KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged road rage shooting in Kansas City.

Just before 11:30a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting on southbound 71 Highway and Blue River Road, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

First responders located a vehicle stopped on the side of the highway and a woman asking for help. At that time, officers observed an adult male victim, unresponsive inside of the vehicle suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. EMS responded to the scene and pronounce the man deceased at that scene.

Preliminary information indicates this may be a road rage incident. It is believed two unidentified men were occupying an unknown vehicle when shots were fired, striking the victim. It is not currently known where the start of the altercation began, and where exactly the shooting occurred. We do not currently have any subjects of interest, or a suspect vehicle identified.

Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel responded to the area to begin collecting any evidence and to speak with witnesses. This incident is being investigated as a homicide, according to Officer Gonzalez.

71 Highway was closed off to all southbound traffic at 85th Street while police investigate.

If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767817392964.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged road rage shooting in Kansas City.Just before 11:30a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting on southbound 71 Highway and Blue River Road, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767817154645.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located a vehicle stopped on the side of the highway and a woman asking for help. At that time, officers observed an adult male victim, unresponsive inside of the vehicle suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. EMS responded to the scene and pronounce the man deceased at that scene.Preliminary information indicates this may be a road rage incident. It is believed two unidentified men were occupying an unknown vehicle when shots were fired, striking the victim. It is not currently known where the start of the altercation began, and where exactly the shooting occurred. We do not currently have any subjects of interest, or a suspect vehicle identified.Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel responded to the area to begin collecting any evidence and to speak with witnesses. This incident is being investigated as a homicide, according to Officer Gonzalez.71 Highway was closed off to all southbound traffic at 85th Street while police investigate.If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

Police: Deadly road-rage shooting in Kansas City

By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/max-nesterak/">Max Nesterak</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/madisonmcvan/">Madison McVan</a> Minnesota Reformer

An ICE officer shot a woman driving an SUV through her car window in south Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. The person is dead, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.&nbsp;

Video of the incident&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/K9CJY5p0xz4?si=zC_gkj-tiUR9CS-A" target="_blank">shared with the&nbsp;Reformer</a>&nbsp;shows masked ICE officers approach a Honda Pilot stopped in the middle of Portland Avenue near 34th Street. One officer tells the driver to “get out of the f*cking car” and tries to open the door. The driver then slowly backs up and then pulls forward. An officer at the front of the vehicle fires three shots and the SUV travels a short distance before crashing into a parked car.&nbsp;

The witness who took the video, Caitlin Callenson, said she was on a walk when she saw an ICE vehicle stuck in the snow. As more ICE vehicles arrived, bystanders blew whistles in protest, and the driver of the SUV tried to block the ICE vehicles.

Callenson said she did not see ICE agents attempting to detain anyone leading up to or after the shooting.&nbsp;

After the shots were fired, the driver was “then was completely slumped over in the vehicle,” said Emily Heller, another witness. Federal agents wouldn’t allow a man who said he is a physician to examine the driver, Heller said. Emergency medical technicians arrived 15 minutes later, she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant Secretary Dept. of Homeland Security,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/2008957179793998266?s=20" target="_blank">writing on X</a>, gave a different version of what happened: “One of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them — an act of domestic terrorism. An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dozens of federal agents from ICE and the FBI, as well as Minneapolis police officers and Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene&nbsp;

As some federal officers attempted to leave, protestors blocked their vehicle. The officers fired a noxious gas at close range, causing distress and vomiting for many demonstrators and journalists.&nbsp;

Protesters hurled insults at Minneapolis Police officers, who are not supposed to assist with immigration enforcement, but were on the scene Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

City Council members including Robin Wonsley and Jamal Osman addressed the crowd, saying the area was an active crime scene, and that MPD was present to investigate.&nbsp;

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty issued a statement soon after the shooting saying she is “pushing hard for a local investigation which is the only way to ensure full transparency and review by our office.”&nbsp;

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a St. Paul Democrat, called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who filmed herself observing ICE actions in Minneapolis on Tuesday, to immediately stop the ICE operation “to restore order and prevent further injuries.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767816394023.png" alt=" The crashed SUV after an ICE agent shot the driver at point-blank range through the window. The driver died, according to the Department of Homeland Security. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)" />
 <figcaption> The crashed SUV after an ICE agent shot the driver at point-blank range through the window. The driver died, according to the Department of Homeland Security. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/max-nesterak/">Max Nesterak</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/madisonmcvan/">Madison McVan</a> Minnesota ReformerAn ICE officer shot a woman driving an SUV through her car window in south Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. The person is dead, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/MayorFrey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorFrey</a> on ICE-related shooting Minneapolis: &quot;They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense … that is bullshit. This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying … To ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis. We don&#39;t want you here.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1ODkyyePYp">pic.twitter.com/1ODkyyePYp</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2008980629535220041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovTimWalz</a>: “We have been warning for weeks that the Trump administration&#39;s dangerous sensationalized operations are a threat to our public safety…To Minnesotans I say this: I feel your anger. I&#39;m angry…To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you have done enough.” <a href="https://t.co/IEEL8K9qq1">pic.twitter.com/IEEL8K9qq1</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2009006400589152618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Video of the incident&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/K9CJY5p0xz4?si=zC_gkj-tiUR9CS-A" target="_blank">shared with the&nbsp;Reformer</a>&nbsp;shows masked ICE officers approach a Honda Pilot stopped in the middle of Portland Avenue near 34th Street. One officer tells the driver to “get out of the f*cking car” and tries to open the door. The driver then slowly backs up and then pulls forward. An officer at the front of the vehicle fires three shots and the SUV travels a short distance before crashing into a parked car.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K9CJY5p0xz4?si=oveThoFUpbN5Kckn&amp;start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The witness who took the video, Caitlin Callenson, said she was on a walk when she saw an ICE vehicle stuck in the snow. As more ICE vehicles arrived, bystanders blew whistles in protest, and the driver of the SUV tried to block the ICE vehicles.Callenson said she did not see ICE agents attempting to detain anyone leading up to or after the shooting.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> on the ICE-involved shooting in Minnesota: &quot;It was an act of domestic terrorism … these vehicle rammings are domestic acts of terrorism. We&#39;re working with the Department of Justice to prosecute them as such.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7iPyRCEzvt">pic.twitter.com/7iPyRCEzvt</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2008972778616102998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After the shots were fired, the driver was “then was completely slumped over in the vehicle,” said Emily Heller, another witness. Federal agents wouldn’t allow a man who said he is a physician to examine the driver, Heller said. Emergency medical technicians arrived 15 minutes later, she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tricia McLaughlin, assistant Secretary Dept. of Homeland Security,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/2008957179793998266?s=20" target="_blank">writing on X</a>, gave a different version of what happened: “One of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them — an act of domestic terrorism. An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Dozens of federal agents from ICE and the FBI, as well as Minneapolis police officers and Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene&nbsp;As some federal officers attempted to leave, protestors blocked their vehicle. The officers fired a noxious gas at close range, causing distress and vomiting for many demonstrators and journalists.&nbsp;Protests are ongoing.Protesters hurled insults at Minneapolis Police officers, who are not supposed to assist with immigration enforcement, but were on the scene Wednesday morning.&nbsp;City Council members including Robin Wonsley and Jamal Osman addressed the crowd, saying the area was an active crime scene, and that MPD was present to investigate.&nbsp;Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty issued a statement soon after the shooting saying she is “pushing hard for a local investigation which is the only way to ensure full transparency and review by our office.”&nbsp;U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a St. Paul Democrat, called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who filmed herself observing ICE actions in Minneapolis on Tuesday, to immediately stop the ICE operation “to restore order and prevent further injuries.”

ICE officer fatally shoots driver through SUV window in Minneapolis

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://t.co/E0hii3A6Zo">pic.twitter.com/E0hii3A6Zo</a>&mdash; U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/US_EUCOM/status/2008900344428789945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two “ghost fleet” tanker ships— one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean. Both vessels —the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor… <a href="https://t.co/EZlHEtcufX">pic.twitter.com/EZlHEtcufX</a>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2008907194691915945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN&#39;T HIDE 🔥 In predawn operations this morning, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded two &quot;Ghost Fleet&quot; Tankers in the North Atlantic Sea and in international waters near the Caribbean. Both vessels were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it. <a href="https://t.co/4ftu01lqIg">pic.twitter.com/4ftu01lqIg</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2008937200944021613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://t.co/E0hii3A6Zo">pic.twitter.com/E0hii3A6Zo</a>&mdash; U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/US_EUCOM/status/2008900344428789945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 US seized 2 more oil tankers linked to Venezuela

WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase and arrest in Wabaunsee County.

On Tuesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol, Alma Police Department, and the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office participated in what can only be described as an ambitious but poorly executed attempt to escape the long arm of the law, according to a media release from the Wabaunsee County Sheriff.

The incident began with a stolen vehicle traveling on Interstate 70, which exited into Alma, drove through Alma, exited Alma, and then continued back north until it encountered the firm but fair reminder that roads end yet consequences continue. The vehicle wrecked out near the intersection of K-99 and Fairfield Road, at which point the suspect bailed on foot. 

This classic maneuver is commonly referred to as “I’ll just run into the countryside and see what happens" and what happened next was 'tons of cops everywhere and all at once."&nbsp;

The suspect ran and attempted to hide in a cow pond yet was quickly met by Kansas State Troopers, Alma City Marshal Mike Baker in a scuba suit, and Deputies of the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office.

 Ok, so Marshal Mike was not wearing a scuba suit, yet that would have been like, totally rad. Making a special appearance was surprise guest hero and homeowner Mr. Anthony Maike, who stepped up to protect his property armed with a super sick boom stick reminding everyone involved that trespassing in rural Kansas is not recommended and we LOVE the 2nd Amendment here in Wabaunsee County Kansas 

The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Dylan Woodcox, of Abilene, Kansas, was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Wabaunsee County Jail on requested charges including Flee and Elude, Driving a Stolen Vehicle, active warrants out of Dickinson County, not having a driver's license and littering (probably idk) further charges will be forwarded to the Wabaunsee County Attorney.&nbsp; No injuries were reported.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767446104379.png" alt="Woodcox from an earlier arrest in Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Woodcox from an earlier arrest in Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase and arrest in Wabaunsee County.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F714418798162100%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>On Tuesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol, Alma Police Department, and the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office participated in what can only be described as an ambitious but poorly executed attempt to escape the long arm of the law, according to a media release from the Wabaunsee County Sheriff.The incident began with a stolen vehicle traveling on Interstate 70, which exited into Alma, drove through Alma, exited Alma, and then continued back north until it encountered the firm but fair reminder that roads end yet consequences continue. The vehicle wrecked out near the intersection of K-99 and Fairfield Road, at which point the suspect bailed on foot. This classic maneuver is commonly referred to as “I’ll just run into the countryside and see what happens" and what happened next was 'tons of cops everywhere and all at once."&nbsp;The suspect ran and attempted to hide in a cow pond yet was quickly met by Kansas State Troopers, Alma City Marshal Mike Baker in a scuba suit, and Deputies of the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office. Ok, so Marshal Mike was not wearing a scuba suit, yet that would have been like, totally rad. Making a special appearance was surprise guest hero and homeowner Mr. Anthony Maike, who stepped up to protect his property armed with a super sick boom stick reminding everyone involved that trespassing in rural Kansas is not recommended and we LOVE the 2nd Amendment here in Wabaunsee County Kansas The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Dylan Woodcox, of Abilene, Kansas, was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Wabaunsee County Jail on requested charges including Flee and Elude, Driving a Stolen Vehicle, active warrants out of Dickinson County, not having a driver's license and littering (probably idk) further charges will be forwarded to the Wabaunsee County Attorney.&nbsp; No injuries were reported.&nbsp;

🎥 Sheriff: Kan. stolen car suspect was hiding in cow pond

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas State University has resolved a student complaint about the presence of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within its student government following pressure from legislative leadership to investigate.

The Legislature passed a provision in 2025 requiring state agencies, including state universities, to eliminate DEI-related positions, mandates, programs, activities, training requirements, grants and contracts&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/dei-barred-in-kansas-government-universities-beginning-aug-1/" target="_blank">by Aug. 1</a>.

Universities and agencies scrubbed their websites of DEI terminology, reassigned or eliminated staff positions, refocused clubs and departments, examined contracts and removed pronouns from email signatures.

But a student was not satisfied with K-State’s efforts and sent an anonymous report to legislative leadership in July outlining complaints. The Kansas Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s higher education institutions, informed K-State of potential issues within the university’s student government.

Among the issues was language within the university’s Student Governing Association’s constitution that required planning diversity training for student government members. The association also has power to allocate funds to clubs that could involve DEI-related topics. The student senate repealed the training requirement at its Sept. 4 meeting.

Marshall Stewart, chief of staff for K-State’s president, told the State Finance Council on Tuesday that K-State did not realize it was out of compliance at the time of the complaint and worked hard to course correct. The State Finance Council is made up of Gov. Laura Kelly and legislative leadership.

Stewart said students took the matter seriously and resolved to no longer disperse money or make appointments that could be in conflict with the state’s anti-DEI law.

“Universities are big, complex organizations, and I’m not going to say if you go deep enough and look hard enough you’re not going to find some things,” Stewart said. “But if you do find them, we ask that people share those with us.”

Young America’s Foundation, a conservative youth organization,&nbsp;<a href="https://yaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/KState-OCR-Complaint-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">complained to the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights office</a>&nbsp;in March that K-State’s wasn’t complying with federal anti-DEI efforts. The organization’s letter mentioned the Student Governing Association and other K-State departments by name. However, it did not produce a formal investigation, according to U.S. Department of Education records.

Tuesday’s issue is a carryover from that March complaint and the State Finance Council’s July meeting. Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican and candidate for governor, had charged state officials with investigating the anonymous report, which was sent to his office.&nbsp;

Adam Proffitt, the secretary of administration, who must certify all agencies and universities are in compliance with the state’s anti-DEI law, presented his findings Tuesday to the council.

He said his legal team worked with K-State, and he was satisfied with the university’s updated report. Masterson commended the university’s effort but expressed interest in crafting additional anti-DEI provisions in the upcoming legislative session.

University leaders recently appeared before the House Committee on Government Efficiency to detail efforts to extricate DEI from college campuses. Legislators on the committee expressed interest in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/17/kansas-efficiency-committee-targets-dei-curricula-in-college-classrooms/" target="_blank">censoring related college curricula</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761597779503.png" alt="&nbsp;Senate President Ty Masterson appears in the Senate chamber on March 26, 2025, in Topeka, Kansas. He is one member of the State Finance Council, and in his role there, he has encouraged investigating Kansas State University for its compliance with the state’s anti-DEI law. (Photo by Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Senate President Ty Masterson appears in the Senate chamber on March 26, 2025, in Topeka, Kansas. He is one member of the State Finance Council, and in his role there, he has encouraged investigating Kansas State University for its compliance with the state’s anti-DEI law. (Photo by Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas State University has resolved a student complaint about the presence of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within its student government following pressure from legislative leadership to investigate.The Legislature passed a provision in 2025 requiring state agencies, including state universities, to eliminate DEI-related positions, mandates, programs, activities, training requirements, grants and contracts&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/dei-barred-in-kansas-government-universities-beginning-aug-1/" target="_blank">by Aug. 1</a>.Universities and agencies scrubbed their websites of DEI terminology, reassigned or eliminated staff positions, refocused clubs and departments, examined contracts and removed pronouns from email signatures.But a student was not satisfied with K-State’s efforts and sent an anonymous report to legislative leadership in July outlining complaints. The Kansas Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s higher education institutions, informed K-State of potential issues within the university’s student government.Among the issues was language within the university’s Student Governing Association’s constitution that required planning diversity training for student government members. The association also has power to allocate funds to clubs that could involve DEI-related topics. The student senate repealed the training requirement at its Sept. 4 meeting.Marshall Stewart, chief of staff for K-State’s president, told the State Finance Council on Tuesday that K-State did not realize it was out of compliance at the time of the complaint and worked hard to course correct. The State Finance Council is made up of Gov. Laura Kelly and legislative leadership.Stewart said students took the matter seriously and resolved to no longer disperse money or make appointments that could be in conflict with the state’s anti-DEI law.“Universities are big, complex organizations, and I’m not going to say if you go deep enough and look hard enough you’re not going to find some things,” Stewart said. “But if you do find them, we ask that people share those with us.”Young America’s Foundation, a conservative youth organization,&nbsp;<a href="https://yaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/KState-OCR-Complaint-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">complained to the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights office</a>&nbsp;in March that K-State’s wasn’t complying with federal anti-DEI efforts. The organization’s letter mentioned the Student Governing Association and other K-State departments by name. However, it did not produce a formal investigation, according to U.S. Department of Education records.Tuesday’s issue is a carryover from that March complaint and the State Finance Council’s July meeting. Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican and candidate for governor, had charged state officials with investigating the anonymous report, which was sent to his office.&nbsp;Adam Proffitt, the secretary of administration, who must certify all agencies and universities are in compliance with the state’s anti-DEI law, presented his findings Tuesday to the council.He said his legal team worked with K-State, and he was satisfied with the university’s updated report. Masterson commended the university’s effort but expressed interest in crafting additional anti-DEI provisions in the upcoming legislative session.University leaders recently appeared before the House Committee on Government Efficiency to detail efforts to extricate DEI from college campuses. Legislators on the committee expressed interest in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/17/kansas-efficiency-committee-targets-dei-curricula-in-college-classrooms/" target="_blank">censoring related college curricula</a>.

