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Missouri judge to decide whether regulations on medication abortion violate constitution
A Jackson County judge is weighing whether to keep in place two state regulations that Planned Parenthood says are preventing its providers from performing medication abortions in Missouri. Over the course of several hours Wednesday, attorneys for Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office argued before Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang over whether current regulations […]
Catherine Hanaway takes over as Missouri attorney general vowing a ‘different style’
Catherine Hanaway had nothing but kind words Monday about the man who she was replacing as Missouri’s attorney general. In an interview with The Independent shortly after taking the oath of office in a private ceremony in Jefferson City, Hanaway said now-former Attorney General Andrew Bailey was committed to upholding the constitution and protecting the […]
As few as 5% of voters could defeat initiative petitions under Missouri GOP legislation
A proposal that would make it virtually impossible for voters to change the constitution or state law through the initiative petition process cleared a Missouri House committee Thursday evening. The legislation sponsored by state Rep. Ed Lewis, a Republican from Moberly, largely mirrors a request from Gov. Mike Kehoe to require a majority of voters […]
Missouri joins dozens of states in eliminating tax on diapers, period products
Diapers and menstrual hygiene products such as tampons and pads will no longer be taxed in Missouri stores. A new law, which went into effect last week, eliminates what’s commonly known as the “luxury” state sales tax rate of 4.225% on these products. After years of bipartisan support for eliminating this luxury tax in Missouri, […]
Missouri judge weighing whether new abortion ban should appear on 2026 ballot
A Cole County judge heard arguments Wednesday over whether a proposed ban on abortion set to go to voters next year should be thrown out or revised over a provision targeting gender-affirming care for minors. The ACLU of Missouri believes the proposal, which was drafted by state lawmakers, violates the state constitution because it includes […]
Missouri Senate briefly debates abortion ban as time runs short on legislative session
With four days left in the legislative session, Republicans brought a proposed constitutional amendment banning abortion up for debate Monday night in the Missouri Senate only to set it aside after three hours. It’s unlikely to be the last abortion debate in the Senate before the legislature adjourns for the year at 6 p.m. Friday. […]
Bill funding newborn rescue boxes heads to Missouri governor
A bill that would help fund the installation of rescue boxes for parents in crisis to anonymously relinquish newborns to the state is headed to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. State Rep. Jim Murphy, a St. Louis Republican and the sponsor of the “Safe Place for Newborns Fund,” called his legislation “a pro-life bill that everybody […]
‘Really horrifying’: Missouri draws scorn over treatment of teen mom in foster care
In the week since a teen mom in foster care went public about her struggles with Missouri’s social services agency to keep her baby, she’s faced renewed threats of being separated from her 9-week-old daughter. The uncertainty is nothing new for Hailey, who has been in foster care since she was 2 and became pregnant […]
Proposed abortion ban one vote away from Missouri ballot
A proposed constitutional amendment that would again ban abortion in Missouri passed out of a state Senate committee on Wednesday, meaning it is one step away from heading to a statewide ballot. The legislation approved on a 4-2 party line vote would repeal the reproductive rights amendment known as Amendment 3 but allow exceptions for […]
Nonprofit sues to overturn Missouri’s parental consent laws for minors seeking abortions
A reproductive health care nonprofit filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to overturn Missouri’s law requiring minors to get parental approval before getting an abortion. The lawsuit contends the consent law is unconstitutional after voters passed an abortion rights amendment last year. Right By You, a nonprofit that helps young people navigate pregnancy decisions, including by […]
Attorney General Andrew Bailey demands records from Missouri abortion nonprofit
A judge on Monday temporarily blocked Missouri Attorney General’s subpoena seeking records from a nonprofit that assists women seeking abortions. Bailey’s office issued the subpoena to Missouri Abortion Fund demanding it turn over years’ worth of documents as part of a lawsuit his office filed against Planned Parenthood more than a year ago. The lawsuit […]
A Missouri teen spent her life in foster care. Now she’s fighting the state to keep her baby
CUBA, Mo. — Hailey cradled her cat like a baby and nuzzled his fur. It wasn’t long before he rejected the attention and leapt from her arms in the callous way cats do. She cursed him in the way hormonal teenagers do. Ash, a gray stray Hailey took in against her great-aunt’s protesting, became the […]