Among new state laws which have now gone into effect is a crackdown on stunt driving. 

Stunt driving is a common complaint in St. Joseph. An update to the careless and imprudent driving law adds that no person shall perform stunt driving on Missouri roadways.  

Seargent Shane Hux with Troop H of the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the law applies to street takeovers, a common complaint in St. Joseph and Kansas City. 

"So, they’re out there and they’re doing donuts, there’s a large crowd of people there, they’re doing burnouts, wheelies, donuts,’ Hux tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “So they added this stunt driving into the careless and imprudent statute, which means where we see it here in the city limits of St. Joseph would be on the Belt Highway, primarly with motorcycles, but also with vehicles as well.” 

 Hux says the update clears up the careless and imprudent driving statute. 

"By them adding this new wording into there, it makes it very clear, the public can go in there, they can read that statute, it makes it very clear that this type of driving is now prohibited,” Hux explains.  “I mean obviously it was before, but if someone just read the statute it didn’t lay it out the way that it does now to where it makes it very clear.” 

 Hux says to crack down on these offenses, and make sure it sinks in, penalties increase. 

"First offense on that is a Class B misdemeanor, so that’s kind of your warning right there, and then it bumps up to a Class A misdemeanor for your second offense,” Hux says.  “Now here’s the kicker, third and subsequent offense, Class E felony, so yes there is some teeth to that.” 

Hux says it's also important to note that if you are involved in an accident resulting in an injury or fatality while stunt driving, the offense jumps automatically to a felony. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

New state law cracks down on 'side shows' to stop stunt drivers

The latest court case, like others filed earlier, argues that no authority exists in the Missouri Constitution for redrawing district lines without new census data

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>

Gov. Mike Kehoe on Sunday signed the new Missouri congressional district map intended to bring Republicans another seat, and opponents responded with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=2516-CV31273&amp;inputVO.courtId=CT16&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">new lawsuit</a>&nbsp;challenging the plan.

Lawmakers, acting at the insistence of President Donald Trump, finished a special session on Sept. 12 by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">passing a bill</a>&nbsp;targeting the 5th District in Kansas City and placing a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot to make it more difficult to pass constitutional proposals by initiative petition.

The new lawsuit, like others filed previously, contends that no authority exists in the Missouri Constitution allowing lawmakers to revise congressional districts in the absence of new census data. The new case also argues that the districts are not legal because they stretch for hundreds of miles across the state.

The law will take effect Dec. 11, in time for candidate filing in the 2026 elections, unless blocked by the courts or&nbsp;a referendum petition.&nbsp;

To bring enough voters into the 5th District, which currently includes portions of only Jackson and Clay counties, the drafters destroyed the idea that districts should be as compact as possible, the new lawsuit filed in Jackson County contends.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat, has represented the 5th District since 2005.

Kehoe, who has said&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/25/let-the-courts-decide-kehoe-says-he-will-sign-gerrymandered-missouri-congressional-map/">the courts will decide</a>&nbsp;if what lawmakers did was legal, said in a news release that he signed the bill to make the state’s districts align with voter views overall.

“We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk,” Kehoe said.

Opponents have argued that the new map disenfranchises a large portion of Missouri voters. Democrats currently hold two of the state’s eight districts, or 25%, while statewide elections show about 40% of voters support Democratic candidates.

Filed by the&nbsp;National Redistricting Foundation, the legal arm of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/09/democrats-hopes-courts-redistricting-fight-00551030" target="_blank">National Democratic Redistricting Committee</a>&nbsp;led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the lawsuit enlists voters from around the state as plaintiffs, raising objections to changes in other districts as well the lines in the Kansas CIty area.

“Missouri’s mid-decade gerrymander is in clear violation of the state constitution,” Marina Jenkins, executive director of the foundation, said in a news release. “It was not prompted by the law or a court order; it was the result of Republican lawmakers in Missouri following partisan directives from politicians in Washington, D.C.”

The constitutional standards for redistricting include districts that are compact, contiguous, as equal as possible in population and do not split communities of interest.

“Every redistricting plan since the 1950s has placed as much of the Jackson County portion of Kansas City as possible in a single district, and more recently, also brought in a substantial portion of the Clay County parts of Kansas City as well,” the lawsuit states. “In fact, the Jackson County portion of Kansas City has not been split in more than 50 years.”

Under the new map, the lawsuit states, Kansas City’s central business district is in three separate districts. The new 4th District stretches from downtown Kansas City to Fort Leonard Wood in Pulaski County, 200 miles away.