K-State resolves student’s DEI complaint, temporarily satisfying Kansas legislators

Missouri legislators have introduced House Bill 2230, which proposes that 70-percent of elementary school assignments be completed using paper and pencil to improve student learning. 

The bill aims to limit digital tools in the classroom, setting a daily cap of 45 minutes on digital instruction and requiring the use of physical textbooks and cursive writing. 

Advocates argue that this shift will enhance academic performance by reducing screen time and increasing engagement with traditional materials. The bill is currently under consideration and would necessitate curriculum adjustments if passed.

The Missouri legislative session began Wednesday, Jan. 7 in Jefferson City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767801502240.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By RYAN SKAITHMissouri legislators have introduced House Bill 2230, which proposes that 70-percent of elementary school assignments be completed using paper and pencil to improve student learning. The bill aims to limit digital tools in the classroom, setting a daily cap of 45 minutes on digital instruction and requiring the use of physical textbooks and cursive writing. Advocates argue that this shift will enhance academic performance by reducing screen time and increasing engagement with traditional materials. The bill is currently under consideration and would necessitate curriculum adjustments if passed.The Missouri legislative session began Wednesday, Jan. 7 in Jefferson City.

New legislation could mandate physical textbooks and cursive in Missouri classrooms

TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach on Tuesday announced his office filed election crimes charges against Jose Luis Gomez, Sr. of Hutchinson, according to a media release from the attorney's general's office.

Officials from Kobach's office filed the charges in Reno County. Gomez faces one count of voting without being qualified and two counts of election perjury. The charges are nonperson felonies.

Gomez is a convicted felon and is currently in custody in Oklahoma pending deportation, following federal immigration proceedings.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Voting by noncitizens, including both legal and illegal aliens, is a very real problem.&nbsp;Every time a noncitizen votes, it cancels out a U.S. citizen’s vote. Unfortunately, there are likely to be more cases as we continue to discover these cases," Kobach said. "The claim that the ACLU has been making for years, namely, that this sort of illegal voting by aliens does not occur, is once again proven false. It's time to stop believing their lies."

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab referred the case to Kobach’s office. The Secretary of State’s office is utilizing the SAVE program to identify Kansas electors who are not U.S. citizens.&nbsp;

Prior to election as attorney general, Kobach served two terms as secretary of state. During that time, Kobach led the charge to stop noncitizens from illegally voting in Kansas elections. Eight states, including Kansas, have passed laws requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in at least some cases, but the laws have only been implemented in four of those states, including Arizona, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wyoming. A federal court struck down the Kansas proof-of-citizenship law in 2018.

Kobach remains committed to ensuring that only qualified electors cast votes in Kansas elections.

Special Agent in Charge Matt Simpson of Kobach’s office investigated the case. First Assistant Attorney General Stacy Edwards is prosecuting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747840530130.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach on Tuesday announced his office filed election crimes charges against Jose Luis Gomez, Sr. of Hutchinson, according to a media release from the attorney's general's office.Officials from Kobach's office filed the charges in Reno County. Gomez faces one count of voting without being qualified and two counts of election perjury. The charges are nonperson felonies.Gomez is a convicted felon and is currently in custody in Oklahoma pending deportation, following federal immigration proceedings.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Voting by noncitizens, including both legal and illegal aliens, is a very real problem.&nbsp;Every time a noncitizen votes, it cancels out a U.S. citizen’s vote. Unfortunately, there are likely to be more cases as we continue to discover these cases," Kobach said. "The claim that the ACLU has been making for years, namely, that this sort of illegal voting by aliens does not occur, is once again proven false. It's time to stop believing their lies."Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab referred the case to Kobach’s office. The Secretary of State’s office is utilizing the SAVE program to identify Kansas electors who are not U.S. citizens.&nbsp;Prior to election as attorney general, Kobach served two terms as secretary of state. During that time, Kobach led the charge to stop noncitizens from illegally voting in Kansas elections. Eight states, including Kansas, have passed laws requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in at least some cases, but the laws have only been implemented in four of those states, including Arizona, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wyoming. A federal court struck down the Kansas proof-of-citizenship law in 2018.Kobach remains committed to ensuring that only qualified electors cast votes in Kansas elections.Special Agent in Charge Matt Simpson of Kobach’s office investigated the case. First Assistant Attorney General Stacy Edwards is prosecuting.

Kansas felon faces election crimes charges 

KANSAS CITY —A driver injured in a crash that occurred just after 5p.m. December 28, in Kansas City, Missouri has died.

A black Kia was eastbound on MLK Boulevard from Rockhill Road at an excessive speed, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

 The driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle traveled off the roadway and struck a retaining wall at the Stowers Institute. EMS transported the driver was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries. 

On Tuesday, KCPD Offier Alayna Gonzalez reported the driver died, according to the Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office. EMS transported the passenger from the vehicle to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY —A driver injured in a crash that occurred just after 5p.m. December 28, in Kansas City, Missouri has died.A black Kia was eastbound on MLK Boulevard from Rockhill Road at an excessive speed, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. The driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle traveled off the roadway and struck a retaining wall at the Stowers Institute. EMS transported the driver was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries. On Tuesday, KCPD Offier Alayna Gonzalez reported the driver died, according to the Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office. EMS transported the passenger from the vehicle to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.&nbsp;

KCPD: Driver injured after crash into retaining wall has died

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

Signatures on only two-thirds of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/09/missouri-gerrymander-congressional-map-referendum/">petition pages</a>&nbsp;submitted to force a statewide vote on Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">gerrymandered congressional map</a>&nbsp;will go through the verification process, new filings in a Cole County court case show.

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Memorandum%20on%20Status%20of%20Signature%20Verification.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3767680" target="_blank">33,068 pages to local election authorities</a>&nbsp;out of 49,773 pages with signatures collected by a political action committee called People Not Politicians. The PAC began circulating petitions after lawmakers passed the new map on Sept. 12. Those pages will be checked to determine which signatures are from registered voters.

Hoskins held back the rest because he does not believe signatures collected before Oct. 14 — the day he approved the form of the petition — are valid. Any pages with at least one signature dated Oct. 14 or later were sent to local election authorities,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Exhibit%20C.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3767683" target="_blank">an exhibit</a>&nbsp;included in the court filings state.

The filing is part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/08/federal-judge-rejects-missouri-ags-push-to-block-referendum-on-gerrymandered-map/">case pending</a>&nbsp;before Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh over which signatures must be counted. On Dec. 12, Limbaugh declared he would&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-delays-decision-on-signatures-for-missouri-referendum-on-gerrymandered-map/">not issue a ruling</a>&nbsp;until the verification process shows whether the referendum petition can succeed without signatures collected before Oct. 14.

People Not Politicians needs approximately 110,000 signatures spread among six of the state’s eight congressional districts to put the redistricting plan to a statewide vote. The 49,773 pages have 305,968 signatures overall, but the filings do not show how many signatures are on the pages being checked.

In other court filings, People Not Politicians has stated that about 103,000 of the signatures were collected before the cutoff date.

The raw signature counts — including the names on pages not sent for verification — show enough signatures were collected in the city of St. Louis to qualify the 1st District and enough in Greene County to qualify the 7th District.&nbsp;

The data did not show the breakdown in split counties. There were 71,008 signatures submitted from St. Louis County, which is split between the 1st and 2nd districts. There were 59,823 signatures collected in Jackson County, which includes the 4th, 5th and 6th districts, and&nbsp; 30,110 signatures collected in Boone County, which is split between the 3rd and 4th districts.

The two districts where the petition is unlikely to have enough signatures are the 6th Congressional District in north Missouri and the 8th Congressional District in southeast Missouri.

The gerrymandered map was forced through by Republicans who succumbed to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">pressure from President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and revised the eight districts during a September special session.

