BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The effort would repeal the 41-page constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in 2022.

A coalition of Missouri hemp business leaders and advocates formally filed four initiative petitions Tuesday that would ask voters to allow marijuana and intoxicating hemp products to be sold in the same stores as alcohol and tobacco.

The goal of the effort, led by Kansas-City-based hemp business American Shaman, is to repeal the 41-page constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in 2022.&nbsp;

Each version of the proposed initiative petition would replace the marijuana legalization amendment with language that instructs Missouri lawmakers to create regulations that are “no more burdensome than what we already have for alcohol and tobacco,” said Eapen Thampy, a longtime hemp lobbyist.

“Marijuana and hemp are one plant,” Thampy said in an interview Tuesday. “They should be regulated in the same way. It should be a free, fair and regulated market.”

The effort is being organized under a new political action committee called&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C253534#gsc.tab=0" target="_blank">Missourians for a Single Market</a>.

The four petitions differ slightly, but they each would take out criminal offenses for possessing too much marijuana. They’d also retain the current taxes on the products for at least the next 10 years, and allow businesses to obtain licenses to sell the products through a similar process as they do with alcohol and tobacco products.&nbsp;

Currently marijuana facility licenses are limited and highly regulated, but businesses don’t need a license to sell intoxicating hemp products — despite numerous legislative attempts to outright ban them.&nbsp;

“Legislative efforts to ban hemp products allow the illegal market to flourish,” said Gary Wiegert, a retired St. Louis City police sergeant, in the group’s Tuesday press release announcing the initiative petition campaign. “Regulating these products and preserving legal access to the market ensures public safety by allowing business owners to serve the consumer market instead.”

In many ways, it’s the latest showdown between the marijuana industry, which has operated legally in Missouri since 2018 but is still outlawed federally,&nbsp; and the hemp industry, whose products were legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill.

At the end of the day, what’s the difference between intoxicating hemp products and intoxicating marijuana products?

Hemp and marijuana are essentially terms the government uses to distinguish between the part of the cannabis plant that has high amounts of THC, or their psychoactive component.

Any part of the plant containing 0.3% or less THC by dry weight is defined as hemp. And that’s why in 2018 Congress removed hemp and hemp seeds from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s schedule of controlled substances as part of the Farm Bill.

Cannabis buds – or what the industry calls “flower” – must be smoked or heated to release Delta-9 THC that produces a high.&nbsp;

So eating most raw cannabis flower shouldn’t get someone high.

There is a growing legal argument that marijuana sold in dispensaries that doesn’t contain .3% Delta-9 THC before it’s smoked or heated is actually hemp.

Currently, a number of Missouri cannabis events – where people are selling weed outside of dispensaries – are operating under this interpretation of the federal definition.

The initiative petitions filed Tuesday support this interpretation.&nbsp;

The effort also aims to regulate products, such as edibles, beverages and vapes, that are currently being sold in gas stations and stores without any testing or tracking requirements. The lack of state regulation has led some&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/14/war-between-intoxicating-hemp-and-marijuana-industries-resumes-in-st-louis/">municipal governments</a>&nbsp;to try and find a way to regulate them through city health departments.&nbsp;

“Our position is that marijuana legalization has always been not about getting ‘high’ but to end prohibition against one of the most beneficial plants on earth,” said Tim Gilio, founder of the Missouri Marijuana Legalization Movement. “Our goal is to open up a free and open market to all and prevent a monopoly from encroaching on any benefits of the cannabis plant.”

However, Andrew Mullins, executive director for the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, told The Independent in June that the idea is a “bait and switch.”&nbsp;

The state’s regulated marijuana industry, he said, generated $241 million in state and local tax revenues last year alone and is regarded as one of the most successful marijuana programs in the country, citing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/missouri-cannabis-market-business-34dd47ad?mod=e2tw&amp;gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAi6PE3BQERvbb-fuJyCT3TUHPqzyDmZaOBA7z2p4IrJNE448pqQQlOJuYZuLnI%3D&amp;gaa_sig=589hKhzJJ83VibbJThKqws5L0tFMC4cfGLVI7iP9s6rCqnTgzMAFY3xKdfW3eaoC4-voDJHOVTTiObvrNWiHgw%3D%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68507e7e" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal article</a>. At a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/05/missouri-cannabis-sales-remain-steady-as-new-products-emerge/">marijuana industry conference&nbsp;</a>last week, company leaders agreed that limited licenses for dispensaries and grow facilities was key to Missouri’s success.&nbsp;

Voters have twice voted for cannabis regulation, Mullins said in June, and any effort to roll back those constitutional protections would be a “spectacular failure.”

“Missourians aren’t about to take hundreds of millions away from local communities, veterans and our justice system, all in hopes that politicians will eventually replace it with something down the road,” Mullins said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Thampy said that tax revenue wouldn’t go away. The taxable market would increase by about a third, he said, “meaning tens of millions in new revenue for public defenders, substance abuse prevention, and the Missouri Veterans Commission.”