Eastern portions of the city that remain in the 5th District are now in a district with Rolla, in southeast Missouri, also 200 miles away, while the remaining downtown portions are part of the 6th District, which runs across northeast Missouri to the Mississippi River.

“The configuration of congressional districts in the Kansas City area under (the redistricting bill) violates the mandatory compactness requirement on nearly every level,” the lawsuit contends.

The National Redistricting Foundation lawsuit is the fourth filed since Kehoe announced plans for the special session.

The first was filed by the&nbsp;NAACP of Missouri, which contends that Kehoe did not have authority to call lawmakers into session for redistricting or to change initiative majority requirements. That case is in the hands of Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh, who heard arguments Sept. 15.

The other lawsuits are in their early procedural stages.

One, filed Sept. 12&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=2516-CV29597&amp;inputVO.courtId=CT16#header" target="_blank">in Jackson County</a>&nbsp;makes similar arguments to the new case about the compactness of the new districts, while also questioning whether the bill mistakenly places the same precinct in&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/18/court-battle-looms-over-kc-precinct-listed-twice-in-missouris-new-congressional-map/">two different districts</a>.

Another, filed Sept. 12&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC06964&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">in Cole County</a>, is based on an argument common to all four cases — that the state constitution doesn’t allow mid-cycle redistricting.&nbsp;

Only once since the current constitution was written have lawmakers altered congressional districts between censuses, and that was in the 1960s when a U.S. Supreme Court decision forced a national reexamination of districts to balance populations.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++45&amp;bid=31801&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">redistricting provision</a>&nbsp;of the constitution says that after receiving census data, lawmakers “shall by law divide the state into districts corresponding with the number of representatives to which it is entitled…”

The section is silent on the power to do it at any other time and that, the new lawsuit contends, means it is prohibited.

“The General Assembly ignored the state constitution’s procedural limitation authorizing congressional redistricting to take place only when new decennial census results are certified to the governor,” the lawsuit states.

4th lawsuit challenges Missouri’s new congressional maps just as Kehoe signs them into law

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

Residents, a fire protection district and six school districts allege a proposal to cap property taxes in only some of the state’s counties violates the state’s constitution

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

In a new attack on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=E1&amp;BillID=18267440" target="_blank">the bill</a>&nbsp;that authorized state funding for&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/11/missouri-special-session-ends-with-passage-kc-stadium-funding-disaster-aid/">professional sports stadiums</a>, a group of taxing districts and property owners are challenging property tax caps authorized for 97 counties in Missouri.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC07281&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">lawsuit filed Friday</a>&nbsp;in Cole County Circuit Court alleges state lawmakers unconstitutionally split residential property into different classes, choosing which counties would get a cap, and how much, on “<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Plaintiffs%20Petition%20for%20Declaratory%20Judgment%20and%20Injunctive%20Relief.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3682079" target="_blank">simply the whim</a>&nbsp;of individual legislators.”&nbsp;

The bill was passed by lawmakers during a special session in June.

The bill’s funding for sports stadiums — up to $1.5 billion intended to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri —&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-legislators-file-lawsuit-claiming-stadium-funding-for-chiefs-royals-is-unconstitutional/">was already in court</a>. A hearing is scheduled Tuesday morning on a motion by the state to dismiss that challenge, filed by state Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Gove, and others, alleging the bill violated procedural rules of the constitution.

Plaintiffs in the new case include a taxpayer from St. Louis County, which will not have taxes subject to the law’s caps and one from Warren County, which will have a cap that allows no growth in tax bills. The taxing districts listed in the petition are the Ozark Fire Protection District, along with school districts Warren County R-III in Warrenton, Crawford R-I in Bourbon, Ozark R-VI, Meramec Valley R-III in Pacific, Grandview R-II in Dittmer and Doniphan R-I.

The law requires each county subject to a possible cap to hold an election asking voters if they want to enact it.

Within two weeks of passing the legislation, House Speaker Jon Patterson had established an interim committee to study property taxes amid&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/25/missouri-lawmakers-could-return-to-session-this-fall-to-debate-property-taxes/">questions about the property tax provision’s constitutionality</a>.

In 75 counties, voters could prevent property taxes from rising more than 5% per year from a base amount, or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater. In 22 other counties, voters could freeze their homes’ property taxes with exceptions for newly voted levies and additional value from improvements.

Lawmakers opted their counties into the legislation, deciding what level of relief they wanted for their area. Many legislators from the state’s largest counties asked to be excluded, leaving Boone, Greene, Jackson, St. Louis County and the city of St. Louis out of the law.