The intended result from the new map is to flip the 5th District to the GOP. The district, based in Kansas City, has been represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver since 2005.&nbsp;

The district is carved up under the new map with portions attached to the 4th and 6th Districts. Heavily Republican areas stretching along the Missouri River to Boone County would be added to the remaining Kansas City portions.

If the referendum has sufficient signatures, the map would be on the November ballot unless lawmakers set an earlier date.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765884385189.png" alt=" Missouri Capitol Police officers conduct security checks Dec. 9 on the 691 boxes of petitions filed to force a referendum on the gerrymandered Congressional district map passed by lawmakers in September. Of the 27 times a referendum has been placed on the Missouri ballot, voters have rejected the General Assembly’s actions all but twice (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Capitol Police officers conduct security checks Dec. 9 on the 691 boxes of petitions filed to force a referendum on the gerrymandered Congressional district map passed by lawmakers in September. Of the 27 times a referendum has been placed on the Missouri ballot, voters have rejected the General Assembly’s actions all but twice (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Signatures on only two-thirds of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/09/missouri-gerrymander-congressional-map-referendum/">petition pages</a>&nbsp;submitted to force a statewide vote on Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">gerrymandered congressional map</a>&nbsp;will go through the verification process, new filings in a Cole County court case show.Secretary of State Denny Hoskins delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Memorandum%20on%20Status%20of%20Signature%20Verification.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3767680" target="_blank">33,068 pages to local election authorities</a>&nbsp;out of 49,773 pages with signatures collected by a political action committee called People Not Politicians. The PAC began circulating petitions after lawmakers passed the new map on Sept. 12. Those pages will be checked to determine which signatures are from registered voters.Hoskins held back the rest because he does not believe signatures collected before Oct. 14 — the day he approved the form of the petition — are valid. Any pages with at least one signature dated Oct. 14 or later were sent to local election authorities,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Exhibit%20C.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3767683" target="_blank">an exhibit</a>&nbsp;included in the court filings state.The filing is part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/08/federal-judge-rejects-missouri-ags-push-to-block-referendum-on-gerrymandered-map/">case pending</a>&nbsp;before Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh over which signatures must be counted. On Dec. 12, Limbaugh declared he would&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-delays-decision-on-signatures-for-missouri-referendum-on-gerrymandered-map/">not issue a ruling</a>&nbsp;until the verification process shows whether the referendum petition can succeed without signatures collected before Oct. 14.People Not Politicians needs approximately 110,000 signatures spread among six of the state’s eight congressional districts to put the redistricting plan to a statewide vote. The 49,773 pages have 305,968 signatures overall, but the filings do not show how many signatures are on the pages being checked.In other court filings, People Not Politicians has stated that about 103,000 of the signatures were collected before the cutoff date.The raw signature counts — including the names on pages not sent for verification — show enough signatures were collected in the city of St. Louis to qualify the 1st District and enough in Greene County to qualify the 7th District.&nbsp;The data did not show the breakdown in split counties. There were 71,008 signatures submitted from St. Louis County, which is split between the 1st and 2nd districts. There were 59,823 signatures collected in Jackson County, which includes the 4th, 5th and 6th districts, and&nbsp; 30,110 signatures collected in Boone County, which is split between the 3rd and 4th districts.The two districts where the petition is unlikely to have enough signatures are the 6th Congressional District in north Missouri and the 8th Congressional District in southeast Missouri.The gerrymandered map was forced through by Republicans who succumbed to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">pressure from President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and revised the eight districts during a September special session.The intended result from the new map is to flip the 5th District to the GOP. The district, based in Kansas City, has been represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver since 2005.&nbsp;The district is carved up under the new map with portions attached to the 4th and 6th Districts. Heavily Republican areas stretching along the Missouri River to Boone County would be added to the remaining Kansas City portions.If the referendum has sufficient signatures, the map would be on the November ballot unless lawmakers set an earlier date.

Secretary of State isn’t verifying 1/3 of signatures for vote on Missouri’s gerrymandered map

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement continue investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka.

Just after 2p.m. January 3, police responded to the 800 block of SW Tyler for a possible shooting. EMS transported one victim identified as 43-year-old Stella M. Mahkuk of Topeka to an area hospital for treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; On Tuesday police reported she died of her injuries.

Police have not reported an arrest of any additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767483631260.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement continue investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka.Just after 2p.m. January 3, police responded to the 800 block of SW Tyler for a possible shooting. EMS transported one victim identified as 43-year-old Stella M. Mahkuk of Topeka to an area hospital for treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; On Tuesday police reported she died of her injuries.Police have not reported an arrest of any additional details.

Police: Kansas woman wounded in shooting died of her injuries

DOUGLAS COUNTY–&nbsp; A man who broke into City Hall in Lawrence early Monday and was fatally shot by a city employee has been identified as&nbsp;28-year-old Omar Dominguez Gavilan from Buffalo, Minnesota, according to Lawrence Police spokesperson Laura McCabe.

Investigators learned that Gavilan was traveling through Kansas on a Greyhound bus. Early Sunday evening he was at Lawrence’s Kansas Turnpike Authority service station on I-70, just east of town. The Kansas Highway Patrol was called to remove him from the service station area due to erratic behavior. KHP transported Gavilan to the Amtrak station in Lawrence.&nbsp; Police did not have contact with Gavilan Sunday evening nor into the morning hours on Monday.

Just before 8a.m. Monday, Gavilan entered the City Hall building through a locked back door, proceeded up a stairwell to the 4th&nbsp;floor where he broke out a window within another secure door to enter the office area.&nbsp; Employees encountered Gavilan along his route and notified authorities that an intruder was in the building and attempted to find a safe area for themselves.&nbsp; An on-duty court security officer ultimately approached the man, announced his authority, and asked him to put his hands behind his back.&nbsp; 

Gavilan did not comply and began fighting the security officer.&nbsp;Details of the physical fight that followed will not be released until the investigation is complete because detectives are still interviewing those involved and police don’t want to influence any witness accounts.&nbsp;Within seconds of the shots being fired, Lawrence police officers were on-scene and began rendering aid to Gavilan along with the initial security officer and a second security officer who had arrived at the scene. Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical quickly arrived, took over his care, then pronounced him deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Detectives in the Lawrence Police Investigations Unit expect to have a full report of the events sent to&nbsp;the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for review within 2-3 weeks.&nbsp; During this time, the City employee is on administrative leave, which is standard.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767634150642.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY–&nbsp; A man who broke into City Hall in Lawrence early Monday and was fatally shot by a city employee has been identified as&nbsp;28-year-old Omar Dominguez Gavilan from Buffalo, Minnesota, according to Lawrence Police spokesperson Laura McCabe.Investigators learned that Gavilan was traveling through Kansas on a Greyhound bus. Early Sunday evening he was at Lawrence’s Kansas Turnpike Authority service station on I-70, just east of town. The Kansas Highway Patrol was called to remove him from the service station area due to erratic behavior. KHP transported Gavilan to the Amtrak station in Lawrence.&nbsp; Police did not have contact with Gavilan Sunday evening nor into the morning hours on Monday.Just before 8a.m. Monday, Gavilan entered the City Hall building through a locked back door, proceeded up a stairwell to the 4th&nbsp;floor where he broke out a window within another secure door to enter the office area.&nbsp; Employees encountered Gavilan along his route and notified authorities that an intruder was in the building and attempted to find a safe area for themselves.&nbsp; An on-duty court security officer ultimately approached the man, announced his authority, and asked him to put his hands behind his back.&nbsp; Gavilan did not comply and began fighting the security officer.&nbsp;Details of the physical fight that followed will not be released until the investigation is complete because detectives are still interviewing those involved and police don’t want to influence any witness accounts.&nbsp;Within seconds of the shots being fired, Lawrence police officers were on-scene and began rendering aid to Gavilan along with the initial security officer and a second security officer who had arrived at the scene. Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical quickly arrived, took over his care, then pronounced him deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Detectives in the Lawrence Police Investigations Unit expect to have a full report of the events sent to&nbsp;the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for review within 2-3 weeks.&nbsp; During this time, the City employee is on administrative leave, which is standard.

Police ID intruder shot by city employee at Lawrence City Hall

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, which is leading the investigation into the death of 13-year-old Airen Andula of Pleasonton, Kansas, has now confirmed the cause of the teen's death. 

According to the autopsy conducted by the Wyandotte County Kansas Coroner's Office, the cause of death has been identified as multiple dog bite injuries, the Kansas City Kansas Police Department reported.

Damon Leonard of Pleasonton, Kansas remains in custody on a $100,000, cash-only bond, in Bates County, Missouri on charges of abandonment of a corpse in relation to the teen’s death. 