The petitions were filed with the Missouri Secretary of State on Tuesday afternoon. The group aims to get enough signatures by May to appear on the November 2026 ballot.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757500072567.png" alt="Hemp-derived THC beverages like these Mighty Kind THC seltzers can be found at Total Wine and other large liquor stores throughout Missouri (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Hemp-derived THC beverages like these Mighty Kind THC seltzers can be found at Total Wine and other large liquor stores throughout Missouri (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>The effort would repeal the 41-page constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in 2022.</h2>A coalition of Missouri hemp business leaders and advocates formally filed four initiative petitions Tuesday that would ask voters to allow marijuana and intoxicating hemp products to be sold in the same stores as alcohol and tobacco.The goal of the effort, led by Kansas-City-based hemp business American Shaman, is to repeal the 41-page constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in 2022.&nbsp;Each version of the proposed initiative petition would replace the marijuana legalization amendment with language that instructs Missouri lawmakers to create regulations that are “no more burdensome than what we already have for alcohol and tobacco,” said Eapen Thampy, a longtime hemp lobbyist.“Marijuana and hemp are one plant,” Thampy said in an interview Tuesday. “They should be regulated in the same way. It should be a free, fair and regulated market.”The effort is being organized under a new political action committee called&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C253534#gsc.tab=0" target="_blank">Missourians for a Single Market</a>.The four petitions differ slightly, but they each would take out criminal offenses for possessing too much marijuana. They’d also retain the current taxes on the products for at least the next 10 years, and allow businesses to obtain licenses to sell the products through a similar process as they do with alcohol and tobacco products.&nbsp;Currently marijuana facility licenses are limited and highly regulated, but businesses don’t need a license to sell intoxicating hemp products — despite numerous legislative attempts to outright ban them.&nbsp;“Legislative efforts to ban hemp products allow the illegal market to flourish,” said Gary Wiegert, a retired St. Louis City police sergeant, in the group’s Tuesday press release announcing the initiative petition campaign. “Regulating these products and preserving legal access to the market ensures public safety by allowing business owners to serve the consumer market instead.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757500035317.png" alt="Hemp lobbyist Eapen Thampy and Deb Nash of Canna Answers filed four initiative petitions on hemp and marijuana regulations on Tuesday with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office in Jefferson City (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Hemp lobbyist Eapen Thampy and Deb Nash of Canna Answers filed four initiative petitions on hemp and marijuana regulations on Tuesday with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office in Jefferson City (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>In many ways, it’s the latest showdown between the marijuana industry, which has operated legally in Missouri since 2018 but is still outlawed federally,&nbsp; and the hemp industry, whose products were legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill.At the end of the day, what’s the difference between intoxicating hemp products and intoxicating marijuana products?Hemp and marijuana are essentially terms the government uses to distinguish between the part of the cannabis plant that has high amounts of THC, or their psychoactive component.Any part of the plant containing 0.3% or less THC by dry weight is defined as hemp. And that’s why in 2018 Congress removed hemp and hemp seeds from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s schedule of controlled substances as part of the Farm Bill.Cannabis buds – or what the industry calls “flower” – must be smoked or heated to release Delta-9 THC that produces a high.&nbsp;So eating most raw cannabis flower shouldn’t get someone high.There is a growing legal argument that marijuana sold in dispensaries that doesn’t contain .3% Delta-9 THC before it’s smoked or heated is actually hemp.Currently, a number of Missouri cannabis events – where people are selling weed outside of dispensaries – are operating under this interpretation of the federal definition.The initiative petitions filed Tuesday support this interpretation.&nbsp;The effort also aims to regulate products, such as edibles, beverages and vapes, that are currently being sold in gas stations and stores without any testing or tracking requirements. The lack of state regulation has led some&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/14/war-between-intoxicating-hemp-and-marijuana-industries-resumes-in-st-louis/">municipal governments</a>&nbsp;to try and find a way to regulate them through city health departments.&nbsp;“Our position is that marijuana legalization has always been not about getting ‘high’ but to end prohibition against one of the most beneficial plants on earth,” said Tim Gilio, founder of the Missouri Marijuana Legalization Movement. “Our goal is to open up a free and open market to all and prevent a monopoly from encroaching on any benefits of the cannabis plant.”However, Andrew Mullins, executive director for the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, told The Independent in June that the idea is a “bait and switch.”&nbsp;The state’s regulated marijuana industry, he said, generated $241 million in state and local tax revenues last year alone and is regarded as one of the most successful marijuana programs in the country, citing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/missouri-cannabis-market-business-34dd47ad?mod=e2tw&amp;gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAi6PE3BQERvbb-fuJyCT3TUHPqzyDmZaOBA7z2p4IrJNE448pqQQlOJuYZuLnI%3D&amp;gaa_sig=589hKhzJJ83VibbJThKqws5L0tFMC4cfGLVI7iP9s6rCqnTgzMAFY3xKdfW3eaoC4-voDJHOVTTiObvrNWiHgw%3D%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68507e7e" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal article</a>. At a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/05/missouri-cannabis-sales-remain-steady-as-new-products-emerge/">marijuana industry conference&nbsp;</a>last week, company leaders agreed that limited licenses for dispensaries and grow facilities was key to Missouri’s success.&nbsp;Voters have twice voted for cannabis regulation, Mullins said in June, and any effort to roll back those constitutional protections would be a “spectacular failure.”“Missourians aren’t about to take hundreds of millions away from local communities, veterans and our justice system, all in hopes that politicians will eventually replace it with something down the road,” Mullins said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thampy said that tax revenue wouldn’t go away. The taxable market would increase by about a third, he said, “meaning tens of millions in new revenue for public defenders, substance abuse prevention, and the Missouri Veterans Commission.”The petitions were filed with the Missouri Secretary of State on Tuesday afternoon. The group aims to get enough signatures by May to appear on the November 2026 ballot.&nbsp;

New initiative petition would regulate Missouri marijuana, hemp products the same as alcohol

Both bills now head to the Missouri Senate, where Democrats are expected to use the filibuster and other procedural maneuvers to gum up legislative business as much as possible

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

Bills creating a gerrymandered congressional map and making it virtually impossible to change the state constitution through the initiative petition process are on their way to the Missouri Senate.

The Missouri House gave final approval to both proposals Tuesday after two days of contentious debate.&nbsp;

Gov. Mike Kehoe called the legislature back into session after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">weeks of pressure from the President Donald Trump&nbsp;</a>for GOP-run states to redraw congressional districts to ensure more Republican seats before next year’s midterm elections.&nbsp;

In Missouri, the effort targeted the 5th District, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, by carving it up and dispersing its voters into three districts that give Republicans an electoral advantage in seven of the state’s eight congressional districts.&nbsp;

“This is a superior map,” said state Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Noel Republican sponsoring the proposed new congressional map. “It better represents the state of Missouri.”

