For a fourth consecutive year, enrollment at Northwest Missouri State University has grown.  

Enrollment increased slightly on the Maryville campus, with 8,747 students enrolled in the fall semester as of the annual census conducted just after the beginning of the semester.  

President Lance Tatum says he's proud of the people at Northwest focused on strategies that have produced positive outcomes in sustained enrollment growth 

“We have seen probably the most significant gains in our portfolio in the area of transfers, as well as keeping the students that we recruited in previous years,” Tatum tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “And so, just tickled to death that we continue to see sustainability in our growth and looking forward to the future.” 

Tatum says there was a decline in the number of graduate students, in large part thanks to a decline in the number of international students 

"The geopolitical activity that is occurring around the world as it related to visa attainment has certainly had an impact on our overall enrollment,” Tatum explains.  “We have spent the last two years being very focused on building capacity in that undergraduate segment.” 

Tatum points out where there was growth in enrollment was the number of transfer students, up 9%, and those students enrolled in dual credit course, up 14%. 

Tatum says though, despite the continued growth through the years, they cannot rest on their laurels 

"I think the movement that we see in the higher education industry is going to force us to be flexible, we have to be willing to pivot, when necessary, we have to be willing to invest, when necessary,” Tatum says.  “So, I don’t think that it’s business as usual, I think we’ll continue every year to sit down, figure out where our strengths are, figure out where our weaknesses are, and then look to build with opportunities that are presented to us.” 

Tatum says the university will continue to refine and adjust its strategy as needed to keep students on campus, knowing that enrollment numbers will fluctuate year to year. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

By MATT PIKEFor a fourth consecutive year, enrollment at Northwest Missouri State University has grown. Enrollment increased slightly on the Maryville campus, with 8,747 students enrolled in the fall semester as of the annual census conducted just after the beginning of the semester. President Lance Tatum says he's proud of the people at Northwest focused on strategies that have produced positive outcomes in sustained enrollment growth “We have seen probably the most significant gains in our portfolio in the area of transfers, as well as keeping the students that we recruited in previous years,” Tatum tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And so, just tickled to death that we continue to see sustainability in our growth and looking forward to the future.” Tatum says there was a decline in the number of graduate students, in large part thanks to a decline in the number of international students "The geopolitical activity that is occurring around the world as it related to visa attainment has certainly had an impact on our overall enrollment,” Tatum explains. “We have spent the last two years being very focused on building capacity in that undergraduate segment.” Tatum points out where there was growth in enrollment was the number of transfer students, up 9%, and those students enrolled in dual credit course, up 14%. Tatum says though, despite the continued growth through the years, they cannot rest on their laurels "I think the movement that we see in the higher education industry is going to force us to be flexible, we have to be willing to pivot, when necessary, we have to be willing to invest, when necessary,” Tatum says. “So, I don’t think that it’s business as usual, I think we’ll continue every year to sit down, figure out where our strengths are, figure out where our weaknesses are, and then look to build with opportunities that are presented to us.” Tatum says the university will continue to refine and adjust its strategy as needed to keep students on campus, knowing that enrollment numbers will fluctuate year to year. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

NWMSU sees another year of enrollment growth

GENTRY COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 2a.m. Thursday in Gentry County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Buick LaCrosse driven by a 24-year-old Maryville man was westbound on U.S. 136 just west of CR 435 two miles west of Stanberry. The vehicle struck a deer.

Grand River ambulance transported the driver an an 18-year-old female passenger to Mosaic in St. Joseph. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer reports names of accident victims.

GENTRY COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 2a.m. Thursday in Gentry County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Buick LaCrosse driven by a 24-year-old Maryville man was westbound on U.S. 136 just west of CR 435 two miles west of Stanberry. The vehicle struck a deer.Grand River ambulance transported the driver an an 18-year-old female passenger to Mosaic in St. Joseph. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer reports names of accident victims.