“No rational basis was used to categorize counties between those where the credit could result in a freeze on property tax revenue growth, a 5% cap on property tax revenue growth, or neither,” plaintiffs wrote in their initial filing.

Some of the school districts joining the lawsuit cover multiple counties that, if approved by voters, would have different levels of tax relief.

Their attorneys argue that this would violate Article X of the Missouri Constitution, which requires uniformity in taxation and limits state lawmakers’ power to divide real property into subclasses, among other things.

“As applied, (the law) may result in disparate treatment of otherwise similarly situated taxpayers because certain taxpayers for a single district may reside in political subdivisions that cover multiple counties — counties that may be subject to different property tax credit schemes.”

The lawsuit also challenges the statute under the state’s equal protection clause because the law only gives some taxpayers the right to vote on tax relief.&nbsp;

The law “mandates varying levels of tax relief — either a cap of a five percent increase or no increase — denying all other similarly situated taxpayers the same level of tax relief thereby violating their equal rights and opportunity under the law,” plaintiffs wrote.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys further label the law unconstitutional for violating a section of the state’s constitution that restricts certain local or special laws.

“A law may not include less than all who are similarly situated,” plaintiffs wrote, saying the counties are grouped without a “conceivable state of facts that connect” them.

Missouri school districts challenge law offering some counties property tax relief

Jefferson City&nbsp;—&nbsp;Today, Governor Mike Kehoe signed House Bill (HB) 1 of the One Hundred Third General Assembly's Second Extraordinary Session of the First Regular Session into law. HB 1, sponsored by Representative Dirk Deaton and Senator Rusty Black, creates provisions for redistricting federal congressional seats, according to a media release from the governor's office.

“I was proud to officially sign the Missouri First Map into law today ahead of the 2026 midterm election,” said&nbsp;Governor Kehoe. “Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our values, across both sides of the aisle, are closer to each other than those of the congressional representation of states like New York, California, and Illinois. We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk.”

On August 29,&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.mo.gov/press-releases/archive/governor-kehoe-announces-special-session-congressional-redistricting-and">Governor Kehoe convened the General Assembly for a special session</a>&nbsp;to enact legislation establishing updated congressional districts for the State of Missouri and amending the state’s initiative petition process. Governor Kehoe worked with the General Assembly to pass the&nbsp;Missouri First Map&nbsp;in HB 1, a more compact, contiguous map that was created by Governor Kehoe's team.

On September 12, the General Assembly truly agreed to and finally passed the&nbsp;Missouri First Map&nbsp;in House Bill 1 and the "Protect Missouri Voters" amendment in House Joint Resolution 3, which will be placed on the ballot for voter approval.

Missouri governor signs plan aimed at helping GOP win another US House seat

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

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins on Friday pitched his first revision of ballot language for a&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/2454H.05T.pdf" target="_blank">Missouri constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that would ban abortion — without mentioning the ban — at the Cole County Circuit Court.&nbsp;

Next week, Judge Daniel Green will decide if it is a ball or a strike.

Last Friday, Green ordered Hoskins to rewrite the ballot language approved by lawmakers after finding it was “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">insufficient and unfair”</a>&nbsp;because it failed to mention the amendment would repeal abortion rights.&nbsp;

In his ruling, Green wrote that the original ballot title “fails to adequately alert voters that it would eliminate” the constitutional right to reproductive health care that Missourians approved last fall.

Under a law passed this year and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/judge-rules-unconstitutional-law-missouri-attorney-general-special-appeal-power/">upheld this week by Green</a>, Hoskins had seven days to submit his revisions. Now, the two sides in the case have three days to submit analysis.

If Green rules Hoskins failed, he will have five days to try again.

The new ballot language written by Hoskins states in full:&nbsp;

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

The&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=I++++36&amp;bid=54984&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">reproductive rights amendment that</a>&nbsp;Missourians narrowly approved last fall legalized all abortions up until the point of fetal viability. Access to the procedure remains limited as Planned Parenthood affiliates have sued the state over a series of abortion regulations that remain on the books.&nbsp;

“My main focus has been protecting Missouri’s families and the Constitution,” Hoskins said in a statement Friday. “This ballot title and language reflects my commitment to upholding the values Missourians hold dear. My office remains dedicated to ensuring voters are presented with clear and accurate information as they consider this important measure.”

Tori Schafer, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said the language remains “purposefully misleading and inaccurate.”

Green also told Hoskins to rewrite the “fair ballot language” summary posted to the secretary of state’s website, calling the old language misleading for also failing to state abortion would be banned in most cases.