In addition to the gerrymandered map, Republicans also took aim at the citizen initiative petition process. The House approved a plan Tuesday that would require constitutional amendments put on the ballot by Missouri voters to attain both a simple majority statewide and a majority in all eight congressional districts in order to pass.&nbsp;

Based on last year’s election results, that change would mean&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/04/as-few-as-5-of-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-gop-legislation/">as few as 5% of voters could defeat any ballot measure</a>. The proposal would also ban foreign contributions to initiative petition campaigns, something that is already illegal.&nbsp;

If it passes the Senate, the issue would go on the statewide ballot in 2026 and require a simple majority to approve.&nbsp;

State Rep. Ed Lewis, a Moberly Republican, said amending the state constitution has become too easy and has been dominated by out-of-state interests. His proposal, he said, would address both of those issues.&nbsp;

“There should be a broad consensus across the state to amend the constitution,” he said.&nbsp;

Democrats denounced both of the proposals as a power grab by the Republican supermajority and a&nbsp;Trump-inspired assault on democracy.&nbsp;

“The Missouri GOP is aiding and abetting the systematic destruction of our democracy by an authoritarian regime led by geriatric conman who knows the only way he can win is to cheat,” said House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat.

GOP state Rep. Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve was one of the few Republicans who voted against both measures, saying this week’s special session proves that the only thing that matters in the Missouri Capitol is “political power.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not ethics,” he said. “It’s not morality. It’s definitely not liberty. It’s just political power.”

If Democrats were in charge, Wolfin, said, he’s sure they would do the same thing. But that doesn’t justify what Republicans are doing.

“There’s certainly nothing conservative about ignoring the moral implications of our actions,” he said. “Morality is not defined by what is legal. Morality is not defined by what you can get away with.”

Revising congressional district lines occurs every 10 years, after the allocation of seats following the federal census. The Missouri Constitution mandates it but is silent on whether lawmakers have the power to do so at other times.&nbsp;

Democrats argue it is unconstitutional to draw another map before the next census is complete.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-04/naacp-sues-missouri-republicans-unconstitutional-gerrymander-kansas-city" target="_blank">Missouri NAACP filed a lawsuit last week</a>&nbsp;in Cole County arguing the governor’s decision to call a special session was unconstitutional. Cleaver has also&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/rep-emanuel-cleaver-promises-lawsuit-if-missouri-republicans-gerrymander-his-district/">promised to go to court</a>&nbsp;to challenge any gerrymandered map lawmakers approve.

But Republicans say critics are misreading the constitution and are confident the new map would survive a legal challenge.&nbsp;

“The constitution is clear that we can alter districts as we desire at any point at any point,” Deaton said.&nbsp;

Legislators were elected to represent the people, Deaton said, and if a majority of legislators vote in support of the map “that’s representative democracy.”

The new map does not include an emergency clause that would have made it go into effect upon Kehoe’s signature. That means opponents of the map will have 90s days after it is signed into law to collect signatures to force a statewide vote.&nbsp;

St. Louis Public Radio reported Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2025-09-08/missouri-redistricting-opponents-referendum" target="_blank">the Missouri AFL-CIO is considering whether to launch a petition drive</a>&nbsp;to force a referendum vote. If enough signatures are gathered before the law takes effect, it would be held in abeyance until after the vote.

That strategy was last deployed in 2018, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/07/politics/missouri-right-to-work-vote" target="_blank">labor unions collected more than 300,000 signatures in 90 days</a>&nbsp;— more than three times the amount needed — to put a question on the statewide ballot repealing a GOP-backed right-to-work law.&nbsp;

The repeal push was ultimately successful, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/08/08/636568530/missouri-blocks-right-to-work-law" target="_blank">67% of voters rejecting the right-to-work law</a>.&nbsp;

In fact, of the 27 times a referendum has been placed on the ballot, voters have rejected actions by the General Assembly all but twice.

Missouri is<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/initiative-and-referendum-processes" target="_blank">&nbsp;one of 24 states</a>&nbsp;that allows citizen initiative petitions. They can be used to either amend the constitution or change state law, though the path to successfully doing so is often&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/05/missouri-abortion-2024-initiative-petition-ballot/">arduous and expensive</a>, requiring tens of thousands of signatures to even land on the ballot.&nbsp;

Missourians in recent years have used the initiative petition process to legalize abortion and recreational marijuana use, as well expand Medicaid eligibility.&nbsp;

In November, the abortion-rights amendment passed with just shy of 52% of the vote driven by large support from the state’s urban, more-populated areas. Voters in all but eight of Missouri’s 115 counties opposed the amendment.

Lewis argued Tuesday that the process is dominated by liberal, out-of-state organizations who are pushing partisan amendments that would be impossible to pass through the Republican-dominated legislature.&nbsp;

“Do you want partisan things going into the constitution,” Lewis said, “or do we want something that a broad consensus of all Missourians could support.”

State Rep. Martin Jacobs, a Democrat from Liberty, questioned why the process should be changed to allow a fraction of voters to sink an initiative petition, arguing it violates the principle of one person, one vote.&nbsp;

“Voters in one district can override voters of every other district,” Jacobs said.&nbsp;

Based on last year’s general election, where 2,960,266 votes were cast for governor and only 311,915 in the 1st District, under the proposed change only 156,000 voters could defeat ballot question — or just shy of 5.3% of the statewide vote.

The GOP-backed legislation “rigs the system,” said Democratic state Rep. Kathey Steinhoof of Columbia, “and I assure you all Missourians on both sides of the aisle are tired of the system being rigged.”

Both bills now head to the Missouri Senate, where Democrats are expected to use the filibuster and other procedural maneuvers to gum up legislative business as much as possible.&nbsp;

In order to overcome the gridlock, Senate Republicans may once again have to break a filibuster and force a vote by turning to a rule that was previously rarely-used but got deployed twice during the regular legislative session in May.&nbsp;

Doing so would create even more bad blood in a legislative chamber already teetering on the edge of full on partisan collapse. It could also upend the 2026 session before it even gets started.&nbsp;

Republican leaders in the Senate are determined to push both measures across the finish line.&nbsp;