Charges against Leonard have also been filed in Linn County, Kansas for interference of law enforcement, criminal desecration and having a vicious dog at large.

The investigation in to Airen’s death remains ongoing by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1767095993444.png" alt="Leonard photo Bates County" />
 <figcaption>Leonard photo Bates County</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, which is leading the investigation into the death of 13-year-old Airen Andula of Pleasonton, Kansas, has now confirmed the cause of the teen's death. According to the autopsy conducted by the Wyandotte County Kansas Coroner's Office, the cause of death has been identified as multiple dog bite injuries, the Kansas City Kansas Police Department reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766528035692.png" alt="Airen Andula photo Linn Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Airen Andula photo Linn Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Damon Leonard of Pleasonton, Kansas remains in custody on a $100,000, cash-only bond, in Bates County, Missouri on charges of abandonment of a corpse in relation to the teen’s death. Charges against Leonard have also been filed in Linn County, Kansas for interference of law enforcement, criminal desecration and having a vicious dog at large.The investigation in to Airen’s death remains ongoing by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.&nbsp;

Autopsy: Kansas boy died from multiple dog bites

Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi and Minority Leader Dinah Sykes introduced bipartisan legislation to ban cell phones in Kansas schools.

The bill aims to create phone-free environments to promote student mental health, authentic relationships, and academic engagement. Studies suggest that classrooms without phones lead to better academic outcomes and safer school environments. 

Blasi, a Republican, believes phone-free schools can improve student mental health and academic outcomes while Sykes, a Democrat, states that classrooms without phones have more engaged students and stronger peer relationships.

The bill would impact both public and private schools in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Senate has 28 co-sponsors for the bill, representing over two-thirds of the Senate.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Senate Bill 302 is expected to pass the Senate in January.

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

By MATT PIKESenate Majority Leader Chase Blasi and Minority Leader Dinah Sykes introduced bipartisan legislation to ban cell phones in Kansas schools.The bill aims to create phone-free environments to promote student mental health, authentic relationships, and academic engagement. Studies suggest that classrooms without phones lead to better academic outcomes and safer school environments. Blasi, a Republican, believes phone-free schools can improve student mental health and academic outcomes while Sykes, a Democrat, states that classrooms without phones have more engaged students and stronger peer relationships.The bill would impact both public and private schools in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Senate has 28 co-sponsors for the bill, representing over two-thirds of the Senate.&nbsp;&nbsp;Senate Bill 302 is expected to pass the Senate in January.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Kansas introduces legislation to ban cell phones in schools

WASHINGTON —The U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of reducing the number of&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;it recommends for every child. While some leading medical groups say this move would undermine protections against a half-dozen diseases, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, a physician, released a statement he gave to Newsmax on his agreement with the changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.

Marshall said,&nbsp;“Yeah, I think this is a great step in the right direction, most importantly, to restore the trust of the American people in the CDC. To your point, we did have 17 different viruses that we were vaccinating against as we decreased that to 11, and ultimately restored the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship."

Marshall continued, "Look, these vaccines are a medicine of sorts, and just like you wouldn’t start a new medicine without talking to your doctor about the pros and cons, the risks and benefits, I think that vaccines serve that same level of discussion with your own doctor. So let’s put this back in the hands of your good doctor and patients. I have faith in Americans that they’ll make the right decision, what’s best for their child.”

WASHINGTON —The U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of reducing the number of&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;it recommends for every child. While some leading medical groups say this move would undermine protections against a half-dozen diseases, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, a physician, released a statement he gave to Newsmax on his agreement with the changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.Marshall said,&nbsp;“Yeah, I think this is a great step in the right direction, most importantly, to restore the trust of the American people in the CDC. To your point, we did have 17 different viruses that we were vaccinating against as we decreased that to 11, and ultimately restored the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">PROMISE MADE. PROMISE KEPT. Thank you, President Trump! 👶 <a href="https://t.co/hBgkOiDWdU">pic.twitter.com/hBgkOiDWdU</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/2008306341769822620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Marshall continued, "Look, these vaccines are a medicine of sorts, and just like you wouldn’t start a new medicine without talking to your doctor about the pros and cons, the risks and benefits, I think that vaccines serve that same level of discussion with your own doctor. So let’s put this back in the hands of your good doctor and patients. I have faith in Americans that they’ll make the right decision, what’s best for their child.”

Kansas U.S. Senator comments on changes to child vaccine schedule

SULLIVAN COUNTY —One person died in an accident in a crash with a MSHP Trooper just before 7:30a.m. Monday in Sullivan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Toyota Tundra driven by a 25-year-old Milan man was eastbound on MO 6 on and one half miles east of Green City. The pickup crossed the center of the road and struck a 2023 Dodge Charger driven by a 28-year-old State Trooper, head-on.&nbsp; After impact the pickup overturned.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A 62-year-old female passenger in the Toyota was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Sullivan County Ambulance transported the Trooper,&nbsp; the pickup driver and three additional passengers in the pickup including a 46-year-old man, 43-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man all of Milan to Northeast Regional Medial Center. Adair County Ambulance transported a 17-year-old male passenger in the pickup to Northeast Regional Medical Center.

The 62-year-old woman, 46-year-old man and 21-year-old man in the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767710558370.png" alt="Photos MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Photos MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>SULLIVAN COUNTY —One person died in an accident in a crash with a MSHP Trooper just before 7:30a.m. Monday in Sullivan County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Toyota Tundra driven by a 25-year-old Milan man was eastbound on MO 6 on and one half miles east of Green City. The pickup crossed the center of the road and struck a 2023 Dodge Charger driven by a 28-year-old State Trooper, head-on.&nbsp; After impact the pickup overturned.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767710535518.jpeg" alt="Photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>A 62-year-old female passenger in the Toyota was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Sullivan County Ambulance transported the Trooper,&nbsp; the pickup driver and three additional passengers in the pickup including a 46-year-old man, 43-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man all of Milan to Northeast Regional Medial Center. Adair County Ambulance transported a 17-year-old male passenger in the pickup to Northeast Regional Medical Center.The 62-year-old woman, 46-year-old man and 21-year-old man in the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Woman dead, 6 injured after head-on crash with MSHP car

DOUGLAS COUNTY— A man who broke into City Hall early Monday was fatally shot by a city employee who was authorized and trained to carry a firearm within the building, according to Lawrence City Manager Craig Owens and Police Chief Rich Lockhart.

The 28-year-old man forced his way into the building about 8:00am through a back door, then broke through a door on the 4th floor, which is a secured area that is not open to the public.

City employees attempted to remove the man and a struggle began. The man was fatally shot. The investigation will be led by the Lawrence&nbsp; Police Department in cooperation with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.

No city employees were seriously injured. The deceased suspect is not known to police nor from the Lawrence area. Investigators are working to notify next of kin.

The Lawrence City Commission meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30pm on Tuesday and will proceed as usual.

Other than that meeting, City Hall, including Municipal Court Offices, will be closed until Thursday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767667863649.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY— A man who broke into City Hall early Monday was fatally shot by a city employee who was authorized and trained to carry a firearm within the building, according to Lawrence City Manager Craig Owens and Police Chief Rich Lockhart.The 28-year-old man forced his way into the building about 8:00am through a back door, then broke through a door on the 4th floor, which is a secured area that is not open to the public.City employees attempted to remove the man and a struggle began. The man was fatally shot. The investigation will be led by the Lawrence&nbsp; Police Department in cooperation with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.No city employees were seriously injured. The deceased suspect is not known to police nor from the Lawrence area. Investigators are working to notify next of kin.The Lawrence City Commission meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30pm on Tuesday and will proceed as usual.Other than that meeting, City Hall, including Municipal Court Offices, will be closed until Thursday.&nbsp;

New details: City employee killed intruder at Lawrence City Hall

The hangover from last year’s moves to force through the Republican agenda on abortion, redistricting and more promise to disrupt the opening weeks. The productivity of the session hinges on how long Democrats can stall action in the state Senate

Missouri Republicans played power politics in 2025, crushing Democratic opposition in the Legislature on major issues from&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">abortion</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/10/after-hearing-from-trump-missouri-gop-muscle-gerrymandered-map-forward-in-state-senate/">congressional redistricting</a>.

The consequences of those moves will be felt this year. Voters in November will ultimately determine if Republicans went too far as they steamrolled measures to passage.

But before that, Democrats intend to make state Senate Republicans pay for invoking the rule to shut off debate — known as the previous question — for the first time since 2020.

