation, runoff and erosion.”

If a producer uses a stripper header this year, future crops have the potential to benefit as well, according to Lollato.

“There is a lot of value in having more residue left in the fields,” he said. “When growers plant wheat directly into that crop residue after this year’s harvest, they get all of those benefits, like added moisture, weed control, and erosion reduction, which can help return a very good dollar amount the following summer.”

Conventional headers remain as another workable solution for operations not able to invest in additional implements.

“A stripper header is a pricey investment,” Lollato said. “However, there might be more challenges operating with a conventional header – especially on ground with a great slope – but they still work in this case.”

Making alterations to a traditional header may yield better results when harvesting stunted wheat fields with them.

“The most important thing to keep in mind is to maintain the cutting height as high as possible. You can also adjust the reel on the header to get more movement of wheat from the cutter bar to the auger,” Lollato said.

Other combine headers appropriate for harvesting poorer quality wheat stands include draper and flex heads. More information on considerations for harvesting short wheat is available in the&nbsp;<a href="https://eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/article/considerations-when-harvesting-short-wheat-593-1">May 24 issue of the Agronomy eUpdate</a>, published weekly by the K-State Department of Agronomy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717505835672.jpeg" alt="Dry weather conditions have brought about a poorer wheat crop set to be harvested this summer. K-State wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato suggests specialized equipment to make the most of a tough situation. Image Courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Dry weather conditions have brought about a poorer wheat crop set to be harvested this summer. K-State wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato suggests specialized equipment to make the most of a tough situation. Image Courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:jbklaudt@ksu.edu">By JACOB KLAUDT</a> K-State Research and Extension news serviceDrought plaguing parts of Kansas created shorter wheat plants and thinner crop stands this year. In turn, Kansas State University wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato advises growers to make adjustments at harvest time.“This year, the biggest cause for short wheat has been drought stress,” he said. “During springtime, the crop starts to go through a phase called stem elongation. That’s when plant height is determined. In certain areas, there was virtually no moisture, which caused the plants to be short.”Not all areas of Kansas have experienced this level of drought. Lollato said irregular rain patterns gave rise to significant plant height differences across counties and even in the same fields.“The Kansas crop is not uniformly short. A very sparse and variable rainfall distribution created these ‘waves’ within areas where tall and short plants occur, simultaneously, in those locations,” he said.According to Lollato, producers can attach stripper headers to the front of their combines to effectively harvest small wheat plants. Stripper headers separate the grain head from the remaining plant. On the other hand, traditional headers detach plants halfway down their stems.Lollato said, “Essentially, they have fingers on them. Those fingers pluck the heads out from the stem. The stripper headers feed the combine with only the wheat heads, which means having a cleaner product go into the combine, with increased efficiency.”Harvesting low-standing wheat plants with a stripper header can help improve soil quality in semi-arid areas.“They leave more crop residue behind. It will act as a barrier against weeds and shade the fields, which cools soil temperatures and delays weed emergence. Moisture retention is another important advantage. Stripper headers reduce water loss through evaporation, runoff and erosion.”If a producer uses a stripper header this year, future crops have the potential to benefit as well, according to Lollato.“There is a lot of value in having more residue left in the fields,” he said. “When growers plant wheat directly into that crop residue after this year’s harvest, they get all of those benefits, like added moisture, weed control, and erosion reduction, which can help return a very good dollar amount the following summer.”Conventional headers remain as another workable solution for operations not able to invest in additional implements.“A stripper header is a pricey investment,” Lollato said. “However, there might be more challenges operating with a conventional header – especially on ground with a great slope – but they still work in this case.”Making alterations to a traditional header may yield better results when harvesting stunted wheat fields with them.“The most important thing to keep in mind is to maintain the cutting height as high as possible. You can also adjust the reel on the header to get more movement of wheat from the cutter bar to the auger,” Lollato said.Other combine headers appropriate for harvesting poorer quality wheat stands include draper and flex heads. More information on considerations for harvesting short wheat is available in the&nbsp;<a href="https://eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/article/considerations-when-harvesting-short-wheat-593-1">May 24 issue of the Agronomy eUpdate</a>, published weekly by the K-State Department of Agronomy.

KSRE — Drought affected wheat fields call for supplemental equipment

DEKALB COUNTY — Two boy and a teenage girl were injured in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Monday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Polaris Ranger driven by an 8-year-old Cameron boy was northbound on SE Whitaker Road 3 miles northwest of Cameron.

The driver lost control of the UTV as he attempted a right turn. The vehicle traveled off the east side of the road, struck a fence and overturned.

Cameron EMS transported the driver and a 7-year-old male passenger from Cameron to Children's Mercy. A private vehicle transported another passenger, 18-year-old Annabelle Pall of Gallatin to Cameron Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; They were not wearing helmets, according to the MSHP.

DEKALB COUNTY — Two boy and a teenage girl were injured in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Monday in DeKalb County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Polaris Ranger driven by an 8-year-old Cameron boy was northbound on SE Whitaker Road 3 miles northwest of Cameron.The driver lost control of the UTV as he attempted a right turn. The vehicle traveled off the east side of the road, struck a fence and overturned.Cameron EMS transported the driver and a 7-year-old male passenger from Cameron to Children's Mercy. A private vehicle transported another passenger, 18-year-old Annabelle Pall of Gallatin to Cameron Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; They were not wearing helmets, according to the MSHP.

3 injured after UTV driven by 8-year-old strikes a fence 

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.

Just before 3:30a.m. Monday police responded to a burglary alarm at the Bomgaars Retail Store, 605 South 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson 

When officers arrived they saw a man run from the scene into a nearby wooded area. Officers pursued the subject and located him hiding in the woods. 