“The map and the initiative petition reform measures will strike a huge blow to progressives and their efforts to turn Missouri into California,” Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cindy.olaughlin/posts/pfbid037UKuVtbBEUmy8c1NQ8FPzChj5zeVoFpxBfC9DonvRBiZChHTzgYdQkiG9JdDRJcZl" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>. “We are not California. We are not progressives.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757444832621.png" alt="House Speaker Jon Patterson presides over the final day of the 2025 legislative session on May 15 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Jon Patterson presides over the final day of the 2025 legislative session on May 15 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Both bills now head to the Missouri Senate, where Democrats are expected to use the filibuster and other procedural maneuvers to gum up legislative business as much as possible</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Bills creating a gerrymandered congressional map and making it virtually impossible to change the state constitution through the initiative petition process are on their way to the Missouri Senate.The Missouri House gave final approval to both proposals Tuesday after two days of contentious debate.&nbsp;Gov. Mike Kehoe called the legislature back into session after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">weeks of pressure from the President Donald Trump&nbsp;</a>for GOP-run states to redraw congressional districts to ensure more Republican seats before next year’s midterm elections.&nbsp;In Missouri, the effort targeted the 5th District, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, by carving it up and dispersing its voters into three districts that give Republicans an electoral advantage in seven of the state’s eight congressional districts.&nbsp;“This is a superior map,” said state Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Noel Republican sponsoring the proposed new congressional map. “It better represents the state of Missouri.”In addition to the gerrymandered map, Republicans also took aim at the citizen initiative petition process. The House approved a plan Tuesday that would require constitutional amendments put on the ballot by Missouri voters to attain both a simple majority statewide and a majority in all eight congressional districts in order to pass.&nbsp;Based on last year’s election results, that change would mean&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/04/as-few-as-5-of-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-gop-legislation/">as few as 5% of voters could defeat any ballot measure</a>. The proposal would also ban foreign contributions to initiative petition campaigns, something that is already illegal.&nbsp;If it passes the Senate, the issue would go on the statewide ballot in 2026 and require a simple majority to approve.&nbsp;State Rep. Ed Lewis, a Moberly Republican, said amending the state constitution has become too easy and has been dominated by out-of-state interests. His proposal, he said, would address both of those issues.&nbsp;“There should be a broad consensus across the state to amend the constitution,” he said.&nbsp;Democrats denounced both of the proposals as a power grab by the Republican supermajority and a&nbsp;Trump-inspired assault on democracy.&nbsp;“The Missouri GOP is aiding and abetting the systematic destruction of our democracy by an authoritarian regime led by geriatric conman who knows the only way he can win is to cheat,” said House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat.GOP state Rep. Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve was one of the few Republicans who voted against both measures, saying this week’s special session proves that the only thing that matters in the Missouri Capitol is “political power.”“Unfortunately, it’s not ethics,” he said. “It’s not morality. It’s definitely not liberty. It’s just political power.”If Democrats were in charge, Wolfin, said, he’s sure they would do the same thing. But that doesn’t justify what Republicans are doing.“There’s certainly nothing conservative about ignoring the moral implications of our actions,” he said. “Morality is not defined by what is legal. Morality is not defined by what you can get away with.”<h2>Gerrymandering</h2>Revising congressional district lines occurs every 10 years, after the allocation of seats following the federal census. The Missouri Constitution mandates it but is silent on whether lawmakers have the power to do so at other times.&nbsp;Democrats argue it is unconstitutional to draw another map before the next census is complete.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-04/naacp-sues-missouri-republicans-unconstitutional-gerrymander-kansas-city" target="_blank">Missouri NAACP filed a lawsuit last week</a>&nbsp;in Cole County arguing the governor’s decision to call a special session was unconstitutional. Cleaver has also&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/rep-emanuel-cleaver-promises-lawsuit-if-missouri-republicans-gerrymander-his-district/">promised to go to court</a>&nbsp;to challenge any gerrymandered map lawmakers approve.But Republicans say critics are misreading the constitution and are confident the new map would survive a legal challenge.&nbsp;“The constitution is clear that we can alter districts as we desire at any point at any point,” Deaton said.&nbsp;Legislators were elected to represent the people, Deaton said, and if a majority of legislators vote in support of the map “that’s representative democracy.”<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>The new map does not include an emergency clause that would have made it go into effect upon Kehoe’s signature. That means opponents of the map will have 90s days after it is signed into law to collect signatures to force a statewide vote.&nbsp;St. Louis Public Radio reported Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2025-09-08/missouri-redistricting-opponents-referendum" target="_blank">the Missouri AFL-CIO is considering whether to launch a petition drive</a>&nbsp;to force a referendum vote. If enough signatures are gathered before the law takes effect, it would be held in abeyance until after the vote.That strategy was last deployed in 2018, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/07/politics/missouri-right-to-work-vote" target="_blank">labor unions collected more than 300,000 signatures in 90 days</a>&nbsp;— more than three times the amount needed — to put a question on the statewide ballot repealing a GOP-backed right-to-work law.&nbsp;The repeal push was ultimately successful, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/08/08/636568530/missouri-blocks-right-to-work-law" target="_blank">67% of voters rejecting the right-to-work law</a>.&nbsp;In fact, of the 27 times a referendum has been placed on the ballot, voters have rejected actions by the General Assembly all but twice.<h2>Constitutional amendments</h2>Missouri is<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/initiative-and-referendum-processes" target="_blank">&nbsp;one of 24 states</a>&nbsp;that allows citizen initiative petitions. They can be used to either amend the constitution or change state law, though the path to successfully doing so is often&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/05/missouri-abortion-2024-initiative-petition-ballot/">arduous and expensive</a>, requiring tens of thousands of signatures to even land on the ballot.&nbsp;Missourians in recent years have used the initiative petition process to legalize abortion and recreational marijuana use, as well expand Medicaid eligibility.&nbsp;In November, the abortion-rights amendment passed with just shy of 52% of the vote driven by large support from the state’s urban, more-populated areas. Voters in all but eight of Missouri’s 115 counties opposed the amendment.Lewis argued Tuesday that the process is dominated by liberal, out-of-state organizations who are pushing partisan amendments that would be impossible to pass through the Republican-dominated legislature.&nbsp;“Do you want partisan things going into the constitution,” Lewis said, “or do we want something that a broad consensus of all Missourians could support.”State Rep. Martin Jacobs, a Democrat from Liberty, questioned why the process should be changed to allow a fraction of voters to sink an initiative petition, arguing it violates the principle of one person, one vote.&nbsp;“Voters in one district can override voters of every other district,” Jacobs said.&nbsp;Based on last year’s general election, where 2,960,266 votes were cast for governor and only 311,915 in the 1st District, under the proposed change only 156,000 voters could defeat ballot question — or just shy of 5.3% of the statewide vote.The GOP-backed legislation “rigs the system,” said Democratic state Rep. Kathey Steinhoof of Columbia, “and I assure you all Missourians on both sides of the aisle are tired of the system being rigged.”<h2>On to the Senate</h2>Both bills now head to the Missouri Senate, where Democrats are expected to use the filibuster and other procedural maneuvers to gum up legislative business as much as possible.&nbsp;In order to overcome the gridlock, Senate Republicans may once again have to break a filibuster and force a vote by turning to a rule that was previously rarely-used but got deployed twice during the regular legislative session in May.&nbsp;Doing so would create even more bad blood in a legislative chamber already teetering on the edge of full on partisan collapse. It could also upend the 2026 session before it even gets started.&nbsp;Republican leaders in the Senate are determined to push both measures across the finish line.&nbsp;“The map and the initiative petition reform measures will strike a huge blow to progressives and their efforts to turn Missouri into California,” Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cindy.olaughlin/posts/pfbid037UKuVtbBEUmy8c1NQ8FPzChj5zeVoFpxBfC9DonvRBiZChHTzgYdQkiG9JdDRJcZl" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>. “We are not California. We are not progressives.”