With fewer than one-third of the seats in each chamber, the filibuster in the state Senate is practically the only means for the minority party to stall or kill legislation. That is why Democrats are determined to extract a price for using the previous question, but they aren’t saying how that will play out in the annual legislative session that starts Wednesday.

“As far as what that session looks like, everyone will have to wait and see,” Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat, told The Independent last month. &nbsp;

The only affirmative duty of the General Assembly each year is to pass a state budget. But with a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/29/missouri-auditor-warns-of-vanishing-state-general-revenue-surplus-as-spending-rises/">dwindling surplus</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/18/missouri-faces-budget-crunch-as-capital-gains-tax-cut-hits-harder-than-expected/">revenues in decline</a>, and Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe pushing for&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/politics/missouri-lawmakers-move-to-eliminate-state-income-tax/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPEt29leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFDQjFpc3J5ZWUxaEZiaVMxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqPplRYLCc_Fz3viYFGDnSBkSn0UeC5pXvEYxeHuFr5-yOiupIzrVVoQgEO__aem_odg5Cdoo8SQ5K38J8YQb_Q" target="_blank">elimination of the state income tax</a>, the prospects for easy agreement look murky.

The list of other items awaiting action include issues that generate bipartisan support, such as addressing the growing wait list of people being held in jails who need court-ordered&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/16/missouri-lawmakers-vow-to-tackle-mental-health-backlog-as-hundreds-languish-in-jails/">mental health treatments</a>; legislation intended to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/02/missouri-legislation-improve-maternal-and-infant-health-care/">improve maternal health</a>; and personal agendas of departing lawmakers, including term-limited Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin’s bill to shut down&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=518" target="_blank">solar power development</a>&nbsp;and desire to regulate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cindy.olaughlin/posts/pfbid0gQb1n2uUBgvAEy9zkZfaMjiXwaJVdCHf8N1NZhWe6nEiXCyUmB52gXM55mXBzjEtl" target="_blank">pharmacy benefit managers</a>.

There are 10 seats in the state Senate certain to change hands, and all have attracted candidates currently in the Missouri House. Legislators looking to move up — including Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson, a Republican running for the state Senate — will want to take election year achievements home to voters.

“You never know about the Senate, but the House is going to do business as usual, and we’ll just see how things play out in the Senate,” Patterson said in an interview with The Independent.

When Senate Republican leaders used the previous question rule at the end of last year’s session, it was the first time the motion to shut off debate was invoked during a regular session since 2017.

After the votes passing bills to undo voter-approved paid leave for workers and putting repeal of the 2024 abortion rights amendment on this year’s ballot, Democrats vowed there would be a price to pay in 2026.

“What we’re doing today is a failure of the Senate,” state Sen. Stephen Webber, a Democrat from Columbia said on the final day of the 2025 session. “And when there’s a failure in the Senate, there needs to be a response, and that response can’t last forever, but that response has to happen, and it has to be painful, and has to make us all understand that when the Senate doesn’t function as a body, we all lose.”

The offense, in Democratic eyes, was repeated during the September special session on redistricting, and aggravated by a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/10/after-hearing-from-trump-missouri-gop-muscle-gerrymandered-map-forward-in-state-senate/">rules change</a>&nbsp;that sidestepped every opportunity Democrats could use to stall proceedings.

Democrats have to maintain their stall long enough to show that their views must be respected and that the state Senate is designed to be a less partisan body than the House, said state Sen. Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from Olivette.

“One of the challenges with working with some of the newer senators is that they brought the House mentality with them, and they don’t have respect for the institution of the Senate,” McCreery said. “In the Senate we have thoughtful, deliberative conversations, and we don’t just ram things through and not allow for debate.”

O’Laughlin, asked by text about the opening-day atmosphere she expects as she begins her last session as Senate leader, replied only with a head-exploding emoji.

The gap between estimated state general revenue and appropriations in this year’s budget is $2.6 billion. Part of the difference, for state cash flow needs, is artificial because it is new spending on multi-year construction projects or money set aside for unfilled jobs in state government.

The rest must come from the state’s accumulated surplus, which has been diminishing and could be depleted&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/29/missouri-auditor-warns-of-vanishing-state-general-revenue-surplus-as-spending-rises/">within two fiscal years</a>.

Kehoe has warned his budget proposal on Jan. 13 will be written to bring spending into balance with current revenue. That task will be complicated by the need to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/09/missouri-public-schools-medicaid-need-1-billion-more-to-continue-current-programs/">replace up to $1.2 billion</a>&nbsp;in spending from non-general revenue funds with general tax revenue.&nbsp;

“There are only painful budget bills that have money to cut from,” said state Rep. Betsy Fogle, a Democrat from Springfield. “And typically in our state, when we have to face budget cuts, we see that in K-12 education, higher education and (appropriation bills) that include things like social services and the social safety net.”

Kehoe’s also expected on Jan. 13 to outline his plan for weaning state government off the income tax. With the tax representing 65% of last year’s $13.4 billion in revenue, the question will be where to find replacement money.

Republican members will be anxious to hear the details.

“We’ll have to see what that proposal will be and what revenue replacements or what revenue sources will be created from those changes,” said state Rep. Jeff Vernetti, a Republican from Camdenton.

Local taxes will also be a major question. State Rep. Tim Taylor, a Bunceton Republican, led a House committee that spent the summer&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/21/missouri-house-committee-eyes-plan-to-silo-property-classes-for-taxation/">studying property taxes</a>. There are a number of Republicans who want to replace the property tax system with sales taxes.

That could work in some areas but wouldn’t generate enough revenue for rural areas, Taylor said in a recent interview. And for areas that could generate the revenue, the tax rate could be prohibitive.

The state imposes a 4.225% sales tax but local option taxes mean the rate paid at retail in most locations is much higher. And the sales tax is one place to go for replacement revenue for the income tax.

That is unlikely to be popular with voters, Taylor said.

“The thought of increasing sales tax again is really going to put that to pushing 10 cents on $1 or something, and that’s pretty substantial,” Taylor said.

Local governments will be watching both debates closely, said Steve Hobbs, executive director of the Missouri Association of Counties.

“First and foremost this needs to be fair to the citizens of Missouri,” he said.

Property tax is an immensely complex issue to tackle, Hobbs said. One reason, he noted, is that state school aid is tied to local tax effort.

The Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force, appointed by Kehoe, is halfway through its study of school funding. Changes to how local taxes are imposed would change the formula calculations.

And support for education depends on reliable revenue from state taxes, which are about to be overhauled, Hobbs noted.

“You have two legs of your education funding stool you are talking about putting under construction,” Hobbs said. “That is a big lift.”

In early December, O’Laughlin wrote on social media about a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cindy.olaughlin/posts/pfbid0gQb1n2uUBgvAEy9zkZfaMjiXwaJVdCHf8N1NZhWe6nEiXCyUmB52gXM55mXBzjEtl" target="_blank">frustrating experience she had</a>&nbsp;attempting to obtain a prescription while in Jefferson City. Most of the time, she wrote, she gets her medications from a local pharmacy in Clarence, but was frustrated by mixups and miscommunications she blamed on pharmacy benefit managers.

“What is the result of this wondrous cost saving set up? Absolutely nothing good for the customers,” O’Laughlin wrote.

Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are the mechanisms used by insurance companies to control prescription costs for their plans. Techniques include preferential contracts for particular pharmacy companies, with higher reimbursements or dispensing fees for high-volume chain stores and online providers.

“The rural areas are hardest hit because their pharmacist is also their healthcare advocate, often knowing the patients and literally their entire medical history,” O’Laughlin wrote in response to a question from The Independent.

O’Laughlin endorsed legislation filed by state Sen. Travis Fitzwater, a Republican from Holts Summit, to end preferential clauses in PBM contracts.

Similar legislation last year drew a&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/witnesses/HB982Testimony2-18.pdf" target="_blank">coalition of opponents</a>&nbsp;that, along with insurance companies, included the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Missouri AFL-CIO.&nbsp;

The opposition will be daunting, said Abe Funk, owner of John’s Pharmacy in southeast Missouri. Funk’s business operates in six locations, including two in communities with fewer than 1,000 people.

Funk is a member of the Missouri Pharmacy Business Council, which lobbies for independent pharmacies. He’s been calling legislators in his area and will personally visit the Capitol to push for the bill.

To overcome opposition, this year’s bill will focus on revealing the details of how PBMs pay claims. That’s helped change some minds, he said.

“They like the idea of transparency,” Funk said. “They like the idea of actually being able to see what their claims are, their payments. And so we anticipate a different climate this session than we have in the past.”