It was determined that an attempted burglary into the store had occurred at the front door area of the store. Officers arrested 37-year-old Joshua A. Spurlock on requested charges of attempted burglary and criminal damage to property as well as interference with law enforcement which involved attempting to flee from the officers and giving the arresting officers a false name.&nbsp;

He has previous convictions for burglary, criminal damage and criminal trespass, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717447124991.png" alt="Spurlock-photo from an earlier arrest in Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Spurlock-photo from an earlier arrest in Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations.Just before 3:30a.m. Monday police responded to a burglary alarm at the Bomgaars Retail Store, 605 South 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson When officers arrived they saw a man run from the scene into a nearby wooded area. Officers pursued the subject and located him hiding in the woods. It was determined that an attempted burglary into the store had occurred at the front door area of the store. Officers arrested 37-year-old Joshua A. Spurlock on requested charges of attempted burglary and criminal damage to property as well as interference with law enforcement which involved attempting to flee from the officers and giving the arresting officers a false name.&nbsp;He has previous convictions for burglary, criminal damage and criminal trespass, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon gave officers a fake name during arrest

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce is harsh in its
assessment of this year’s legislative session, calling it dysfunctional.

State Chamber President Dan Mehan says the
General Assembly did little this year, passing only 28 non-budget bills. And
Mehan claims that when lawmakers did try to pass legislation, they too often
attempted to hamper businesses with regulations.

“This may seem like it’s odd, but this is the
truth. There was a bill that would have mandated that employers must accept gold
and/or silver as forms of payment for products or services rendered,” Mehan
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in a phone interview.&nbsp; “That won’t work for God only knows how many
reasons.”

Mehan says the legislature also attempted to
revoke the long-held business right to make workplace decisions such as vaccination
policies, employee benefits, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion
practices.

Mehan charges that instead of tackling the tough
issues facing the state, too many lawmakers attempted to pass additional business
regulations.

“You walk out of the Capitol scratching your
head, saying what are these people thinking?” Mehan states. “There’s more
important things that we can deal with such as the legal system, such as
infrastructure development, or education attainment than these petty mandates
that are just a complete pain for businesses to comply with.”

Mehan calls this session one of the least
productive, ever.

The Missouri Chamber pushed for a child care
package carried by St. Joseph state Rep. Brenda Shields that the Senate ignored
and for changes to Missouri’s statute of limitations on claims against businesses.

Mehan lays the blame at the feet of the Freedom
Caucus in the Senate, which used filibusters to tied up work in the Senate throughout the five-and-a-half month legislative session.

Despite the harsh assessment of this year’s
legislative session, the Chamber does see at least one bright spot from the
session. Mehan praises a major piece of legislation that did pass, the
anti-crime package sponsored by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville.

“This has stiffer penalties on it for repeat
offenders. We thought this was a good step in the right direction this year,”
Mehan says. “It was one of those rays of hope that we saw pass this year. Sen.
Luetkemeyer deserves a lot of credit for getting that done in a very difficult
year in the Missouri Senate.”

Other wins during the session, according to the
Missouri Chamber, were the expansion of the MOBUCKS low-interest loan program
and the appropriation of $727.5 million to expand I-44 to six lanes in
Springfield, Joplin, and Rolla.

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

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostThe Missouri Chamber of Commerce is harsh in its
assessment of this year’s legislative session, calling it dysfunctional.State Chamber President Dan Mehan says the
General Assembly did little this year, passing only 28 non-budget bills. And
Mehan claims that when lawmakers did try to pass legislation, they too often
attempted to hamper businesses with regulations.“This may seem like it’s odd, but this is the
truth. There was a bill that would have mandated that employers must accept gold
and/or silver as forms of payment for products or services rendered,” Mehan
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in a phone interview.&nbsp; “That won’t work for God only knows how many
reasons.”Mehan says the legislature also attempted to
revoke the long-held business right to make workplace decisions such as vaccination
policies, employee benefits, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion
practices.Mehan charges that instead of tackling the tough
issues facing the state, too many lawmakers attempted to pass additional business
regulations.“You walk out of the Capitol scratching your
head, saying what are these people thinking?” Mehan states. “There’s more
important things that we can deal with such as the legal system, such as
infrastructure development, or education attainment than these petty mandates
that are just a complete pain for businesses to comply with.”Mehan calls this session one of the least
productive, ever.The Missouri Chamber pushed for a child care
package carried by St. Joseph state Rep. Brenda Shields that the Senate ignored
and for changes to Missouri’s statute of limitations on claims against businesses.Mehan lays the blame at the feet of the Freedom
Caucus in the Senate, which used filibusters to tied up work in the Senate throughout the five-and-a-half month legislative session.Despite the harsh assessment of this year’s
legislative session, the Chamber does see at least one bright spot from the
session. Mehan praises a major piece of legislation that did pass, the
anti-crime package sponsored by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville.“This has stiffer penalties on it for repeat
offenders. We thought this was a good step in the right direction this year,”
Mehan says. “It was one of those rays of hope that we saw pass this year. Sen.
Luetkemeyer deserves a lot of credit for getting that done in a very difficult
year in the Missouri Senate.”Other wins during the session, according to the
Missouri Chamber, were the expansion of the MOBUCKS low-interest loan program
and the appropriation of $727.5 million to expand I-44 to six lanes in
Springfield, Joplin, and Rolla.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/MO-Chamber-assesses-legislative-session-e2ketgn" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

MO Chamber of Commerce calls legislative session dysfunctional

KESJ
of St. Joseph, better known as Joe Town 107.5, won Station of the Year at the
Missouri Broadcasters Association awards ceremony held this past weekend at the
Margaritaville Lake Resort in Osage Beach.

Joe
Town won in the medium market radio category for its community involvement and
charitable campaigns. Program Director Gregg Lynn accepted the award on behalf
of the station during the ceremony. Lynn also won second place for his work on
KESJ in the category of Social Media Star.

Station
of the Year was one of several awards received by Eagle St. Joseph radio
stations as well as St. Joseph Post by the MBA. KFEQ won Best Use of Digital
Media, medium market radio, for its Chiefs’ Training Camp coverage. KFEQ swept
the Feature Reporting category for medium market radio. Sports Director Tommy
Rezac won first place for his feature on Special Olympics athlete Charlie
Phillips of Savannah. News Director Brent Martin won second place for his
feature on efforts to pass Max’s Law.