Missouri House passes GOP-friendly congressional map, limits on initiative petitions

ATCHISON COUNTY —Two teens were injured in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Monday in Atchison.

According to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson, a 2001 Lexus passenger car driven by Haylee Roles, 16, Atchison, was westbound at a high rate of speed in the 1300 Block of Commercial Street in Atchison.

She lost control of the vehicle.&nbsp; The car traveled off the roadway, struck a concrete retaining wall on the north side of the street and then struck concrete steps and a metal railing.&nbsp; The vehicle then overturned and landed on its top on Commercial Street. Both the driver and a 15-year-old male passenger were ejected from the vehicle. 

EMS transported both to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757429344392.png" alt="Photo Atchison Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Atchison Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Two teens were injured in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Monday in Atchison.According to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson, a 2001 Lexus passenger car driven by Haylee Roles, 16, Atchison, was westbound at a high rate of speed in the 1300 Block of Commercial Street in Atchison.She lost control of the vehicle.&nbsp; The car traveled off the roadway, struck a concrete retaining wall on the north side of the street and then struck concrete steps and a metal railing.&nbsp; The vehicle then overturned and landed on its top on Commercial Street. Both the driver and a 15-year-old male passenger were ejected from the vehicle. EMS transported both to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph.

2 teens hospitalized in St. Joe after ejected in rollover crash

Republicans defended the proposal as one crafted in Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office, while Democrats accused them of ‘pandering’ to President Trump to protect him from investigations&nbsp;

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>

The Missouri House on Monday moved the new congressional district map&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/21/missouri-gop-leader-says-lawmakers-will-start-with-a-congressional-map-drawn-in-d-c/">demanded by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;one step closer to passing.

The only drama during the more than four hours of debate was whether any Republicans would vote against the revisions intended to give the GOP safe seats in seven of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.&nbsp;

When the vote came to give preliminary approval to the new map, 12 of the chamber’s 107 Republicans — including House Speaker Jon Patterson of Lee’s Summit — voted against it, along with all Democrats present. The vote was 89-63, setting&nbsp; up a final vote Tuesday that will send the bill to the state Senate.

Once the debate began, state Rep. Dirk Deaton, the Republican from Noel who is sponsoring the new map, said the legislation is an attempt to “improve” the redistricting plan approved at the end of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/05/14/battle-lines-remain-fixed-in-missouri-senate-republican-factional-fights-as-session-ends/">tumultuous debates in 2022</a>.&nbsp;

Deaton denied that the map was designed in the White House and given to lawmakers to pass.

“This map came from the governor’s office, and it was written at the governor’s direction by the staff,” he said.

Under questioning from state Rep. Jo Doll, a Democrat from St. Louis, Deaton said redistricting was not an issue in the regular session earlier this year because there was no consensus, no “groundswell of support” to work on redistricting during the regular legislative session.

Doll responded by accusing Republicans of manipulating the electoral process for one reason — because Trump demanded it.

“This is nothing more than the Republican Party pandering to Donald Trump and his agenda,” Doll said. “We all heard the directive. We’re not stupid over here, we know where this came from. And it’s not the governor’s office.”

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City, said at a news conference before the debate that she expected most Republicans who oppose the bill to remain silent.

“It’s what they do day in and day out in this building,” Aune said. “It is exhausting to watch, but it is their normal, and I’m certain that it will happen again.”

Gov. Mike Kehoe called the special session after weeks of speculation following a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/24/weve-already-done-that-missouri-lawmakers-show-little-enthusiasm-for-new-congressional-maps/">report in late July</a>&nbsp;that Trump wanted Missouri to redraw districts so the GOP could take the 5th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City.&nbsp;

Texas lawmakers were already meeting to find Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/04/texas-legislature-adjourns-special-session-sine-die/" target="_blank">five additional seats</a>&nbsp;in the 34-member delegation from that state. California has followed suit, putting a new map on the ballot for November intended to&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/09/california-gop-proposition-50-campaign/" target="_blank">shift five seats to Democrats</a>.

With those large states cancelling each other out, the fight has moved to smaller states like Missouri. With a 219-212 majority in the 435-seat House of Representatives — four seats are vacant, including three previously held by Democrats — Republicans are worried that a small shift in voter sentiment could put them again in the minority.

Revising congressional district lines occurs every 10 years, after the allocation of seats following the federal census. The state Constitution mandates it but is silent on whether lawmakers have the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++45&amp;bid=31801&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">power to do so at other times</a>.&nbsp;

Democrats seem resigned to losing the initial battle in the legislative chambers, but hold out hope for defeating the measure in court or at the ballot box.

The lack of clear authority for mid-term redistricting, as well as procedural questions in the special session, are ripe for the courts to decide, Aune said.

“It’s unconstitutional from the start to the finish,” she said during the news conference.

Cleaver has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/rep-emanuel-cleaver-promises-lawsuit-if-missouri-republicans-gerrymander-his-district/">vowed to sue</a>&nbsp;if lawmakers pass a new map.&nbsp;

Deaton also defended the map as constitutional, arguing that Democrats’ warnings they will sue would be doomed to failure.