Hoskins’ new summary states that a “yes” vote would guarantee women’s medical care under specific scenarios, including ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages and allow abortions in the first 12 weeks festation in cases of rape or incest. It would also ban gender-affirming health care for minors.&nbsp;

A “no” vote, Hoskins wrote, would “limit abortion” to specific scenarios.

After the Republican supermajority of legislators<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">&nbsp;voted in May to put the amendment on next year’s ballot</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/27/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-ballot-ban-cole-county-trial/">ACLU of Missouri sued</a>, arguing that the ballot language was unfair and that the amendment illegally included unrelated subjects to be used as “ballot candy.”

Green in his ruling last week concluded that lawmakers did not err in combining bans on gender-affirming health care for minors with reproductive rights.&nbsp;

Latest language for Missouri ballot measure fails to mention amendment would ban abortion

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Saturday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1996 Toyota Tacoma driven by a 47-year-old Cosby man was westbound on County Road 281 one mile east of Rochester. The pickup traveled off the north sie of the road, returned to theroad, began to slide, traveled off the north side of the road again and rolled onto the drivers side.&nbsp;

Andrew County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man hospitalized after pickup overturns

Measuring academic progress is becoming increasingly important as Missouri schools recover from pandemic-related learning loss, with researchers and the state’s education officials championing growth as a vital metric.

St. Louis University’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.primecenter.org/" target="_blank">PRiME Center</a>, a nonpartisan education think tank, held a half-day conference on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia Thursday to dig into how the state calculates academic growth and celebrate high-growth districts.

“We are really interested in schools that are moving kids the most,” PRiME executive director Collin Hitt told reporters. “We want to do better than we are.”

Hitt believes Missouri has the best formula for calculating academic growth, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.primecenter.org/prime-blog/3-year-growth" target="_blank">data generated by the formula</a>&nbsp;can help the state identify the best teaching practices.

“You would not be able to see the impact (educators) have on students if we didn’t have growth,” he said.

Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger told conference attendees that growth sees beyond standardized test scores.

“We all have standards, and we want all our kids to meet those standards,” she said. “But one of the things we truly have to pay attention to is the progress they are making towards those standards.”

Missouri’s growth model shows educators how much learning their students accomplished in the school year relative to others in the state. A score of zero doesn’t mean a child has not learned anything but instead indicates that their growth was average.

The formula’s architect Eric Parsons, an economics professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, said growth is a “more equitable” accountability measure than tracking average test scores. Districts with high achievement levels tend to be wealthier, but high growth is seen in all areas of the state and all socioeconomic levels.

When Parsons graphed growth levels against poverty, there was no correlation. Overall achievement, though, largely increased alongside wealth.

Data also showed no correlation between achievement levels and growth scores, meaning that expanding students’ knowledge is as hard for low-achieving schools as it is for high achievers.

Parsons received an&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/18/missouri-administrators-question-school-district-scores-in-second-year-of-new-formula/">influx of questions about the formula</a>&nbsp;following the state’s transition to a new accountability model three years ago. Growth was once a small factor in schools’ report cards but now accounts for a quarter of their scores.

Administrators speaking at the conference said questions have not completely disappeared but are now primarily concerned with how growth scores are translated into the school accountability points system.

“Districts are wondering how (education officials) are applying the growth model, which is obviously a great model, into those growth points because it does cause some confusion,” Gainesville R-5 School District Superintendent Justin Gilmore said during a panel discussion. “We need to dig deeper into how the growth model is being utilized by the department.”

Educators look to Missouri growth model to measure instructional effectiveness

KFEQ Week in Review

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the petition for a referendum because the bill hasn’t been signed yet. Referendum backers call shenanigans because Kehoe will sign the bill on Sunday

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

A referendum petition seeking a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/10/gop-push-to-gerrymander-missouri-congressional-map-could-be-decided-at-the-ballot/">statewide vote</a>&nbsp;on the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">gerrymandered Missouri redistricting plan</a>&nbsp;is insufficient because the bill changing district lines hasn’t been signed yet, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins decided Friday.

Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, in an opinion letter dated Thursday, recommended Hoskins reject the petition because the law describing the form says the petition must refer to “laws” passed by the General Assembly.

In the opinion letter, which has not yet been published on the attorney general’s website, Hanaway wrote: “A bill passed by the Missouri House of Representatives and Senate does not become ‘a law’ until it is either ‘approved by the governor’ or until the bill is not ‘returned by the governor within the time limits prescribed by this section.’”&nbsp;

The redistricting plan, she wrote, “has not been signed by Governor Kehoe.”