Two hospitalized in St. Joe after car strikes a deer

HARRISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Ford Transit van driven by a 48-year-old Woodland Park, New Jersey man was southbound on U.S. 65 at SE lilac Lane eight miles south of Trenton. The van crossed the center line and sideswiped a northbound 2008 Ford Focus driven by an 18-year-old Lathop man.

Grundy County ambulance transported the teen driver to Wright Memorial Hospital of Trenton. There were no other injuries. The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

HARRISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday in Harrison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Ford Transit van driven by a 48-year-old Woodland Park, New Jersey man was southbound on U.S. 65 at SE lilac Lane eight miles south of Trenton. The van crossed the center line and sideswiped a northbound 2008 Ford Focus driven by an 18-year-old Lathop man.Grundy County ambulance transported the teen driver to Wright Memorial Hospital of Trenton. There were no other injuries. The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

Missouri teen hospitalized after van sideswipes car

DEKALB COUNTY—A Missouri man died in an accident just after 9a.m. Wednesday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported an all- electric three wheeled VanderHall Santa Rosa driven by a 28-year-old Cameron man was eastbound on U.S. 36 one mile west of Cameron. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It began to skid, traveled off the south side of the road, overturned and the driver was ejected.

Cameron EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

DEKALB COUNTY—A Missouri man died in an accident just after 9a.m. Wednesday in DeKalb County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported an all- electric three wheeled VanderHall Santa Rosa driven by a 28-year-old Cameron man was eastbound on U.S. 36 one mile west of Cameron. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It began to skid, traveled off the south side of the road, overturned and the driver was ejected.Cameron EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man dies after ejected when electric vehicle overturns

HARRISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 9a.m. Wednesday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Freightliner semi driven by a 37-year-old Dawson, Iowa man was southbound on Interstate 35 four miles north of Eagleville. The front driver's side tire blew. The semi traveled off the east side of the road, then traveled into the northbound lane and overturned.

North Missouri EMS transported the driver to Harrison County Community Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

HARRISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 9a.m. Wednesday in Harrison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Freightliner semi driven by a 37-year-old Dawson, Iowa man was southbound on Interstate 35 four miles north of Eagleville. The front driver's side tire blew. The semi traveled off the east side of the road, then traveled into the northbound lane and overturned.North Missouri EMS transported the driver to Harrison County Community Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Driver hospitalized after semi overturns

&nbsp;BROWN COUNTY —&nbsp;On Wednesday, the Brown County Sheriff's office took several reports from farmers who were concerned about suspicious vehicles lurking around their fields recently, according to a statement from Sheriff John Merchant.

 A dark colored SUV and a Maroon colored pickup have been reported pulling in to fields where harvest is taking place and when farmers notice this, the vehicles leave in a hurry.&nbsp; Another report of a lighter colored passenger car with Missouri plates was notice driving around the fields repeatedly. 

Most of this activity has been in the northern part of Brown County. Deputies and other law enforcement agencies have been notified of this and will be providing extra patrol, according to Merchant.

We are alerting farmers so they can take extra precautions when changing fields or leaving vehicles or equipment unattended or with keys left in the ignition. 

No theft have been reported , only suspicious activity. "Unfortunately, this time of year we have unscrupulous individuals who are always looking for an opportunity to steal from others instead of working an honest job," Merchant wrote. We are asking that if anyone notices anything suspicious or unusual to contact the Sheriff's Office at once at 785-742-7125 or 911 ifan emergency exists.

&nbsp;BROWN COUNTY —&nbsp;On Wednesday, the Brown County Sheriff's office took several reports from farmers who were concerned about suspicious vehicles lurking around their fields recently, according to a statement from Sheriff John Merchant. A dark colored SUV and a Maroon colored pickup have been reported pulling in to fields where harvest is taking place and when farmers notice this, the vehicles leave in a hurry.&nbsp; Another report of a lighter colored passenger car with Missouri plates was notice driving around the fields repeatedly. Most of this activity has been in the northern part of Brown County. Deputies and other law enforcement agencies have been notified of this and will be providing extra patrol, according to Merchant.We are alerting farmers so they can take extra precautions when changing fields or leaving vehicles or equipment unattended or with keys left in the ignition. No theft have been reported , only suspicious activity. "Unfortunately, this time of year we have unscrupulous individuals who are always looking for an opportunity to steal from others instead of working an honest job," Merchant wrote. We are asking that if anyone notices anything suspicious or unusual to contact the Sheriff's Office at once at 785-742-7125 or 911 ifan emergency exists.