KFEQ
Sports Director Tommy Rezac also won second place in the Play-by-Play category
for his call of the Missouri Western State University football game against
Pitt State; second place for his sports feature, From Rolla to Red Kingdom; and
second place for Podcast on Kansas City Royals minor league pitcher Noah
Cameron from St. Joseph Central High School.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717429748626.jpeg" alt="Joe Town 107.5 Program Director Gregg Lynn with Station of the Year award./Photo by Liby Waltemath" />
 <figcaption>Joe Town 107.5 Program Director Gregg Lynn with Station of the Year award./Photo by Liby Waltemath</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostKESJ
of St. Joseph, better known as Joe Town 107.5, won Station of the Year at the
Missouri Broadcasters Association awards ceremony held this past weekend at the
Margaritaville Lake Resort in Osage Beach.Joe
Town won in the medium market radio category for its community involvement and
charitable campaigns. Program Director Gregg Lynn accepted the award on behalf
of the station during the ceremony. Lynn also won second place for his work on
KESJ in the category of Social Media Star.Station
of the Year was one of several awards received by Eagle St. Joseph radio
stations as well as St. Joseph Post by the MBA. KFEQ won Best Use of Digital
Media, medium market radio, for its Chiefs’ Training Camp coverage. KFEQ swept
the Feature Reporting category for medium market radio. Sports Director Tommy
Rezac won first place for his feature on Special Olympics athlete Charlie
Phillips of Savannah. News Director Brent Martin won second place for his
feature on efforts to pass Max’s Law.KFEQ
Sports Director Tommy Rezac also won second place in the Play-by-Play category
for his call of the Missouri Western State University football game against
Pitt State; second place for his sports feature, From Rolla to Red Kingdom; and
second place for Podcast on Kansas City Royals minor league pitcher Noah
Cameron from St. Joseph Central High School.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Joe Town 107.5 named Station of the Year; Eagle St. Joseph wins MBA awards

St. Joseph firefighters put out a house fire on Olive Street
Sunday afternoon in about two hours.

Residents of the house at 3118 Olive escaped without harm,
according to the St. Joseph Fire Department.

The investigation into the cause of the fire continues.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph firefighters put out a house fire on Olive Street
Sunday afternoon in about two hours.Residents of the house at 3118 Olive escaped without harm,
according to the St. Joseph Fire Department.The investigation into the cause of the fire continues.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Fire damaged St. Joseph house; residents escape unharmed

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves worries about the
fallout now that a New York jury has convicted former President Donald Trump of
paying hush money to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

Graves, a Republican, says the prosecution of Trump
effectively weaponizes the court system.

“The unfortunate part is we’re in a time now where we’re going
after political opponents using the courts. And that is weaponization of the court
system,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And I worry now that it’s going to
start being a tit for tat and back and worth and that’s just going to be a downward
spiral for our judicial system and the entire country.”

A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of illegally
influencing the election by paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to
keep her quiet about their alleged one-night-stand.

Graves contends the prosecution of Trump in effect weaponizes
the court system, claiming even the instructions the judge gave the jury were
extremely biased.

“That is weaponizing the courts. That is using the court
system, the judicial system, to try to take out an opponent rather than using
the election itself or the way people vote or whatever the outcome might be in
the November election,” Graves says. “And, it’s terribly unfortunate. It is a
strong charge, but it’s absolutely what’s happening.”

Graves says he doesn’t know how the felony conviction will
impact Trump’s rematch with President Joe Biden.

“We may never know for that matter,” Graves says. “I guess we’ll
find out what the outcome is obviously in November.”

Graves says he has a good idea how his deeply conservative 6th
Congressional District will respond, but doesn’t know how the rest of the
country will. Graves says it’s even harder to determine what effect it will
have beyond the 2024 elections.

“What the ramifications will be, long-term, we may never know.”

Graves calls the prosecution of Trump purely political and
says he stands with Trump.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717426886857.jpeg" alt="Congressman Sam Graves/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Congressman Sam Graves/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostNorthern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves worries about the
fallout now that a New York jury has convicted former President Donald Trump of
paying hush money to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.Graves, a Republican, says the prosecution of Trump
effectively weaponizes the court system.“The unfortunate part is we’re in a time now where we’re going
after political opponents using the courts. And that is weaponization of the court
system,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And I worry now that it’s going to
start being a tit for tat and back and worth and that’s just going to be a downward
spiral for our judicial system and the entire country.”A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of illegally
influencing the election by paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to
keep her quiet about their alleged one-night-stand.Graves contends the prosecution of Trump in effect weaponizes
the court system, claiming even the instructions the judge gave the jury were
extremely biased.“That is weaponizing the courts. That is using the court
system, the judicial system, to try to take out an opponent rather than using
the election itself or the way people vote or whatever the outcome might be in
the November election,” Graves says. “And, it’s terribly unfortunate. It is a
strong charge, but it’s absolutely what’s happening.”Graves says he doesn’t know how the felony conviction will
impact Trump’s rematch with President Joe Biden.“We may never know for that matter,” Graves says. “I guess we’ll
find out what the outcome is obviously in November.”Graves says he has a good idea how his deeply conservative 6th
Congressional District will respond, but doesn’t know how the rest of the
country will. Graves says it’s even harder to determine what effect it will
have beyond the 2024 elections.“What the ramifications will be, long-term, we may never know.”Graves calls the prosecution of Trump purely political and
says he stands with Trump.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Congressman Graves claims Trump verdict weaponizes the courts

NODAWAY COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Sunday in Nodaway County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by a 16-year-old Savannah girl was southbound on Ivory Road at 250th Street just east of Maryville.

The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The Jeep traveled off the south side of the road, struck an embankment and rolled onto its top.