In a statement to The Independent, Hanaway’s office said proponents should have waited.

“State law only allows a referendum on measures that have been enacted into law,” the statement provided by spokeswoman Abigail Bergmann read. “The referendum petition was thus premature.”

The redistricting plan seeks to flip the 5th Congressional District, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, to Republicans. President Donald Trump began pushing for Missouri to redistrict in late July.

Richard von Glahn, leading the committee People Not Politicians in its quest to put the plan on a ballot, immediately called shenanigans and his attorney, Chuck Hatfield, wrote a letter demanding a revision.

“It is a matter of public record that the governor has announced his assent to the bill and intends to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/25/let-the-courts-decide-kehoe-says-he-will-sign-gerrymandered-missouri-congressional-map/">sign it on Sunday</a>&nbsp;of this week,” Hatfield wrote in a footnote to his legal analysis. “Delaying review of the referendum forms on that basis is simply silly. Nothing allows you to do so.”

To be successful, a referendum petition must have signatures equal to 5% of the vote for governor in six of the state’s eight congressional districts. The petitions must be submitted within 90 days of the adjournment of the legislative session that passed the new law.

Lawmakers concluded the special session on Sept. 12, giving von Glahn’s group until Dec. 11 to submit the signatures.

“People Not Politicians has continued to face obstinance from politicians who refuse to perform their administrative duties and adhere to legal deadlines around processing the legally submitted referendum petition,” a news release from the campaign stated. “The group continues to gather signatures to put the issue before Missouri voters.”

If the decision is not reversed, the issue will go to the courts, von Glahn said.

“We are confident the courts will side with Missourians constitutional right to a referendum, as they always have,” he said in the news release.

In his letter challenging Hanaway’s legal analysis, Hatfield wrote that her constitutional references are inaccurate and she missed important sections that control the referendum process.

“Your letter ignores (<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++49&amp;bid=31807&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">the referendum clause</a>), which guarantees to the people the ‘power to approve or reject by referendum any act of the general assembly,’” Hatfield wrote. “That is exactly what Mr. von Glahn seeks to do and the constitution is extremely clear.”&nbsp;

In 2022, the Missouri Supreme Court found two laws that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/08/missouri-supreme-court-tosses-laws-that-blocked-2019-abortion-bill-referendum/">impeded the referendum process</a>&nbsp;were unconstitutional. In that decision, the court found that signatures gathered before the ballot language for the petition had been written were valid.

In that case, administrative delays by the attorney general and the secretary of state were found to be improper barriers when opponents of a law banning abortions attempted an initiative in 2019.

“This is the same stuff we went through on the abortion case,” Hatfield said, “and the courts of appeals told them you can’t do that.”

Effort to force vote on gerrymandered Missouri congressional map hits roadblock

December corn closed down 1/2 cents and March corn was down 1/4 cents. November soybeans closed down 3 1/4 cents and January soybeans were down 3 1/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 2 3/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was down 1/4 cents, December MIAX Minneapolis wheat was up 1 1/2 cents.

Corn and soybean markets were moderately lower to begin the new week but also held nearby support as a good weather window across the U.S. Grain Belt looks to encourage harvest advancement. Wheat futures were higher, which offered support to the corn market, although technical resistance continues to hold those prices in check as well. Outside markets leaned negative on Monday with crude oil futures sharply lower on fears of another output increase when OPEC+ members meet this upcoming weekend. The U.S. dollar was lower for the second straight session, which likely worked to support wheat futures on Monday.

The live cattle complex is continuing to trade lower as the market looks around for reassuring support; but it isn't seeing much rise on Monday. October live cattle are down $0.35 at $231.45, December live cattle are down $0.45 at $233.85 and February live cattle are down $0.32 at $236.17. Thankfully (for the meantime) the spot December contract is remaining above the market's 40-day moving average, but the market seems to teeter at that threshold as traders aren't confident in which way the market should trade. New showlists appear to be mixed, higher in Kansas, but lower in Texas and Nebraska/Colorado.

The feeder cattle complex is mixed into Monday's noon hour as the market is unsettled seeing the live cattle contracts trade lower,; but some of the furthest deferred months are still trading higher. More than anything the futures complex seems to be held at a mere standstill, looking for support to develop, or waiting for more pressure to build to send the contracts one way or another.