O’Laughlin’s long-standing opposition to renewable energy development is being ramped up by a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/shut-it-down-henry-county-residents-angry-about-new-solar-farm-lack-of-transparency-from-county-commission" target="_blank">5,000-acre solar power project</a>&nbsp;in Henry County in western Missouri. The project was developed over several years but only revealed publicly at the start of 2024.&nbsp;

In December 2024, after two incumbent commissioners were defeated for reelection, the Henry County Commission approved an incentive package for the solar project that included $650 million in public-sponsored financing.

A lawsuit invoking a rarely used law requiring the courts to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=27&amp;di=2234048" target="_blank">investigate public contracts</a>&nbsp;is heading to trial in October. O’Laughlin has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=518" target="_blank">filed a bill</a>&nbsp;for a moratorium on new solar project construction, including stopping work on projects underway but not finished, through Dec. 31, 2027.

The solar projects use valuable farmland, seek tax abatements and other preferential treatment and add little to local economies, O’Laughlin wrote in an email to The Independent.

“I honestly see this as tearing a giant hole in the fabric of our communities socially, fiscally, environmentally,” O’Laughlin wrote to The Independent. “What is there to like about them?”

No Democrat has won a statewide election since 2018, and results from 2024 show how daunting it will be for Kirkwood Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-12-06/missouri-auditor-2026-fitzpatrick-quentin-wilson" target="_blank">Quentin Wilson</a>, a state department director from 1998 to 2001, to deny incumbent Republican State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick a second term.

The auditor’s office is the only statewide race on the ballot. Last year, despite spending $20 million, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce received just 41.8% of the vote, only two percentage points more than gubernatorial candidate Crystal Quade, who spent about $2 million.

But the difficult statewide race for Democrats doesn’t mean this year’s voting won’t give the party an opportunity to impose significant losses on Republicans. The same voters that gave GOP candidates landslide wins for statewide office handed them defeats on abortion rights, following up on prior liberal ballot measure wins on Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization.

Republicans have put a measure reinstating the state’s near total&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/2454H.05T.pdf" target="_blank">abortion ban</a>&nbsp;on the ballot, along with a proposal to change the way&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills254/hlrbillspdf/3353H.03T.pdf" target="_blank">majorities are calculated</a>&nbsp;for constitutional amendments proposed by initiative. And the redistricting plan intended to give the GOP an additional seat in the U.S. House faces a possible referendum vote.&nbsp;

Controversial ballot measures can bring hundreds of thousands of Missourians out for an otherwise unexciting election. That occurred In 2018 and 2020, when a right to work referendum and Medicaid expansion, respectively, were on August primary ballots. In those years, nearly 300,000 more people voted in the Democratic primary than the average of other elections since 2000.&nbsp;

Millions have already been spent on ballot measures for this year and the total for all will likely exceed $100 million by the time voters go to the polls.

But even a big surge of Democratic voters would only dent, not break, the GOP majority, said Terry Smith, political science professor at Columbia College.

Only 21 of 163 Missouri House seats were decided by 10 percentage points or less in 2024, and early financial reports indicate that only two of the 17 state Senate seats on the ballot appear to be truly competitive in November.

The best result for Democrats, Smith said, would be to break the two-thirds supermajority Republicans enjoy in each chamber.&nbsp;

After the 2024 election, Republicans held 111 seats in the House and 24 of 34 seats in the Senate.

“Do Republicans&nbsp; have anything to worry about? I don’t think so,” Smith said in an interview last week with The Independent.

In deeply Republican districts, even if the ballot measures draw a larger Democratic vote, it won’t be enough to change the outcome, Smith said.

“If you go from a district that is 75-25 to 60-40,” he said, “you pick up 15 points and you still lose by a landslide.”