Nodaway County EMS transported a passenger Autumn K. Ellis, 18, Savannah, to Mosaic in Maryville. The driver refused treatment at the scene. Both were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

NODAWAY COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Sunday in Nodaway County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by a 16-year-old Savannah girl was southbound on Ivory Road at 250th Street just east of Maryville.The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The Jeep traveled off the south side of the road, struck an embankment and rolled onto its top.Nodaway County EMS transported a passenger Autumn K. Ellis, 18, Savannah, to Mosaic in Maryville. The driver refused treatment at the scene. Both were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Two Missouri teens injured after Jeep rollover crash

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;-

WASHINGTON — As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses.

The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding.

Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92%, according to the administration.

“This announcement is not just about clean school buses, it’s about the bigger picture,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said during a call with reporters on Tuesday, prior to the announcement. “We are improving air quality for our children, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and expanding our nation’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.”

Low-income, rural and tribal communities — accounting for approximately 45% of the selected projects —&nbsp; are slated to receive roughly 67% of the total funding, per the administration.

In Missouri, the funding will go to 17 school districts and a charter school. They will receive $18.1 million to replace 56 buses, with all the new buses to be electric.

Regan noted how “low-income communities and communities of color have long felt the disproportionate impacts of air pollution leading to severe health outcomes that continue to impact these populations.”

As for business and economic opportunities, Regan pointed to the development of new, well-paying manufacturing jobs and investment in local businesses stemming from the increasing demand for these clean school buses.

“As more and more schools make the switch to electric buses, there will be a need for American-made batteries, charging stations and service providers to maintain the buses supercharging and reinvigorating local economies,” he added.

The Clean School Bus Program has now collectively awarded nearly $3 billion to fund approximately 8,500 electric and alternative fuel buses for over 1,000 communities across the United States, according to the administration.

The program started through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, which includes $5 billion over five years to transform the country’s existing school buses with “zero-emission and low-emission models,” per the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus">EPA</a>.

Among many negative health and environmental effects, especially for communities of color, diesel exhaust exposure can lead to major health conditions such as asthma and respiratory illnesses, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/dera/learn-about-impacts-diesel-exhaust-and-diesel-emissions-reduction-act-dera">EPA</a>.

Exposure to diesel exhaust can also “worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly,” the agency said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595514078285.png" alt="The Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide funding to help school districts purchase clean school buses, most of them electric. Shown is a yellow electric school bus plugged into a charging station. -file photo" />
 <figcaption>The Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide funding to help school districts purchase clean school buses, most of them electric. Shown is a yellow electric school bus plugged into a charging station. -file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;-WASHINGTON — As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses.The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding.Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92%, according to the administration.“This announcement is not just about clean school buses, it’s about the bigger picture,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said during a call with reporters on Tuesday, prior to the announcement. “We are improving air quality for our children, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and expanding our nation’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.”Low-income, rural and tribal communities — accounting for approximately 45% of the selected projects —&nbsp; are slated to receive roughly 67% of the total funding, per the administration.In Missouri, the funding will go to 17 school districts and a charter school. They will receive $18.1 million to replace 56 buses, with all the new buses to be electric.Regan noted how “low-income communities and communities of color have long felt the disproportionate impacts of air pollution leading to severe health outcomes that continue to impact these populations.”As for business and economic opportunities, Regan pointed to the development of new, well-paying manufacturing jobs and investment in local businesses stemming from the increasing demand for these clean school buses.“As more and more schools make the switch to electric buses, there will be a need for American-made batteries, charging stations and service providers to maintain the buses supercharging and reinvigorating local economies,” he added.The Clean School Bus Program has now collectively awarded nearly $3 billion to fund approximately 8,500 electric and alternative fuel buses for over 1,000 communities across the United States, according to the administration.The program started through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, which includes $5 billion over five years to transform the country’s existing school buses with “zero-emission and low-emission models,” per the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus">EPA</a>.Among many negative health and environmental effects, especially for communities of color, diesel exhaust exposure can lead to major health conditions such as asthma and respiratory illnesses, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/dera/learn-about-impacts-diesel-exhaust-and-diesel-emissions-reduction-act-dera">EPA</a>.Exposure to diesel exhaust can also “worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly,” the agency said.

Funds for clean school buses coming to hundreds of districts, White House says 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man made his initial appearance Friday after a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, indicted him on multiple charges related to sex trafficking multiple victims, including children, according to the United State's Attorney.

&nbsp;Elijah Z. Haley, 21, of Atchison was indicted on two counts of sex trafficking of a child, two counts of sex trafficking accomplished by force, fraud, or coercion, two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity, according to court documents.

Haley made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kansas Highway Patrol, Atchison, Kansas Police Department, and the Boone County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717245022442.png" alt="Haley from a 2023 arrest in Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Haley from a 2023 arrest in Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man made his initial appearance Friday after a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, indicted him on multiple charges related to sex trafficking multiple victims, including children, according to the United State's Attorney.&nbsp;Elijah Z. Haley, 21, of Atchison was indicted on two counts of sex trafficking of a child, two counts of sex trafficking accomplished by force, fraud, or coercion, two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity, according to court documents.Haley made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kansas Highway Patrol, Atchison, Kansas Police Department, and the Boone County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Kansas man accused of sex trafficking multiple child victims

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

Missouri’s Medicaid enrollment has shrunk by around 200,000 people since last summer, as the state continues the process of undoing a COVID-era pause on eligibility checks.

The federal suspension on annual renewals expired last year and since then,&nbsp;states have been undergoing the process of re-verifying each participant’s eligibility.

From June to April, Missouri’s net enrollment in Medicaid — which is also called MO HealthNet —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/mis/clcounter/history.htm">dropped</a>&nbsp;by 197,525 people.&nbsp;

Over half — 56% — of that net decline was among children, according to recent state data and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://timothymcbride.substack.com/p/april-2024-update-missouri-medicaid">analysis</a>&nbsp;by the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy &amp; Economics Research at Washington University in St. Louis. There were 110,938 kids who lost coverage in that period.