Like the cattle complex, the lean hog market is mixed into Monday's noon hour. But following the big surge the lean hog market saw on Friday, it's quite commendable that the contracts that are trading lower are just doing so in a mild matter as traders could have panicked at Monday's start and opted to give back most of what Friday's trade secured.&nbsp;

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/08194004/30001.mp3">Here </a>for Audio

Commodity markets daily recap

The White House budget office is instructing federal agencies to prepare reduction-in-force plans for mass firings during a possible government shutdown, specifically targeting employees who work for programs that are not legally required to continue. The Office of Management and Budget move to permanently reduce the government workforce if there is a shutdown, outlined in a memo shared with Politico ahead of release to agencies tonight, escalates the stakes of a potential shutdown next week. 

In the memo, OMB told agencies to identify programs, projects and activities where discretionary funding will lapse Oct. 1 and no alternative funding source is available. For those areas, OMB directed agencies to begin drafting RIF plans that would go beyond standard furloughs, permanently eliminating jobs in programs not consistent with President Donald Trump’s priorities in the event of a shutdown. 

The move marks a significant break from how shutdowns have been handled in recent decades, when most furloughs were temporary and employees were brought back once Congress voted to reopen government and funding was restored.

White House Says to Plan for Shutdown and Mass Firings; Risk for Shutdown Continues to Increase

Consumer demand for products like cheese, butter and yogurt that rely on protein and butterfat content continues to drive dairy sales growth in the U.S. and abroad. Over the past decade, milk delivered to U.S. dairy processing plants has become more nutrient-dense with higher levels of the two key components to meet rising demand. However, the pace of growth in butterfat content has far exceeded protein, which creates challenges for U.S. cheddar and American-style cheesemakers that rely on a more balanced ratio of the two. 

“U.S. dairy producers did an exceptional job increasing butterfat levels in milk to meet demand,” said Corey Geiger, lead dairy economist at CoBank. “For 10 years, the market couldn’t supply enough of it, and now there’s an oversupply – it’s almost too much of a good thing. Cheesemakers strive for a protein-to-fat ratio near 0.80. Anything significantly lower than that can reduce cheese quality and compromise production yields.”

A Butterfat Boom Leaves Cheesemakers Demanding More Protein

As of Sept.1, there were 74.5 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 1% from September 2024 but up 1% from June. 1, 2025, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Other key findings in the report were:

United States Hog Inventory Down 1%

December corn closed down 3 3/4 cents and March corn was down 3 1/2 cents. November soybeans closed up 1 1/2 cents and January soybeans were up 1 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed down 6 3/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was down 7 1/4 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was down 5 1/4 cents.

December corn closed down 2 cents and March corn was down 2 1/2 cents. November soybeans closed down 11 3/4 cents and January soybeans were down 11 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed down 1 3/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was down 2 3/4 cents and December Minneapolis wheat was up 1/4 cents.

It was another slow day for ag markets to close the week as grain and oilseed markets mainly adhered to technical signals ahead of the weekend break. The biggest ag news for Friday was President Trump's comments late Thursday that the administration plans to disperse part of the revenue generated from tariffs as an aid package to U.S. farmers who are hurting amid low prices. The market reaction to this news was muted, although there was perhaps some bearish undertones in the implication of President Trump's statement that farmers will continue to be hurt "for a little while" being that ag-centric trade agreements may not be close currently. In outside market news, Personal Consumption Expenditure data came in as expected with the core index showing a 2.9% inflation reading, steady with July, and likely keeping the Federal Reserve's path to rate cuts in upcoming meetings clear. Energy markets were also firm Friday, with November crude oil futures trading to their highest level since early August.

After starting the day off with a rocky start, the live cattle complex thankfully traded mostly higher into Friday's closing bell, but with the market's deferred contracts again seeing the biggest daily increases. The spot December contract is thankfully back to trading slightly above the market's 40-day moving average, which will continue to be an important threshold to monitor, as a close beneath that price point could indicate continued downward pressure. Thus far this week Northern dressed cattle have traded at mostly $365, which is $6.00 lower than last week's weighted average and Southern live cattle have been marked at mostly $237, which is $3.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average.

The feeder cattle complex also trading higher into Friday's noon hour as the market continues to closely track alongside the live cattle market. Unlike the live cattle market, however, the feeder cattle contracts saw more steady gains throughout all the contracts, nearby and deferred. The spot November contract is currently trading above the market's 40-day moving average, and hopefully, with continued strong sales in the countryside, the market should be able to close above that threshold so long as nothing dramatic happens.