Sheriff investigating suspicious activity near harvest fields

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>

Legislators upset that a bill they oppose becomes law don’t have a right to sue over it, attorneys defending the special session measure that provides&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-kansas-city-stadium-funding-st-louis-disaster-aid/">state support to professional sports stadiums</a>&nbsp;said in court on Tuesday.

“It’s not recognized in the state of Missouri that a legislator can come to the court simply because they don’t like a vote that was taken… the court system would be flooded,” Marc Ellinger, an attorney representing the Missouri General Assembly, argued in Cole County Circuit Court.

Ellinger was joined by assistant attorney general Sean McDowell in arguments seeking to dismiss the lawsuit filed in July by state Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, and state Rep. Bryant Wolfin, a Republican from Ste. Genevieve and conservative activist Ron Calzone.

Moon and the other plaintiffs want to throw out the entire legislative package, which includes tax credits for home repairs after natural disasters this year and property-tax restrictions for some counties.

The law, they say, goes beyond the bill’s original subject and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-legislators-file-lawsuit-claiming-stadium-funding-for-chiefs-royals-is-unconstitutional/">provides unconstitutional aid</a>&nbsp;to private interests. But if the state’s motion to dismiss is approved, they won’t get to argue these points in court.

Ellinger and McDowell argued the case can’t move forward, saying plaintiffs lack taxpayer standing and dismissing the idea of “legislative standing.”

“I don’t think there’s any standing for specific legislators to bring a case as the plaintiffs have,” McDowell said.

Taxpayer standing requires a direct expenditure and because the bill operates through tax credits and is “subject to appropriation,” there is no direct cost to the taxpayer, he argued.

Attorney Bevis Schock, who is representing the law’s challengers, said there are up-front costs to the bill such as an estimated $10,000 expense to create the tax-credit application.

“If these plaintiffs have no standing and we throw this case in the trash, we might as well pitch the constitution in there with it,” he wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Memo%20in%20Opposition%20to%20Defendants%20Motion%20to%20Dismiss.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3667593" target="_blank">in a pre-hearing filing</a>.

The purpose of the lawsuit, Schock said in court on Tuesday, is to challenge bills with multiple subjects.

“The problem is.. the voter can’t tell what item the legislator is for or against,” he said. “That is why we are bringing the case.”

If they lose in circuit court, Schock said, he will appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748263709817.png" alt="GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>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>Legislators upset that a bill they oppose becomes law don’t have a right to sue over it, attorneys defending the special session measure that provides&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-kansas-city-stadium-funding-st-louis-disaster-aid/">state support to professional sports stadiums</a>&nbsp;said in court on Tuesday.“It’s not recognized in the state of Missouri that a legislator can come to the court simply because they don’t like a vote that was taken… the court system would be flooded,” Marc Ellinger, an attorney representing the Missouri General Assembly, argued in Cole County Circuit Court.Ellinger was joined by assistant attorney general Sean McDowell in arguments seeking to dismiss the lawsuit filed in July by state Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, and state Rep. Bryant Wolfin, a Republican from Ste. Genevieve and conservative activist Ron Calzone.Moon and the other plaintiffs want to throw out the entire legislative package, which includes tax credits for home repairs after natural disasters this year and property-tax restrictions for some counties.The law, they say, goes beyond the bill’s original subject and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-legislators-file-lawsuit-claiming-stadium-funding-for-chiefs-royals-is-unconstitutional/">provides unconstitutional aid</a>&nbsp;to private interests. But if the state’s motion to dismiss is approved, they won’t get to argue these points in court.Ellinger and McDowell argued the case can’t move forward, saying plaintiffs lack taxpayer standing and dismissing the idea of “legislative standing.”“I don’t think there’s any standing for specific legislators to bring a case as the plaintiffs have,” McDowell said.Taxpayer standing requires a direct expenditure and because the bill operates through tax credits and is “subject to appropriation,” there is no direct cost to the taxpayer, he argued.Attorney Bevis Schock, who is representing the law’s challengers, said there are up-front costs to the bill such as an estimated $10,000 expense to create the tax-credit application.“If these plaintiffs have no standing and we throw this case in the trash, we might as well pitch the constitution in there with it,” he wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Memo%20in%20Opposition%20to%20Defendants%20Motion%20to%20Dismiss.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3667593" target="_blank">in a pre-hearing filing</a>.The purpose of the lawsuit, Schock said in court on Tuesday, is to challenge bills with multiple subjects.“The problem is.. the voter can’t tell what item the legislator is for or against,” he said. “That is why we are bringing the case.”If they lose in circuit court, Schock said, he will appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.