The number of kids being removed has been a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/26/nearly-half-of-all-missouri-medicaid-terminations-in-last-three-months-have-been-children/">source of concern</a>&nbsp;over the last few months among advocates. Although kids make up around half of the state’s caseload, they are also eligible at much higher household income level than adults.

As the state evaluates hundreds of thousands of current Medicaid recipients each month and processes their updated information, it continues to receive new applications.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.medicaid.gov/state-overviews/downloads/magi-app-process-time-snapshot-rpt-oct-dec-2023.pdf">Federal data</a>&nbsp;released earlier this month showed Missouri’s application processing times have been among the worst in the nation.&nbsp;

Medicaid applications are generally required to be reviewed within 45 days.&nbsp;Nationwide, most applications were processed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://timothymcbride.substack.com/p/enrolling-medicaid-in-missouri-challenges">within 24 hours</a>&nbsp;last year.

Missouri and New Mexico had the highest rates of late Medicaid determinations last year, according to the federal data, which covers October through December.&nbsp;

In December, more than half of Missouri’s applications took longer than 45 days to process.

Long processing times can mean low-resource and low-income patients must delay or forego needed medical care and prescriptions.

And Missouri has struggled to meet that limit in the past: In summer 2022, the federal government initiated a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/08/09/federal-government-steps-in-to-help-pull-missouri-out-of-medicaid-backlog/">mitigation plan</a>&nbsp;with the state to get the wait time down.

At the quarterly MO HealthNet Oversight Committee meeting last week, chair Nick Pfannenstiel, a dentist, raised concerns about processing times.&nbsp;

Pfannenstiel said as a provider, he has been told by state eligibility workers that the current average processing time is “60 to 90 days.” Though he knows the state is working to fix those delays, “that’s causing a lot of frustration, not necessarily from a provider standpoint only but from a patient standpoint.”

Todd Richardson, director of MO HealthNet, said that there are a “number of strategies and a lot of focus right now trying to bring that back down to the 45 day window” that is federally mandated.

Part of the issue is the agency is receiving a large number of applications, Richardson added.

From November to mid-January, during open enrollment season for the federal insurance marketplace, the state generally sees an uptick in Medicaid applications and then a decline and plateau, he said.

“We are not seeing that now,” Richardson said.&nbsp;“[Family Support Division] is continuing to experience a high number of daily new applications, and as a result, you can see that increase in the number of pending applications that we have.”

The number of pending applications reached nearly 53,000 in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/0124-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf">January</a>&nbsp;and stands at just under 18,000 as of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/0424-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf">April</a>.

“I know [Family Support Division] has been working exhaustively, trying to bring that number of pending applications down and I know they’ve had some success,” he said, “but there will continue to be kind of an intense review on the state’s part to make sure that we’re getting those applications as current as we possibly can.”

Baylee Watts, DSS’ communications director, said the division has “focused its staff and resources on processing applications that have exceeded 45 days” and continues training staff across several programs and “strategically reallocating staff to manage the workload effectively.”

There can be issues when a patient is on Medicaid but needs to change the category of coverage they qualify for,&nbsp;Pfannenstiel also noted, referring to a patient trying to convert to postpartum Medicaid as causing providers confusion as to whether the person is eligible for services.

A patient&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/23/perfect-storm-missouri-advocates-decry-medicaid-application-delays-coverage-losses/">previously told the Independent&nbsp;</a>she spent more than a month just trying to switch from adult Medicaid to Medicaid for Pregnant Women. In the meantime, she didn’t go to any doctor’s appointments.

Richardson said it is currently a “manual process” for state workers to move Medicaid participants into the postpartum category. Since last year, women can receive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/07/governor-signs-bill-extending-postpartum-coverage-under-missouri-medicaid/">postpartum coverage</a>&nbsp;for a full year rather than 60 days.

It is also a manual process for children to receive what’s called&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/23/federal-spending-bill-ensures-one-year-continuous-coverage-for-missouri-kids-in-medicaid-chip/">continuous eligibility,</a>&nbsp;which went into effect this year after it was federally required. That policy allows kids to stay insured for the full year after they are renewed, rather than be potentially stripped of coverage between renewals, due to something like temporary changes in income.