“There’s no evidence to support this,” Deaton said. “There’s nothing to back this up, just ‘this is unconstitutional.’”

The bill was given first-round approval without an emergency clause that would make it effective with Kehoe’s signature. If the bill is passed as expected, opponents would have 90 days to gather signatures to force a statewide vote on the bill.

<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2025-09-08/missouri-redistricting-opponents-referendum" target="_blank">St. Louis Public Radio reported Monday</a>&nbsp;that the Missouri AFL-CIO is considering whether to launch a petition drive to force a referendum vote. If enough signatures are gathered before the law takes effect, it would be held in abeyance until after the vote.

The bill makes many changes to the current districts to bring enough Republican voters into the 5th District to flip it to the GOP and distribute Democratic votes to dilute their impact on other districts.

The 5th District does see the most substantial changes. Previously encompassing nearly all of Kansas City, the district now only includes the city’s east side, then stretches east to encompass Jefferson City all the way to Phelps County. It also includes the northern portion of Boone County, but not the Democrat-leaning areas of Columbia.&nbsp;

The 5th District also picks up six counties from the 3rd District — Cole, Cooper, Howard, Maries, Moniteau and Miller counties as well as Morgan County from the 4th District.

The 4th and 6th Districts are where the Kansas City voters who previously all lived in the 5th will be moved.&nbsp;

The 4th District loses parts of Columbia, along with Sedalia and Warrensburg to the 5th District in order to pick up downtown Kansas City. It is represented by Republican Mark Alford.&nbsp;

The 6th District runs across the entire northern half of the state, picking up a piece of Kansas City north of the Missouri River.&nbsp;

Two districts would be untouched — the 7th District in southwest Missouri and 8th District in southeast Missouri, both represented by Republicans. It only tinkers with the 1st District, based in St. Louis and represented by Democrat Wesley Bell.

Other changes made on the east side of the state would swap voters between the 2nd and 3rd districts.&nbsp;

The 2nd District, represented by Republican Ann Wagner, moves south of the Missouri River, taking in southern St. Louis suburbs along with Gasconade,&nbsp; Crawford, Jefferson and Washington counties.&nbsp;

The 3rd District, represented by Republican Bob Onder, takes over all of St. Charles and Warren counties, adding Audrain, Lincoln, Monroe, Pike and Ralls counties as it stretches north to Hannabil and encompasses nearly all of Columbia.

As Aune predicted, there were few Republicans willing to buck the party majority to oppose the bill.

State Rep. Marty Joe Murray, a Democrat from St. Louis, said Republicans had told him in whispers that they didn’t believe in the bill.“Why aren’t they here, saying that on the microphone?” he said.

Several GOP members had said, when the idea was first being floated, that they&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/24/weve-already-done-that-missouri-lawmakers-show-little-enthusiasm-for-new-congressional-maps/">didn’t want to go through redistricting again</a>. Only one Republican spoke against it on the floor.

State Rep. Tony Harbison, a Republican from Arcadia, said he’s concerned about senior centers in his district being able to provide meals and property taxes that are forcing people out of their homes.