Missouri AG, General Assembly seek to dismiss lawsuit against stadium funding bill

Jefferson City&nbsp;—&nbsp;Governor Mike Kehoe announced Tuesday that he has authorized the Missouri National Guard (MONG) to assist with administrative, clerical, and logistical duties at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facilities within the State of Missouri, according to a media release from the governor's office.

 This decision comes in response to a request for assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the Department of War (DOW) to ensure the resources and personnel needed to effectively enforce immigration laws and maintain operational control of the border.

Missouri National Guard service members will provide support starting October 1, 2025, by assisting with tasks such as data entry, case management, and logistical support, enabling ICE personnel to focus on core enforcement and security functions. MONG personnel who have been assigned to this mission were selected on a volunteer basis.

“Public safety, keeping Missourians safe, and upholding the rule of law is our administration's top priority,” said&nbsp;Governor Kehoe. “The Missouri National Guard is uniquely equipped to provide this essential administrative support, and we are confident their contributions will be invaluable to immigration enforcement efforts. Missouri is proud to join in the Trump administration's efforts to keep our state and nation secure.”

On July 25, 2025, the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth approved the duty status of DOW military personnel providing support at ICE processing facilities allowing for Title 32 duty status, which is a federally funded status under authority of the Governor. The Missouri National Guard regularly works alongside local, state, and federal agencies in support roles to ensure the safety and security of communities.

Military personnel are authorized to be on duty for this mission through September 30, 2026.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759282109511.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Jefferson City&nbsp;—&nbsp;Governor Mike Kehoe announced Tuesday that he has authorized the Missouri National Guard (MONG) to assist with administrative, clerical, and logistical duties at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facilities within the State of Missouri, according to a media release from the governor's office. This decision comes in response to a request for assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the Department of War (DOW) to ensure the resources and personnel needed to effectively enforce immigration laws and maintain operational control of the border.Missouri National Guard service members will provide support starting October 1, 2025, by assisting with tasks such as data entry, case management, and logistical support, enabling ICE personnel to focus on core enforcement and security functions. MONG personnel who have been assigned to this mission were selected on a volunteer basis.“Public safety, keeping Missourians safe, and upholding the rule of law is our administration's top priority,” said&nbsp;Governor Kehoe. “The Missouri National Guard is uniquely equipped to provide this essential administrative support, and we are confident their contributions will be invaluable to immigration enforcement efforts. Missouri is proud to join in the Trump administration's efforts to keep our state and nation secure.”On July 25, 2025, the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth approved the duty status of DOW military personnel providing support at ICE processing facilities allowing for Title 32 duty status, which is a federally funded status under authority of the Governor. The Missouri National Guard regularly works alongside local, state, and federal agencies in support roles to ensure the safety and security of communities.Military personnel are authorized to be on duty for this mission through September 30, 2026.

Gov. Kehoe authorizes Missouri National Guard to assist in ICE enforcement

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>

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins must try again to write ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban most abortions, a Cole County judge ruled Tuesday.

Circuit Judge Daniel Green, in his second ruling on the ballot description of the measure proposed by lawmakers, said that Hoskins got most of the language right.