There are system changes to automate those processes planned for June, Richardson said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712259163846.jpg" alt="&nbsp;Children made up 56% of the net decline in Medicaid enrollment between June 2023 and April 2024&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Children made up 56% of the net decline in Medicaid enrollment between June 2023 and April 2024&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;CLARA BATES&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s Medicaid enrollment has shrunk by around 200,000 people since last summer, as the state continues the process of undoing a COVID-era pause on eligibility checks.The federal suspension on annual renewals expired last year and since then,&nbsp;states have been undergoing the process of re-verifying each participant’s eligibility.From June to April, Missouri’s net enrollment in Medicaid — which is also called MO HealthNet —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/mis/clcounter/history.htm">dropped</a>&nbsp;by 197,525 people.&nbsp;Over half — 56% — of that net decline was among children, according to recent state data and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://timothymcbride.substack.com/p/april-2024-update-missouri-medicaid">analysis</a>&nbsp;by the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy &amp; Economics Research at Washington University in St. Louis. There were 110,938 kids who lost coverage in that period.The number of kids being removed has been a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/26/nearly-half-of-all-missouri-medicaid-terminations-in-last-three-months-have-been-children/">source of concern</a>&nbsp;over the last few months among advocates. Although kids make up around half of the state’s caseload, they are also eligible at much higher household income level than adults.As the state evaluates hundreds of thousands of current Medicaid recipients each month and processes their updated information, it continues to receive new applications.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.medicaid.gov/state-overviews/downloads/magi-app-process-time-snapshot-rpt-oct-dec-2023.pdf">Federal data</a>&nbsp;released earlier this month showed Missouri’s application processing times have been among the worst in the nation.&nbsp;Medicaid applications are generally required to be reviewed within 45 days.&nbsp;Nationwide, most applications were processed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://timothymcbride.substack.com/p/enrolling-medicaid-in-missouri-challenges">within 24 hours</a>&nbsp;last year.Missouri and New Mexico had the highest rates of late Medicaid determinations last year, according to the federal data, which covers October through December.&nbsp;In December, more than half of Missouri’s applications took longer than 45 days to process.Long processing times can mean low-resource and low-income patients must delay or forego needed medical care and prescriptions.And Missouri has struggled to meet that limit in the past: In summer 2022, the federal government initiated a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/08/09/federal-government-steps-in-to-help-pull-missouri-out-of-medicaid-backlog/">mitigation plan</a>&nbsp;with the state to get the wait time down.At the quarterly MO HealthNet Oversight Committee meeting last week, chair Nick Pfannenstiel, a dentist, raised concerns about processing times.&nbsp;Pfannenstiel said as a provider, he has been told by state eligibility workers that the current average processing time is “60 to 90 days.” Though he knows the state is working to fix those delays, “that’s causing a lot of frustration, not necessarily from a provider standpoint only but from a patient standpoint.”Todd Richardson, director of MO HealthNet, said that there are a “number of strategies and a lot of focus right now trying to bring that back down to the 45 day window” that is federally mandated.Part of the issue is the agency is receiving a large number of applications, Richardson added.From November to mid-January, during open enrollment season for the federal insurance marketplace, the state generally sees an uptick in Medicaid applications and then a decline and plateau, he said.“We are not seeing that now,” Richardson said.&nbsp;“[Family Support Division] is continuing to experience a high number of daily new applications, and as a result, you can see that increase in the number of pending applications that we have.”The number of pending applications reached nearly 53,000 in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/0124-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf">January</a>&nbsp;and stands at just under 18,000 as of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/0424-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf">April</a>.“I know [Family Support Division] has been working exhaustively, trying to bring that number of pending applications down and I know they’ve had some success,” he said, “but there will continue to be kind of an intense review on the state’s part to make sure that we’re getting those applications as current as we possibly can.”Baylee Watts, DSS’ communications director, said the division has “focused its staff and resources on processing applications that have exceeded 45 days” and continues training staff across several programs and “strategically reallocating staff to manage the workload effectively.”There can be issues when a patient is on Medicaid but needs to change the category of coverage they qualify for,&nbsp;Pfannenstiel also noted, referring to a patient trying to convert to postpartum Medicaid as causing providers confusion as to whether the person is eligible for services.A patient&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/23/perfect-storm-missouri-advocates-decry-medicaid-application-delays-coverage-losses/">previously told the Independent&nbsp;</a>she spent more than a month just trying to switch from adult Medicaid to Medicaid for Pregnant Women. In the meantime, she didn’t go to any doctor’s appointments.Richardson said it is currently a “manual process” for state workers to move Medicaid participants into the postpartum category. Since last year, women can receive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/07/governor-signs-bill-extending-postpartum-coverage-under-missouri-medicaid/">postpartum coverage</a>&nbsp;for a full year rather than 60 days.It is also a manual process for children to receive what’s called&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/23/federal-spending-bill-ensures-one-year-continuous-coverage-for-missouri-kids-in-medicaid-chip/">continuous eligibility,</a>&nbsp;which went into effect this year after it was federally required. That policy allows kids to stay insured for the full year after they are renewed, rather than be potentially stripped of coverage between renewals, due to something like temporary changes in income.There are system changes to automate those processes planned for June, Richardson said.

Mo. Medicaid enrollment continues decline, down 200,000 since last June

St. Joseph public school officials have shifted focus on
summer school.

St. Joseph School Superintendent Gabe Edgar says in the past
the St. Joseph School District tended to focus on getting as many students as
possible in summer school to draw down as much state money as possible. Edgar
says, now, the focus is on the students, getting them caught up academically
and prepared for next fall.

“We feel like we have a pretty good program going and we have
a good partnership with Catapult Learning,” Edgar tells host Barry Birr on the
KFEQ Hotline. “It’s not going to be a money-maker for us, but we’re not going
to lose anything. We’re just trying to, like I said, provide those
interventions for kids.”

Edgar says summer school needs to be focused on the needs of
the student.

“It’s more of an intervention strategy that it is just a
setting where you’re going to summer school as a babysitting service or
whatever,” Edgar says. “We’re really trying to move the needle in summer
school.”

Though the district contracts with Catapult Learning to operate summer school, it provides the curriculum so students are ready when the new school year begins.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph public school officials have shifted focus on
summer school.St. Joseph School Superintendent Gabe Edgar says in the past
the St. Joseph School District tended to focus on getting as many students as
possible in summer school to draw down as much state money as possible. Edgar
says, now, the focus is on the students, getting them caught up academically
and prepared for next fall.“We feel like we have a pretty good program going and we have
a good partnership with Catapult Learning,” Edgar tells host Barry Birr on the
KFEQ Hotline. “It’s not going to be a money-maker for us, but we’re not going
to lose anything. We’re just trying to, like I said, provide those
interventions for kids.”Edgar says summer school needs to be focused on the needs of
the student.“It’s more of an intervention strategy that it is just a
setting where you’re going to summer school as a babysitting service or
whatever,” Edgar says. “We’re really trying to move the needle in summer
school.”Though the district contracts with Catapult Learning to operate summer school, it provides the curriculum so students are ready when the new school year begins.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Focus of St. Joseph summer school has shifted

Mid-Buchanan head baseball coach Rob Davenport coached his final game with the Dragons during Thursday's 9-0 shutout loss to Duchesne in the MSHSAA Class 3 title game.&nbsp;

Davenport says he told the team following the loss how proud he was of them for making it to state and accomplishing what they did during the season, but then broke the news.&nbsp;

"I told them tonight that that was the last baseball game I would be coaching and that I couldn't be happier to have spent the season with them," Davenport said during a postgame interview. "So, really cool opportunity to come down here and be one of two teams standing."&nbsp;

"It hurts a little bit right now, but we'll all be super proud of it down the road."&nbsp;

Davenport says while it wasn't the result he or the team had hoped for he couldn't have been happier to be a part of it.&nbsp;