Feeling empowered by Thursday's Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report and by the morning uptick in pork cutout values, the lean hog complex traded fully higher into Friday's close. As a matter of fact, the market is currently seeing the spot December contract reach new contract highs as fundamental support is ample. The market will likely be able to sustain this momentum at least in the short term.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/26140511/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Multiple grain traders are reporting that Chinese soybean buyers have booked at least ten and perhaps as many as 20 cargoes, of Argentinian soybeans after the country decided to scrap export taxes. That’s another setback to America’s farmers, who are already shut out of their number one market and hurting from low prices. Removing the tax on exports boosts the competitiveness of Argentina’s soybeans, prompting traders to purchase cargoes for fourth-quarter inventories in China, a period that’s usually dominated by U.S. soybean imports. 

However, Reports say that’s now clouded by Washington’s trade war with Beijing. One trader said Chinese buyers booked a total of 15 cargoes, dealing a fresh blow to America’s farmers, missing out on billions in soybean sales to China halfway through their prime marketing season. Argentina temporarily eliminated export taxes on grains and their by-products, as well as on beef and poultry, in a bid to spur sales abroad and bring in much-needed income. 

China’s soybean buyers now turning to Argentina

Last week, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins and USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg announced a new three-point plan to support American agricultural producers and exporters. The plan was announced during remarks at the annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. The first of three points is the America First Trade Promotion Program. 

USDA will kickstart the trade promotion program in fiscal year 2026. The second is a new model of trade missions that supplements the current model. The third point is an effort to revitalize export finance opportunities by reducing financial risk to lenders with credit guarantees to encourage exports to buyers in countries that have sufficient financial strength to have foreign exchange available for scheduled payments. “Advancing these programs as supplements to our existing programs ensures the health, prosperity, and security of rural America, and our farmers, ranchers, and producers,” Lindberg said.  

USDA three-point plan to support producers and exporters

December corn closed up 1 1/2 cents and March corn was up 1 1/4 cents. November soybeans closed up 3 1/4 cents and January soybeans were up 2 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 5 1/2 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 7 1/2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was up 5 1/4 cents.

Crop prices recovered their Wednesday losses for the most part on Thursday as weekly price action has turned sideways amid a lack of fresh news to drive prices convincingly one direction or the other. Early news that Argentina has reimplemented grain export taxes after hitting the $7 billion quota in two days likely provided support on Thursday. Outside markets were mixed with lower equities again for the third straight session, with the rally through September to records in the Dow Jones and S&amp;P already counter to September's historical tendency to be a poor month for stocks, it is not surprising to see some profit taking/position squaring into month end. The U.S. Dollar Index was also firmer again on Thursday, and back toward monthly highs as investors and traders alike will be very interested in Friday's Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) Index, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure for monetary policy decisions.

The live cattle complex continued to battle anxiousness and seemingly growing concerns about the lower dip in the equity markets, which put immense pressure today on the live cattle contracts. Unfortunately, the spot December contract is trading just below the market's 40-day moving average, and the market did indeed close below that threshold, that could signal continued downward pressure. Some light (very light) trade was reported in Nebraska at $365, which is $6.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Making matters even worse is the fact that some of those cattle are committed for delivery on the weeks of October 6 and October 13. This indicates packers are aiming to build up their supply for the long term so that they can continue to work cash prices lower. Asking prices in the South are firm at $242 to $244 but are still not clearly established in the North.

It was a day of hard knocks as the feeder cattle contracts once again followed in the live cattle market's wake, but they saw losses far greater as most of the feeder cattle contracts traded more than $5.00 lower into Thursday's closing bell. Thankfully, demand has been incredibly strong this week in feeder cattle sales across the country, but this dip in the futures complex could shake buyers a bit.

The cattle complex may have traded lower, but the lean hog contracts mostly kept their upward trend into Thursday's close. It's likely that traders will continue to mildly support the contracts through the week's end, but won't likely pressure resistance thresholds until after seeing the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/25141519/web-closing-markets.mp3">click HERE for audio</a>

American agriculture has a growing need to strengthen its defenses against cyber assaults. The computers, sensors, GPS, and cloud-based data systems that help producers boost productivity also increase the chances for cybercriminals to worm their way into producers’ operational systems and data. Cyberattacks on agribusinesses in recent years have demonstrated hackers’ ability to shut down processing plants, halt livestock purchases, and cost corporations millions. 

The University of Nebraska educational system is working to strengthen agricultural cyber defenses. Multiple projects with various funding sources, including federal government grants, are at the forefront of analyzing and addressing vulnerabilities. “Many technologies used in precision agriculture, such as drones, have been designed for use and affordability before data security,” said Meghan Jackson of the University of Nebraska. “Disruptions of an automatic irrigation system or hacking a dairy’s control system could mean the failure of an entire season or the death of livestock.”  