“Our plate is full of things that need to be done for the people of this state,” Harbison said, “and this ain’t one of them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757419606073.png" alt=" State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, speaks during a Jan. 30 news conference with House Speaker Jon Patterson. Deaton is sponsoring the new congressional district map being debated in a special session. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)" />
 <figcaption> State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, speaks during a Jan. 30 news conference with House Speaker Jon Patterson. Deaton is sponsoring the new congressional district map being debated in a special session. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Republicans defended the proposal as one crafted in Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office, while Democrats accused them of ‘pandering’ to President Trump to protect him from investigations&nbsp;</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>The Missouri House on Monday moved the new congressional district map&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/21/missouri-gop-leader-says-lawmakers-will-start-with-a-congressional-map-drawn-in-d-c/">demanded by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;one step closer to passing.The only drama during the more than four hours of debate was whether any Republicans would vote against the revisions intended to give the GOP safe seats in seven of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.&nbsp;When the vote came to give preliminary approval to the new map, 12 of the chamber’s 107 Republicans — including House Speaker Jon Patterson of Lee’s Summit — voted against it, along with all Democrats present. The vote was 89-63, setting&nbsp; up a final vote Tuesday that will send the bill to the state Senate.Once the debate began, state Rep. Dirk Deaton, the Republican from Noel who is sponsoring the new map, said the legislation is an attempt to “improve” the redistricting plan approved at the end of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/05/14/battle-lines-remain-fixed-in-missouri-senate-republican-factional-fights-as-session-ends/">tumultuous debates in 2022</a>.&nbsp;Deaton denied that the map was designed in the White House and given to lawmakers to pass.“This map came from the governor’s office, and it was written at the governor’s direction by the staff,” he said.Under questioning from state Rep. Jo Doll, a Democrat from St. Louis, Deaton said redistricting was not an issue in the regular session earlier this year because there was no consensus, no “groundswell of support” to work on redistricting during the regular legislative session.Doll responded by accusing Republicans of manipulating the electoral process for one reason — because Trump demanded it.“This is nothing more than the Republican Party pandering to Donald Trump and his agenda,” Doll said. “We all heard the directive. We’re not stupid over here, we know where this came from. And it’s not the governor’s office.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757419546755.png" alt="House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, speaks to reporters Monday prior to the House’s session (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, speaks to reporters Monday prior to the House’s session (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City, said at a news conference before the debate that she expected most Republicans who oppose the bill to remain silent.“It’s what they do day in and day out in this building,” Aune said. “It is exhausting to watch, but it is their normal, and I’m certain that it will happen again.”Gov. Mike Kehoe called the special session after weeks of speculation following a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/24/weve-already-done-that-missouri-lawmakers-show-little-enthusiasm-for-new-congressional-maps/">report in late July</a>&nbsp;that Trump wanted Missouri to redraw districts so the GOP could take the 5th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City.&nbsp;Texas lawmakers were already meeting to find Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/04/texas-legislature-adjourns-special-session-sine-die/" target="_blank">five additional seats</a>&nbsp;in the 34-member delegation from that state. California has followed suit, putting a new map on the ballot for November intended to&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/09/california-gop-proposition-50-campaign/" target="_blank">shift five seats to Democrats</a>.With those large states cancelling each other out, the fight has moved to smaller states like Missouri. With a 219-212 majority in the 435-seat House of Representatives — four seats are vacant, including three previously held by Democrats — Republicans are worried that a small shift in voter sentiment could put them again in the minority.Revising congressional district lines occurs every 10 years, after the allocation of seats following the federal census. The state Constitution mandates it but is silent on whether lawmakers have the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++45&amp;bid=31801&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">power to do so at other times</a>.&nbsp;Democrats seem resigned to losing the initial battle in the legislative chambers, but hold out hope for defeating the measure in court or at the ballot box.The lack of clear authority for mid-term redistricting, as well as procedural questions in the special session, are ripe for the courts to decide, Aune said.“It’s unconstitutional from the start to the finish,” she said during the news conference.Cleaver has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/rep-emanuel-cleaver-promises-lawsuit-if-missouri-republicans-gerrymander-his-district/">vowed to sue</a>&nbsp;if lawmakers pass a new map.&nbsp;Deaton also defended the map as constitutional, arguing that Democrats’ warnings they will sue would be doomed to failure.“There’s no evidence to support this,” Deaton said. “There’s nothing to back this up, just ‘this is unconstitutional.’”The bill was given first-round approval without an emergency clause that would make it effective with Kehoe’s signature. If the bill is passed as expected, opponents would have 90 days to gather signatures to force a statewide vote on the bill.<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2025-09-08/missouri-redistricting-opponents-referendum" target="_blank">St. Louis Public Radio reported Monday</a>&nbsp;that the Missouri AFL-CIO is considering whether to launch a petition drive to force a referendum vote. If enough signatures are gathered before the law takes effect, it would be held in abeyance until after the vote.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757068115039.png" alt="Missouri Republicans are pushing to enact this map to revise congressional district lines in a special session. The GOP’s goal is to win the 5th District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat (Screenshot from Missouri House website)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Republicans are pushing to enact this map to revise congressional district lines in a special session. The GOP’s goal is to win the 5th District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat (Screenshot from Missouri House website).</figcaption>
 </figure>The bill makes many changes to the current districts to bring enough Republican voters into the 5th District to flip it to the GOP and distribute Democratic votes to dilute their impact on other districts.The 5th District does see the most substantial changes. Previously encompassing nearly all of Kansas City, the district now only includes the city’s east side, then stretches east to encompass Jefferson City all the way to Phelps County. It also includes the northern portion of Boone County, but not the Democrat-leaning areas of Columbia.&nbsp;The 5th District also picks up six counties from the 3rd District — Cole, Cooper, Howard, Maries, Moniteau and Miller counties as well as Morgan County from the 4th District.The 4th and 6th Districts are where the Kansas City voters who previously all lived in the 5th will be moved.&nbsp;The 4th District loses parts of Columbia, along with Sedalia and Warrensburg to the 5th District in order to pick up downtown Kansas City. It is represented by Republican Mark Alford.&nbsp;The 6th District runs across the entire northern half of the state, picking up a piece of Kansas City north of the Missouri River.&nbsp;Two districts would be untouched — the 7th District in southwest Missouri and 8th District in southeast Missouri, both represented by Republicans. It only tinkers with the 1st District, based in St. Louis and represented by Democrat Wesley Bell.Other changes made on the east side of the state would swap voters between the 2nd and 3rd districts.&nbsp;The 2nd District, represented by Republican Ann Wagner, moves south of the Missouri River, taking in southern St. Louis suburbs along with Gasconade,&nbsp; Crawford, Jefferson and Washington counties.&nbsp;The 3rd District, represented by Republican Bob Onder, takes over all of St. Charles and Warren counties, adding Audrain, Lincoln, Monroe, Pike and Ralls counties as it stretches north to Hannabil and encompasses nearly all of Columbia.As Aune predicted, there were few Republicans willing to buck the party majority to oppose the bill.State Rep. Marty Joe Murray, a Democrat from St. Louis, said Republicans had told him in whispers that they didn’t believe in the bill.“Why aren’t they here, saying that on the microphone?” he said.Several GOP members had said, when the idea was first being floated, that they&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/24/weve-already-done-that-missouri-lawmakers-show-little-enthusiasm-for-new-congressional-maps/">didn’t want to go through redistricting again</a>. Only one Republican spoke against it on the floor.State Rep. Tony Harbison, a Republican from Arcadia, said he’s concerned about senior centers in his district being able to provide meals and property taxes that are forcing people out of their homes.“Our plate is full of things that need to be done for the people of this state,” Harbison said, “and this ain’t one of them.”

Plan to gerrymander congressional districts advances in Missouri House

NODAWAY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Monday in Nodaway County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Cadillac Escalade driven by a 26-year-old Forrest City woman was eastbound on Route A and Eagle Road one half miles west of Graham. The SUV rear-ended a 2018 Dodge Journey driven by a 74-year-old Graham woman who was slowing to a right turn.

Nodaway County EMS transported the 74-year-old to Fairfax Community Hospital.&nbsp; The SUV driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

NODAWAY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Monday in Nodaway County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Cadillac Escalade driven by a 26-year-old Forrest City woman was eastbound on Route A and Eagle Road one half miles west of Graham. The SUV rear-ended a 2018 Dodge Journey driven by a 74-year-old Graham woman who was slowing to a right turn.Nodaway County EMS transported the 74-year-old to Fairfax Community Hospital.&nbsp; The SUV driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. woman hospitalized after rear-end crash

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a weekend manhunt in northeast Kansas.

Just after noon on Sept. 5, a sheriff's&nbsp;deputy on routine patrol in the vicinity of U.S. 36&nbsp; near Bittersweet,&nbsp; was alerted of a stolen vehicle out of Wisconsin, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

The deputy attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle and a short chase ensued.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled southout of Fairview and&nbsp; ended up in a soybean field just east of the Sac andFox Casino on Coyote between 130th and 140th Road.&nbsp;

 At this point the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle Dustin Hampton 40 of Prairie DuChein, Wisconsin, ran from the vehicle.&nbsp;

Several tracking dogs were brought in and located Hampton approximately 3/4 mile east of where his original location. No injuries were reported and once Hampton was located, he complied without incident.