"To get to be a part of it, I've spent a lot of years coaching, now I get to go watch my daughter play ball herself, which I miss a lot of that, so that's the direction we're heading," Davenport says.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717185746748.jpeg" alt="Mid-Buchanan head baseball and softball coach Rob Davenport coached his final game in Thursday's Class 3 State title game/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>Mid-Buchanan head baseball and softball coach Rob Davenport coached his final game in Thursday's Class 3 State title game/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostMid-Buchanan head baseball coach Rob Davenport coached his final game with the Dragons during Thursday's 9-0 shutout loss to Duchesne in the MSHSAA Class 3 title game.&nbsp;Davenport says he told the team following the loss how proud he was of them for making it to state and accomplishing what they did during the season, but then broke the news.&nbsp;"I told them tonight that that was the last baseball game I would be coaching and that I couldn't be happier to have spent the season with them," Davenport said during a postgame interview. "So, really cool opportunity to come down here and be one of two teams standing."&nbsp;"It hurts a little bit right now, but we'll all be super proud of it down the road."&nbsp;Davenport says while it wasn't the result he or the team had hoped for he couldn't have been happier to be a part of it.&nbsp;"To get to be a part of it, I've spent a lot of years coaching, now I get to go watch my daughter play ball herself, which I miss a lot of that, so that's the direction we're heading," Davenport says.&nbsp;

Mid-Buchanan baseball coach stepping down after leading team to finals

St. Joseph has a new slate of inductees to the Area Sports Hall of Fame.

St. Joseph Sports Commission Director, Brett Esley, says this year’s class
features several firsts.

“We have an athlete in the sport of figure skating. That’s our first. We
have athlete in the sport of track and field. That’s a first for us. Also, we
have a member of the media as part of this class,” Esley tells KFEQ/St. Joseph
Post. “And so, I think it just goes to show you the depth that we have here in our
city and Buchanan County and we look forward to celebrating these men and women
and our team coming up this August.”

Figure
skater Ryan Blakely, multiple NCAA national track champion Heavin (Warner) Douglas,
and sportswriter Bill Scott will be inducted.

Also
among this year’s inductees: &nbsp;fastpitch
softball standout Bobby Blakely; Missouri Western and PGA golfer, Brice Garnett;
Dirck Clark and Charlie Shields, both instrumental in bringing the Kansas City
Chiefs Training Camp to St. Joseph; St. Joseph Mustangs founder Dan Gerson; Missouri
Southern softball coach Pat Lipira; Missouri Western baseball coach Doug Minnis;
the 2007 Benton High School Girls Basketball Team; and Special Olympics area
Athlete of the Year Charlie Phillips.

Tickets
to the induction will go on sale soon and can be purchased at the St. Joseph
Convention and Visitors Bureau or online.

The
induction ceremony will be held in memory of Frank O’Malley on August 25th
&nbsp;&nbsp;at the Stoney Creek Inn presented by Altha
Bros Ag.

Brent Martin contributed to this article.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717172723763.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Sports Commissioner Brett Esley announces 2024 St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame inductees./Photo by Ryan Skaith" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Sports Commissioner Brett Esley announces 2024 St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame inductees./Photo by Ryan Skaith</figcaption>
 </figure>By RYAN SKATIHSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph has a new slate of inductees to the Area Sports Hall of Fame.St. Joseph Sports Commission Director, Brett Esley, says this year’s class
features several firsts.“We have an athlete in the sport of figure skating. That’s our first. We
have athlete in the sport of track and field. That’s a first for us. Also, we
have a member of the media as part of this class,” Esley tells KFEQ/St. Joseph
Post. “And so, I think it just goes to show you the depth that we have here in our
city and Buchanan County and we look forward to celebrating these men and women
and our team coming up this August.”Figure
skater Ryan Blakely, multiple NCAA national track champion Heavin (Warner) Douglas,
and sportswriter Bill Scott will be inducted.Also
among this year’s inductees: &nbsp;fastpitch
softball standout Bobby Blakely; Missouri Western and PGA golfer, Brice Garnett;
Dirck Clark and Charlie Shields, both instrumental in bringing the Kansas City
Chiefs Training Camp to St. Joseph; St. Joseph Mustangs founder Dan Gerson; Missouri
Southern softball coach Pat Lipira; Missouri Western baseball coach Doug Minnis;
the 2007 Benton High School Girls Basketball Team; and Special Olympics area
Athlete of the Year Charlie Phillips.Tickets
to the induction will go on sale soon and can be purchased at the St. Joseph
Convention and Visitors Bureau or online.The
induction ceremony will be held in memory of Frank O’Malley on August 25th
&nbsp;&nbsp;at the Stoney Creek Inn presented by Altha
Bros Ag.Brent Martin contributed to this article.

St. Joseph Sports Hall of Fame to induct 11 in August

A Buchanan County judge has determined that the 3% local tax can be imposed on the same retail location by both cities and counties.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Buchanan County can collect a special marijuana sales tax on dispensaries within St. Joseph city limits, a judge ruled Wednesday in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-judge-rules-local-governments-can-stack-sales-tax-on-marijuana/">second decision</a>&nbsp;granting counties the right to stack taxes on top of city levies.

Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg wrote&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/JUDGMENT.pdf?courtCode=05&amp;di=3746408">in his two-page ruling</a>&nbsp;that provisions in the recreational marijuana constitutional amendment&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/09/missouri-voters-amend-state-constitution-to-legalize-recreational-marijuana/">passed in 2022</a>&nbsp;do not limit the taxing power of counties within corporate limits of towns and cities.

“To put it bluntly, the court cannot accept (the) plaintiff’s interpretation of ‘Local Government’ to prohibit the power of the county to impose such tax within the Saint Joseph city limits,” Kellogg wrote. “The definition of ‘Local Government’ includes both the city and the county. As such, both are authorized to impose and collect the tax.”

Vertical Enterprises, which is licensed for retail sales, cultivation and marijuana product manufacturing in St. Joseph, sued the Buchanan County Collector’s office, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Buchanan County Clerk’s office to block enforcement of the tax.