The Independent’s Anna Spoerre, Steph Quinn and Jason Hancock contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767697489404.png" alt="Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, won't reveal how Democrats plan to disrupt the opening weeks of the 2026 legislative session. He is shown speaking against proposed Senate rule changes during the special session for redistricting in September (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, won't reveal how Democrats plan to disrupt the opening weeks of the 2026 legislative session. He is shown speaking against proposed Senate rule changes during the special session for redistricting in September (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The hangover from last year’s moves to force through the Republican agenda on abortion, redistricting and more promise to disrupt the opening weeks. The productivity of the session hinges on how long Democrats can stall action in the state Senate</h2>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri Republicans played power politics in 2025, crushing Democratic opposition in the Legislature on major issues from&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">abortion</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/10/after-hearing-from-trump-missouri-gop-muscle-gerrymandered-map-forward-in-state-senate/">congressional redistricting</a>.The consequences of those moves will be felt this year. Voters in November will ultimately determine if Republicans went too far as they steamrolled measures to passage.But before that, Democrats intend to make state Senate Republicans pay for invoking the rule to shut off debate — known as the previous question — for the first time since 2020.With fewer than one-third of the seats in each chamber, the filibuster in the state Senate is practically the only means for the minority party to stall or kill legislation. That is why Democrats are determined to extract a price for using the previous question, but they aren’t saying how that will play out in the annual legislative session that starts Wednesday.“As far as what that session looks like, everyone will have to wait and see,” Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat, told The Independent last month. &nbsp;The only affirmative duty of the General Assembly each year is to pass a state budget. But with a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/29/missouri-auditor-warns-of-vanishing-state-general-revenue-surplus-as-spending-rises/">dwindling surplus</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/18/missouri-faces-budget-crunch-as-capital-gains-tax-cut-hits-harder-than-expected/">revenues in decline</a>, and Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe pushing for&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/politics/missouri-lawmakers-move-to-eliminate-state-income-tax/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPEt29leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFDQjFpc3J5ZWUxaEZiaVMxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqPplRYLCc_Fz3viYFGDnSBkSn0UeC5pXvEYxeHuFr5-yOiupIzrVVoQgEO__aem_odg5Cdoo8SQ5K38J8YQb_Q" target="_blank">elimination of the state income tax</a>, the prospects for easy agreement look murky.The list of other items awaiting action include issues that generate bipartisan support, such as addressing the growing wait list of people being held in jails who need court-ordered&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/16/missouri-lawmakers-vow-to-tackle-mental-health-backlog-as-hundreds-languish-in-jails/">mental health treatments</a>; legislation intended to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/02/missouri-legislation-improve-maternal-and-infant-health-care/">improve maternal health</a>; and personal agendas of departing lawmakers, including term-limited Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin’s bill to shut down&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=518" target="_blank">solar power development</a>&nbsp;and desire to regulate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cindy.olaughlin/posts/pfbid0gQb1n2uUBgvAEy9zkZfaMjiXwaJVdCHf8N1NZhWe6nEiXCyUmB52gXM55mXBzjEtl" target="_blank">pharmacy benefit managers</a>.There are 10 seats in the state Senate certain to change hands, and all have attracted candidates currently in the Missouri House. Legislators looking to move up — including Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson, a Republican running for the state Senate — will want to take election year achievements home to voters.“You never know about the Senate, but the House is going to do business as usual, and we’ll just see how things play out in the Senate,” Patterson said in an interview with The Independent.<h2>Senate dysfunction</h2>When Senate Republican leaders used the previous question rule at the end of last year’s session, it was the first time the motion to shut off debate was invoked during a regular session since 2017.After the votes passing bills to undo voter-approved paid leave for workers and putting repeal of the 2024 abortion rights amendment on this year’s ballot, Democrats vowed there would be a price to pay in 2026.“What we’re doing today is a failure of the Senate,” state Sen. Stephen Webber, a Democrat from Columbia said on the final day of the 2025 session. “And when there’s a failure in the Senate, there needs to be a response, and that response can’t last forever, but that response has to happen, and it has to be painful, and has to make us all understand that when the Senate doesn’t function as a body, we all lose.”The offense, in Democratic eyes, was repeated during the September special session on redistricting, and aggravated by a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/10/after-hearing-from-trump-missouri-gop-muscle-gerrymandered-map-forward-in-state-senate/">rules change</a>&nbsp;that sidestepped every opportunity Democrats could use to stall proceedings.Democrats have to maintain their stall long enough to show that their views must be respected and that the state Senate is designed to be a less partisan body than the House, said state Sen. Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from Olivette.“One of the challenges with working with some of the newer senators is that they brought the House mentality with them, and they don’t have respect for the institution of the Senate,” McCreery said. “In the Senate we have thoughtful, deliberative conversations, and we don’t just ram things through and not allow for debate.”O’Laughlin, asked by text about the opening-day atmosphere she expects as she begins her last session as Senate leader, replied only with a head-exploding emoji.<h2>Budget and taxes</h2>The gap between estimated state general revenue and appropriations in this year’s budget is $2.6 billion. Part of the difference, for state cash flow needs, is artificial because it is new spending on multi-year construction projects or money set aside for unfilled jobs in state government.The rest must come from the state’s accumulated surplus, which has been diminishing and could be depleted&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/29/missouri-auditor-warns-of-vanishing-state-general-revenue-surplus-as-spending-rises/">within two fiscal years</a>.Kehoe has warned his budget proposal on Jan. 13 will be written to bring spending into balance with current revenue. That task will be complicated by the need to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/09/missouri-public-schools-medicaid-need-1-billion-more-to-continue-current-programs/">replace up to $1.2 billion</a>&nbsp;in spending from non-general revenue funds with general tax revenue.&nbsp;“There are only painful budget bills that have money to cut from,” said state Rep. Betsy Fogle, a Democrat from Springfield. “And typically in our state, when we have to face budget cuts, we see that in K-12 education, higher education and (appropriation bills) that include things like social services and the social safety net.”Kehoe’s also expected on Jan. 13 to outline his plan for weaning state government off the income tax. With the tax representing 65% of last year’s $13.4 billion in revenue, the question will be where to find replacement money.Republican members will be anxious to hear the details.“We’ll have to see what that proposal will be and what revenue replacements or what revenue sources will be created from those changes,” said state Rep. Jeff Vernetti, a Republican from Camdenton.Local taxes will also be a major question. State Rep. Tim Taylor, a Bunceton Republican, led a House committee that spent the summer&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/21/missouri-house-committee-eyes-plan-to-silo-property-classes-for-taxation/">studying property taxes</a>. There are a number of Republicans who want to replace the property tax system with sales taxes.That could work in some areas but wouldn’t generate enough revenue for rural areas, Taylor said in a recent interview. And for areas that could generate the revenue, the tax rate could be prohibitive.The state imposes a 4.225% sales tax but local option taxes mean the rate paid at retail in most locations is much higher. And the sales tax is one place to go for replacement revenue for the income tax.That is unlikely to be popular with voters, Taylor said.“The thought of increasing sales tax again is really going to put that to pushing 10 cents on $1 or something, and that’s pretty substantial,” Taylor said.Local governments will be watching both debates closely, said Steve Hobbs, executive director of the Missouri Association of Counties.“First and foremost this needs to be fair to the citizens of Missouri,” he said.Property tax is an immensely complex issue to tackle, Hobbs said. One reason, he noted, is that state school aid is tied to local tax effort.The Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force, appointed by Kehoe, is halfway through its study of school funding. Changes to how local taxes are imposed would change the formula calculations.And support for education depends on reliable revenue from state taxes, which are about to be overhauled, Hobbs noted.“You have two legs of your education funding stool you are talking about putting under construction,” Hobbs said. “That is a big lift.”<h2>O’Laughlin’s agenda</h2>In early December, O’Laughlin wrote on social media about a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cindy.olaughlin/posts/pfbid0gQb1n2uUBgvAEy9zkZfaMjiXwaJVdCHf8N1NZhWe6nEiXCyUmB52gXM55mXBzjEtl" target="_blank">frustrating experience she had</a>&nbsp;attempting to obtain a prescription while in Jefferson City. Most of the time, she wrote, she gets her medications from a local pharmacy in Clarence, but was frustrated by mixups and miscommunications she blamed on pharmacy benefit managers.“What is the result of this wondrous cost saving set up? Absolutely nothing good for the customers,” O’Laughlin wrote.Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are the mechanisms used by insurance companies to control prescription costs for their plans. Techniques include preferential contracts for particular pharmacy companies, with higher reimbursements or dispensing fees for high-volume chain stores and online providers.“The rural areas are hardest hit because their pharmacist is also their healthcare advocate, often knowing the patients and literally their entire medical history,” O’Laughlin wrote in response to a question from The Independent.O’Laughlin endorsed legislation filed by state Sen. Travis Fitzwater, a Republican from Holts Summit, to end preferential clauses in PBM contracts.Similar legislation last year drew a&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/witnesses/HB982Testimony2-18.pdf" target="_blank">coalition of opponents</a>&nbsp;that, along with insurance companies, included the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Missouri AFL-CIO.&nbsp;The opposition will be daunting, said Abe Funk, owner of John’s Pharmacy in southeast Missouri. Funk’s business operates in six locations, including two in communities with fewer than 1,000 people.Funk is a member of the Missouri Pharmacy Business Council, which lobbies for independent pharmacies. He’s been calling legislators in his area and will personally visit the Capitol to push for the bill.To overcome opposition, this year’s bill will focus on revealing the details of how PBMs pay claims. That’s helped change some minds, he said.“They like the idea of transparency,” Funk said. “They like the idea of actually being able to see what their claims are, their payments. And so we anticipate a different climate this session than we have in the past.”O’Laughlin’s long-standing opposition to renewable energy development is being ramped up by a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/shut-it-down-henry-county-residents-angry-about-new-solar-farm-lack-of-transparency-from-county-commission" target="_blank">5,000-acre solar power project</a>&nbsp;in Henry County in western Missouri. The project was developed over several years but only revealed publicly at the start of 2024.&nbsp;In December 2024, after two incumbent commissioners were defeated for reelection, the Henry County Commission approved an incentive package for the solar project that included $650 million in public-sponsored financing.A lawsuit invoking a rarely used law requiring the courts to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=27&amp;di=2234048" target="_blank">investigate public contracts</a>&nbsp;is heading to trial in October. O’Laughlin has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=518" target="_blank">filed a bill</a>&nbsp;for a moratorium on new solar project construction, including stopping work on projects underway but not finished, through Dec. 31, 2027.The solar projects use valuable farmland, seek tax abatements and other preferential treatment and add little to local economies, O’Laughlin wrote in an email to The Independent.“I honestly see this as tearing a giant hole in the fabric of our communities socially, fiscally, environmentally,” O’Laughlin wrote to The Independent. “What is there to like about them?”<h2>Election year prospects</h2>No Democrat has won a statewide election since 2018, and results from 2024 show how daunting it will be for Kirkwood Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-12-06/missouri-auditor-2026-fitzpatrick-quentin-wilson" target="_blank">Quentin Wilson</a>, a state department director from 1998 to 2001, to deny incumbent Republican State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick a second term.The auditor’s office is the only statewide race on the ballot. Last year, despite spending $20 million, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce received just 41.8% of the vote, only two percentage points more than gubernatorial candidate Crystal Quade, who spent about $2 million.But the difficult statewide race for Democrats doesn’t mean this year’s voting won’t give the party an opportunity to impose significant losses on Republicans. The same voters that gave GOP candidates landslide wins for statewide office handed them defeats on abortion rights, following up on prior liberal ballot measure wins on Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization.Republicans have put a measure reinstating the state’s near total&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/2454H.05T.pdf" target="_blank">abortion ban</a>&nbsp;on the ballot, along with a proposal to change the way&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills254/hlrbillspdf/3353H.03T.pdf" target="_blank">majorities are calculated</a>&nbsp;for constitutional amendments proposed by initiative. And the redistricting plan intended to give the GOP an additional seat in the U.S. House faces a possible referendum vote.&nbsp;Controversial ballot measures can bring hundreds of thousands of Missourians out for an otherwise unexciting election. That occurred In 2018 and 2020, when a right to work referendum and Medicaid expansion, respectively, were on August primary ballots. In those years, nearly 300,000 more people voted in the Democratic primary than the average of other elections since 2000.&nbsp;Millions have already been spent on ballot measures for this year and the total for all will likely exceed $100 million by the time voters go to the polls.But even a big surge of Democratic voters would only dent, not break, the GOP majority, said Terry Smith, political science professor at Columbia College.Only 21 of 163 Missouri House seats were decided by 10 percentage points or less in 2024, and early financial reports indicate that only two of the 17 state Senate seats on the ballot appear to be truly competitive in November.The best result for Democrats, Smith said, would be to break the two-thirds supermajority Republicans enjoy in each chamber.&nbsp;After the 2024 election, Republicans held 111 seats in the House and 24 of 34 seats in the Senate.“Do Republicans&nbsp; have anything to worry about? I don’t think so,” Smith said in an interview last week with The Independent.In deeply Republican districts, even if the ballot measures draw a larger Democratic vote, it won’t be enough to change the outcome, Smith said.“If you go from a district that is 75-25 to 60-40,” he said, “you pick up 15 points and you still lose by a landslide.”The Independent’s Anna Spoerre, Steph Quinn and Jason Hancock contributed to this report.