But Hoskins’ language on the portion that will be the issue the question turns on — repealing the abortion rights protections approved by voters last year —&nbsp; is “insufficient and unfair” and must be revised, Green ruled.

Hoskins rewrote the ballot language&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">prepared by Republican lawmakers</a>&nbsp;after Green ruled it, also, did not alert voters that<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">&nbsp;it would repeal the voter-approved amendment.</a>

The measure would repeal the citizen-led initiative passed in 2024 that made Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">the first state to overturn an abortion ban</a>&nbsp;by guaranteeing the constitutional right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Green ruled that Hoskins also missed the mark by failing to inform voters of the repeal, taking issue with just one bullet point in Hoskins’ summary that reads:&nbsp;

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:&nbsp;&nbsp;

This summary “fails to adequately alert voters that the proposed constitutional amendment would abrogate&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?constit=y&amp;section=I%20%2036" target="_blank">Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution,</a>&nbsp;which voters recently approved,” Green wrote.&nbsp;

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s Office in briefings submitted Monday said Hoskins’ latest language was sufficient because it stated the new amendment would cause a “modification” of state statute and that repeal language would be inaccurate because the new amendment “does not abolish all the constitutional rights first enshrined in Article I, section 36,” including the right to miscarriage care.

For example, the attorney general wrote, the new amendment “recognizes a right to abortion in some cases, and such a right was unprecedented in the Missouri Constitution before the voters enacted Article I, section 36 in 2024.”&nbsp;

Prior to the passage of the abortion rights amendment, nearly all abortions were illegal in Missouri, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies.

Attorneys with The ACLU of Missouri and Stinson Law&nbsp;in briefings Monday said Hoskins’ new language “at best, pays lip service” to Green’s order but “does not describe the probable effects of the measure.”

Hoskins is obligated, they argued, “to tell voters that they are being asked to repeal, not merely amend, the right to reproductive freedom.”

Jefferson City attorney Chuck Hatfield, in his filing, also took issue with the use of a semi-colon in the statement, saying it contributes to the “grammatical nonsense” of the language sure to leave voters confused.

Green on Tuesday ruled that the remaining bullet points are now acceptable. They read:&nbsp;

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

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 in a separate case by Green</a>, Hoskins has five days to submit revised ballot language to the court. If after that, Green decides the language still doesn’t follow the law, Hoskins has one&nbsp;more opportunity to rewrite it. If Green still doesn’t find the language satisfactory, the judge will rewrite it himself.&nbsp;

Hoskins was also responsible for writing the fair ballot statement that appears in polling places and on the office’s website that summarize what both a “yes” and “no” vote mean.

Green previously 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.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In his ruling Tuesday, Green deemed the new summary was sufficient.&nbsp;

This approved 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;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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