Along with regular sales taxes – which in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dor.mo.gov/pdf/rates/2024/apr2024.pdf">some locations approach 12%</a>&nbsp;– people purchasing marijuana for recreational use also pay a special 6% state tax and a local tax of 3% if approved by voters.

The ruling will cost Vertical’s customers about $30,000 a month, said Chris McHugh, CEO of the company. There are two other dispensaries in St. Joseph and he estimated their tax payments would be comparable to his.

“Consumers should be outraged,” McHugh said. “They’re paying this.”

Statewide, consumers purchased $1.1 billion worth of marijuana in the first year of recreational use sales.

“This is millions and millions of dollars that never, never should be taken from consumers,” McHugh said. “It’s nothing but an anti-marijuana tax.”

McHugh said he will appeal Kellogg’s decision.

MoCann Trade, the industry lobbying organization, said in a statement from Executive Director Andrew Mullins, that excessive taxes on marijuana drive customers into the underground, unregulated market.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717155185568.png" alt="Marijuana (Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption>Marijuana (Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A Buchanan County judge has determined that the 3% local tax can be imposed on the same retail location by both cities and counties.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Buchanan County can collect a special marijuana sales tax on dispensaries within St. Joseph city limits, a judge ruled Wednesday in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-judge-rules-local-governments-can-stack-sales-tax-on-marijuana/">second decision</a>&nbsp;granting counties the right to stack taxes on top of city levies.Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg wrote&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/JUDGMENT.pdf?courtCode=05&amp;di=3746408">in his two-page ruling</a>&nbsp;that provisions in the recreational marijuana constitutional amendment&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/09/missouri-voters-amend-state-constitution-to-legalize-recreational-marijuana/">passed in 2022</a>&nbsp;do not limit the taxing power of counties within corporate limits of towns and cities.“To put it bluntly, the court cannot accept (the) plaintiff’s interpretation of ‘Local Government’ to prohibit the power of the county to impose such tax within the Saint Joseph city limits,” Kellogg wrote. “The definition of ‘Local Government’ includes both the city and the county. As such, both are authorized to impose and collect the tax.”Vertical Enterprises, which is licensed for retail sales, cultivation and marijuana product manufacturing in St. Joseph, sued the Buchanan County Collector’s office, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Buchanan County Clerk’s office to block enforcement of the tax.Along with regular sales taxes – which in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dor.mo.gov/pdf/rates/2024/apr2024.pdf">some locations approach 12%</a>&nbsp;– people purchasing marijuana for recreational use also pay a special 6% state tax and a local tax of 3% if approved by voters.The ruling will cost Vertical’s customers about $30,000 a month, said Chris McHugh, CEO of the company. There are two other dispensaries in St. Joseph and he estimated their tax payments would be comparable to his.“Consumers should be outraged,” McHugh said. “They’re paying this.”Statewide, consumers purchased $1.1 billion worth of marijuana in the first year of recreational use sales.“This is millions and millions of dollars that never, never should be taken from consumers,” McHugh said. “It’s nothing but an anti-marijuana tax.”McHugh said he will appeal Kellogg’s decision.MoCann Trade, the industry lobbying organization, said in a statement from Executive Director Andrew Mullins, that excessive taxes on marijuana drive customers into the underground, unregulated market.“Since&nbsp;Oct. 1, Missouri cannabis customers have been paying roughly $3 million more each month than what the Missouri Constitution requires,” Mullins said.Drafters of the amendment legalizing marijuana wanted to prevent stacking, so they used the broad term “local government” for the entity authorized to impose a tax. To make it apply to both cities and counties, the term was defined as meaning “a village, town, or city” for incorporated areas and counties for unincorporated places.But the revenue department, interpreting the new tax law, told local governments that county marijuana taxes may be stacked, making the local tax rate on marijuana purchases 6% in places where county and city voters have approved the levy.Almost everywhere the tax has been on the ballot, it&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/05/local-marijuana-sales-taxes-pass-easily-in-most-communities-in-missouri-elections/">has passed</a>, sometimes with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kttn.com/election-results-across-north-missouri-counties-for-tuesday-april-2-2024/">overwhelming majorities</a>&nbsp;as in Unionville in April, where it was backed by 73% of voters.Regular sales taxes are stacked and consumers pay the 4.225% state rate plus the local taxes for counties, cities and special taxing districts.&nbsp;A 2023 notice from the department’s Taxation Division stated that the section of the constitution authorizing the tax states that any successful vote is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/17/pair-of-lawsuits-challenge-whether-missouri-counties-can-stack-tax-on-marijuana-sales/">applicable to the “political subdivision”</a>&nbsp;where it was enacted.The amendment did not define “political subdivision,” the notice stated.“The distinction between local government and political subdivision is important as voters in the entire county will authorize the additional tax, not just voters in the unincorporated area,” the notice stated. “And practically, counties do not otherwise limit the applicability of their sales taxes based on geography.”The interpretation generated both the lawsuit in Buchanan County and another in St. Louis County. In a ruling that is being appealed, St. Louis County Circuit Judge Brian May wrote that the interpretation offered by the plaintiff in that case, Robust Missouri 3 LLC, operator of a dispensary in Florissant, could have unintended consequences.“If [Robust’s] interpretation were accepted, then a municipality or city would essentially be given carte blanche to ignore any county ordinance or regulation, including those related to public health and safety wholly unrelated to the taxing issue,” May wrote in the ruling.Getting the same result from two courts shows the strength of the argument that the taxes can be stacked, said Steve Hobbs, executive director of the Missouri Association of Counties.“From the very beginning, our position was absolutely that the constitutional amendment left this avenue open,” Hobbs said. “We’re really satisfied that, you know, our position was proved correct in two places.”The trial court decisions aren’t controlling precedent and neither Hobbs nor McHugh said the cases would end at the courts of appeals.“Everyone understands this is going to end up at the (Missouri) Supreme Court,” McHugh said, “so we’ve got to go through the process.”