Researchers addressing cyber vulnerabilities in U.S. agriculture

America’s soybean harvest began in September with no orders from China, the world’s largest soybean buyer. USDA says that farmers will harvest some, 4.3 billion bushels, with no indication of when shipments to China will resume. In a typical year, Reports show that China buys more than half of all U.S. soybean exports. Meanwhile, Brazil set an export record for shipments to China from January through August. 

In 2024, the U.S. shipped almost 985 million bushels to China, accounting for 51 percent of the nation’s total soybean exports. This year, U.S. soybean exports to China from January through August totaled 218 million bushels, 29 percent of the total exports during that time. In June, July, and August, shipments to China were effectively at zero. While U.S. farmers wait for an agreement, the overall Chinese duty rate on U.S. soybean imports is 34 percent in 2025. 

U.S. soybean harvest starts with no Chinese purchases

President Donald J. Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict:

1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.



2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.



3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.



4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.



5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.



6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.



7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.



8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.



9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.



10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.



11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.



12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.



13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.



14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.



15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.



16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.



17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.



18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.



19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.



20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

Read President Trump’s 'Eternal Peace Plan' to end the Gaza conflict

&nbsp;Children’s Mercy hosted a topping off ceremony last week for families, team members and community leaders to celebrate the expansion of their multi-specialty clinic, that has been a cornerstone for families in Wichita since 2012.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;new 18,000 square foot standalone facility&nbsp;will be designed to&nbsp;optimize&nbsp;space, foster&nbsp;collaboration&nbsp;and allow for expanded services, according to Lisa Augustine Sr. Manager, Media Relations

On track to open&nbsp;in the summer of 2026, Children’s Mercy Wichita will have 16 in-person providers in 11 specialties, 30 exam rooms,&nbsp;and an&nbsp;on-site&nbsp;lab&nbsp;and imaging.

Amy Fallon, MPH, PhD, President of Regional&nbsp;Operations,&nbsp;shared&nbsp;what it means to bring&nbsp;the renowned Children’s Mercy&nbsp;“built for kids”&nbsp;experience to the families&nbsp;of&nbsp;south central&nbsp;Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“This expansion will help address the growing needs of the community and serve more than 10,000 pediatric patients in the region.&nbsp;It means shorter travel times, faster access to specialists, and care&nbsp;that’s&nbsp;delivered with compassion and&nbsp;understanding,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Amy.&nbsp;“Every detail of our care — from the size of the equipment to the tone of our conversations — is designed with children in mind. We are excited to bring more to the families of Wichita.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Event attendees inscribed the ceremonial beam with their names and messages of gratitude for the future of children in south central Kansas. It was more than a construction milestone. It symbolizes the region coming together to build something extraordinary for its youngest members.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The expansion deeply resonates with Ruse Brown, a father and lead donor, who shared his family’s journey with Children’s Mercy in Wichita and Kansas City. Ruse shared the life-changing impact Children’s Mercy had on his two children, Nora and Bennett, and explained how relieved he is that families are now able to receive world-class care close to home. “Not having to spend days in Kansas City worried about a hotel or taking time off work, but to have specialists in our backyard is amazing,” Ruse said. “We’ve seen team members walking the halls that treated our kids and still remember our kids’ names. This speaks to the quality of the organization and that kids aren’t just a patient or a chart — it’s truly family care.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mary Ann Queen, MD, FAAP, Vice President and Associate Chief Medical Officer for Regional and Outreach Services, has been part of the Wichita clinic from day one and reflected on its growth. “Children’s Mercy has been in this market since 2012&nbsp;providing world-class pediatric care in more than 30 specialty clinics, including Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology,” Dr. Queen&nbsp;said. “We’re thrilled to expand our ability to deliver exceptional clinical care to more children and families in the region.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ale Quiroga, MD, MBA, President and CEO, closed the event with an inspirational reflection of what the beam means for the Wichita community and beyond.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Children’s Mercy is built for kids,”&nbsp;said Ale. “We’re not just building a clinic — we’re building brighter futures. With this single beam, we are bringing care closer to home for Wichita patients and families.”

Children's Mercy celebrates expansion of Kansas clinic

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>r

TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court sided Friday with a woman who lost a job offer when she refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine, rejecting the employer’s arguments that federal law supersedes a state law restriction on questioning the sincerity of religious beliefs.

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