As the one-year anniversary of the abortion rights amendment approaches, access to the procedure in Missouri remains limited as legal battles challenging a series of abortion regulations play out in the courts.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">Medication abortions remain halted.</a>&nbsp;Procedural abortions are available on a limited basis at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759281068209.png" alt="Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has been ordered to rewrite ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban most abortions (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has been ordered to rewrite ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban most abortions (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>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>Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins must try again to write ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban most abortions, a Cole County judge ruled Tuesday.Circuit Judge Daniel Green, in his second ruling on the ballot description of the measure proposed by lawmakers, said that Hoskins got most of the language right.But Hoskins’ language on the portion that will be the issue the question turns on — repealing the abortion rights protections approved by voters last year —&nbsp; is “insufficient and unfair” and must be revised, Green ruled.Hoskins rewrote the ballot language&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">prepared by Republican lawmakers</a>&nbsp;after Green ruled it, also, did not alert voters that<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">&nbsp;it would repeal the voter-approved amendment.</a>The measure would repeal the citizen-led initiative passed in 2024 that made Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">the first state to overturn an abortion ban</a>&nbsp;by guaranteeing the constitutional right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability.&nbsp;On Wednesday, Green ruled that Hoskins also missed the mark by failing to inform voters of the repeal, taking issue with just one bullet point in Hoskins’ summary that reads:&nbsp;“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Amend Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allowing abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;”</li>
 </ul>This summary “fails to adequately alert voters that the proposed constitutional amendment would abrogate&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?constit=y&amp;section=I%20%2036" target="_blank">Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution,</a>&nbsp;which voters recently approved,” Green wrote.&nbsp;Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s Office in briefings submitted Monday said Hoskins’ latest language was sufficient because it stated the new amendment would cause a “modification” of state statute and that repeal language would be inaccurate because the new amendment “does not abolish all the constitutional rights first enshrined in Article I, section 36,” including the right to miscarriage care.For example, the attorney general wrote, the new amendment “recognizes a right to abortion in some cases, and such a right was unprecedented in the Missouri Constitution before the voters enacted Article I, section 36 in 2024.”&nbsp;Prior to the passage of the abortion rights amendment, nearly all abortions were illegal in Missouri, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies.Attorneys with The ACLU of Missouri and Stinson Law&nbsp;in briefings Monday said Hoskins’ new language “at best, pays lip service” to Green’s order but “does not describe the probable effects of the measure.”Hoskins is obligated, they argued, “to tell voters that they are being asked to repeal, not merely amend, the right to reproductive freedom.”Jefferson City attorney Chuck Hatfield, in his filing, also took issue with the use of a semi-colon in the statement, saying it contributes to the “grammatical nonsense” of the language sure to leave voters confused.Green on Tuesday ruled that the remaining bullet points are now acceptable. They read:&nbsp;“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:<ul>
 <li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure women’s safety during abortions;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure parental consent for minors;&nbsp;</li><li>and Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li>
 </ul>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 in a separate case by Green</a>, Hoskins has five days to submit revised ballot language to the court. If after that, Green decides the language still doesn’t follow the law, Hoskins has one&nbsp;more opportunity to rewrite it. If Green still doesn’t find the language satisfactory, the judge will rewrite it himself.&nbsp;Hoskins was also responsible for writing the fair ballot statement that appears in polling places and on the office’s website that summarize what both a “yes” and “no” vote mean.Green previously 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.&nbsp;&nbsp;In his ruling Tuesday, Green deemed the new summary was sufficient.&nbsp;This approved 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;&nbsp;&nbsp;A “no” vote, Hoskins wrote, would “limit abortion” to specific scenarios.As the one-year anniversary of the abortion rights amendment approaches, access to the procedure in Missouri remains limited as legal battles challenging a series of abortion regulations play out in the courts.<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">Medication abortions remain halted.</a>&nbsp;Procedural abortions are available on a limited basis at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis.&nbsp;

Missouri judge says new ballot language again fails to mention repeal of abortion rights

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Shortly after 8:30a.m. on Sept. 28, police responded to the area of 7th and R Street in Atchison to check the welfare of several people in and around a parked vehicle, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

One of those persons was&nbsp; 22-year-old Christian Tollett of Branson, Missouri, who was found to be in possession of illegal drugs.

Tollett is being held in the county jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759158665904.png" alt="Tollett photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Tollett photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Shortly after 8:30a.m. on Sept. 28, police responded to the area of 7th and R Street in Atchison to check the welfare of several people in and around a parked vehicle, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.One of those persons was&nbsp; 22-year-old Christian Tollett of Branson, Missouri, who was found to be in possession of illegal drugs.Tollett is being held in the county jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Drug suspect jailed after welfare check on parked car

ATCHISON COUNTY —A Kansas woman avoided serious injury after a crash in Atchison.

Just after 11p.m. Monday, police responded to an accident in the 1000 block South 7th Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; A 2013 Honda Pilot SUV driven by Rebecca Smith, 45, Atchison, was northbound on 7th Street when she struck a parked vehicle causing the Honda SUV to land on its side.

EMS responded to the scene. Smith was not injured.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759241575072.png" alt="Photo Atchison Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Atchison Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —A Kansas woman avoided serious injury after a crash in Atchison.Just after 11p.m. Monday, police responded to an accident in the 1000 block South 7th Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; A 2013 Honda Pilot SUV driven by Rebecca Smith, 45, Atchison, was northbound on 7th Street when she struck a parked vehicle causing the Honda SUV to land on its side.EMS responded to the scene. Smith was not injured.&nbsp;

Kansas woman avoids injury after SUV crash

ANDREW COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Buick Rendezvous driven by a 59-year-old Bolckow man was northbound on U.S. 71 three miles north of Savannah.&nbsp; The truck rear-ended a&nbsp;1981 C-7000 Grain Truck driven by a 66-year-old Rosendale man who was slowing to turn east into Andrew County Oil. After impact the grain truck overturned.

Andrew County EMS transported the SUV driver to Mosaic Life Care. A private vehicle transported the truck driver to Mosaic.&nbsp; The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer reports names of accident victims.

ANDREW COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Buick Rendezvous driven by a 59-year-old Bolckow man was northbound on U.S. 71 three miles north of Savannah.&nbsp; The truck rear-ended a&nbsp;1981 C-7000 Grain Truck driven by a 66-year-old Rosendale man who was slowing to turn east into Andrew County Oil. After impact the grain truck overturned.Andrew County EMS transported the SUV driver to Mosaic Life Care. A private vehicle transported the truck driver to Mosaic.&nbsp; The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer reports names of accident victims.

2 Mo. men injured after SUV rear-ends grain truck

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect after an altercation between two women in a store parking lot.

Just before 1p.m. September 24, police investigated a disturbance that had occurred in the Walmart parking lot in the 1900 block U.S.73 Highway in the city of Atchson, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

A 72-year-old woman reported being threatened, struck and pulled to the ground by a person known to her. 

The 78 year old suspect had left the scene before officers arrived.&nbsp; At 7p.m. police took 78-year-old Paula Phillips into custody at her residence. She remains jailed on requested charges that includes criminal threat and battery.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759158957289.png" alt="Phillips photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Phillips photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect after an altercation between two women in a store parking lot.Just before 1p.m. September 24, police investigated a disturbance that had occurred in the Walmart parking lot in the 1900 block U.S.73 Highway in the city of Atchson, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.A 72-year-old woman reported being threatened, struck and pulled to the ground by a person known to her. The 78 year old suspect had left the scene before officers arrived.&nbsp; At 7p.m. police took 78-year-old Paula Phillips into custody at her residence. She remains jailed on requested charges that includes criminal threat and battery.&nbsp;

Kansas woman jailed after alleged parking lot fight

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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757444658128.png" alt="Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors / Map by Anna Sago " />
 <figcaption>Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors / Map by Anna Sago </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>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</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>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

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. 

By MATT PIKEAmong 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

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

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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759143619646.jpeg" alt=" A lawsuit filed in Cole County Circuit Court Friday challenges a state law that could bring property tax caps to 97 Missouri counties (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> A lawsuit filed in Cole County Circuit Court Friday challenges a state law that could bring property tax caps to 97 Missouri counties (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>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</h2>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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757444658128.png" alt="Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors / Map by Anna Sago " />
 <figcaption>Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors / Map by Anna Sago </figcaption>
 </figure>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.Highlights of the Missouri First Map:<ul>
 <li>Splits fewer counties and municipalities than the current map.</li><li>Preserves two congressional districts as currently drawn.</li><li>Retains every current member of Missouri’s congressional delegation in their current districts.</li>
 </ul>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

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;

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;

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;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759061969764.png" alt="Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins official portrait" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins official portrait</figcaption>
 </figure>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:<ul>
 <li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and</li><li>miscarriages;</li><li>Ensure women’s safety during abortions;</li><li>Ensure parental consent for minors;</li><li>Amend Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allowing abortions for</li><li>medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest; and</li><li>Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li>
 </ul>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.

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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758967351907.png" alt=" Missouri Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger speaks at a Saint Louis University PRiME Center conference Thursday on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger speaks at a Saint Louis University PRiME Center conference Thursday on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>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>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.”

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