The vehicle Hampton was driving, a 1983 Datsun pickup, had been reported stolen out of Rice, Wisconsin. Hampton is in custody on requested charges of Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Damage to Property, Felony Flee to Elude and Obstruction.

With the tall crops the search was very difficult and without&nbsp; a joint effort that included a Kansas Highway Patrol helicopter, other KHP troopers, Jackson County Sheriff deputies, Sabetha police, Hiawatha police, Horton police, Kickapoo and Sac and Fox police, Hiawatha Town and Country he may have eluded arrest.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757329643145.png" alt="Hampton photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Hampton photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a weekend manhunt in northeast Kansas.Just after noon on Sept. 5, a sheriff's&nbsp;deputy on routine patrol in the vicinity of U.S. 36&nbsp; near Bittersweet,&nbsp; was alerted of a stolen vehicle out of Wisconsin, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.The deputy attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle and a short chase ensued.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled southout of Fairview and&nbsp; ended up in a soybean field just east of the Sac andFox Casino on Coyote between 130th and 140th Road.&nbsp; At this point the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle Dustin Hampton 40 of Prairie DuChein, Wisconsin, ran from the vehicle.&nbsp;Several tracking dogs were brought in and located Hampton approximately 3/4 mile east of where his original location. No injuries were reported and once Hampton was located, he complied without incident.The vehicle Hampton was driving, a 1983 Datsun pickup, had been reported stolen out of Rice, Wisconsin. Hampton is in custody on requested charges of Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Damage to Property, Felony Flee to Elude and Obstruction.With the tall crops the search was very difficult and without&nbsp; a joint effort that included a Kansas Highway Patrol helicopter, other KHP troopers, Jackson County Sheriff deputies, Sabetha police, Hiawatha police, Horton police, Kickapoo and Sac and Fox police, Hiawatha Town and Country he may have eluded arrest.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Sheriff: Pickup theft suspect captured hiding in tall Kansas crops

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —The search for a a driver and vehicle after a pursuit in Leavenworth County.

Just after noon Sunday, Leavenworth County Sheriff Deputies attempted to stop a dark gray Jeep whose driver was identified as having a felony county warrant, according to a media release from the Basehor, Kansas Police Department.

The Jeep failed to stop which resulted in a pursuit.The pursuit entered Basehor on southbound 155th Street. Leavenworth Sheriff's Deputies requested Basehor Police assistance for the use of Stop Sticks. 

Basehor Police responded to 155th and Leavenworth Road. However, there was no opportunity to deploy the sticks. After a brief time in Basehor, the Jeep left Basehor northbound on 155th Street. 

Shortly after leaving Basehor, Sheriff Deputies lost sight of the Jeep. A black Dodge Challenger was reported to the sheriff's office associated with the Jeep. The Challenger was located by Kansas Highway Patrol at 155th Street and Parallel Road and was disabled at 155th Street and Chestnut by KHP which used their grappler technology. 

The driver was found to be associated with the suspect in the Jeep. The driver was interviewed by deputies. The driver was not injured and there was no reported damage to the car. The Challenger was not involved in the initial pursuit and the driver was released by the sheriff after providing information about the suspect in the Jeep. 

Law enforement are still looking for the Jeep has not been located. No officer with the Basehor Police Department was involved in the pursuit other than providing traffic control after KHP disabled the Challenger.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —The search for a a driver and vehicle after a pursuit in Leavenworth County.Just after noon Sunday, Leavenworth County Sheriff Deputies attempted to stop a dark gray Jeep whose driver was identified as having a felony county warrant, according to a media release from the Basehor, Kansas Police Department.The Jeep failed to stop which resulted in a pursuit.The pursuit entered Basehor on southbound 155th Street. Leavenworth Sheriff's Deputies requested Basehor Police assistance for the use of Stop Sticks. Basehor Police responded to 155th and Leavenworth Road. However, there was no opportunity to deploy the sticks. After a brief time in Basehor, the Jeep left Basehor northbound on 155th Street. Shortly after leaving Basehor, Sheriff Deputies lost sight of the Jeep. A black Dodge Challenger was reported to the sheriff's office associated with the Jeep. The Challenger was located by Kansas Highway Patrol at 155th Street and Parallel Road and was disabled at 155th Street and Chestnut by KHP which used their grappler technology. The driver was found to be associated with the suspect in the Jeep. The driver was interviewed by deputies. The driver was not injured and there was no reported damage to the car. The Challenger was not involved in the initial pursuit and the driver was released by the sheriff after providing information about the suspect in the Jeep. Law enforement are still looking for the Jeep has not been located. No officer with the Basehor Police Department was involved in the pursuit other than providing traffic control after KHP disabled the Challenger.

Police pursuit ends with vehicle disabled by Kansas Highway Patrol

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by a 72-year-old St. Joseph man was southbound on State Route K one mile south of Amazonia.&nbsp; The motorcycle traveled off the west side of the road, struck a fallen tree, overturned and the driver was ejected.&nbsp;

Andrew County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by a 72-year-old St. Joseph man was southbound on State Route K one mile south of Amazonia.&nbsp; The motorcycle traveled off the west side of the road, struck a fallen tree, overturned and the driver was ejected.&nbsp;Andrew County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

St. Joseph man injured after motorcycle strikes a tree

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop in rural Brown County.

Just after 9p.m. September 4, a sheriff's&nbsp; deputy was on routine patrol on U.S. 75 Highway when he encountered a vehicle with only one operating headlight, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

The deputy made contact with the driver, 38-year-old&nbsp; Josiah Williams from Topeka. It was discovered that his drivers license had been revoked.&nbsp; 

The passenger of the vehicle 31-year-old Paige Keefe of Omaha had a $500 Failure to Appear Warrant out of Ford County Kansas.&nbsp; K-9 Carla alerted on the vehicle and cocaine, a scale, baggies and other items of interest were located and taken as evidence.&nbsp;

Three children were also present at the time of stop.

Williams was arrested on requested charges of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, Distribution of a Stimulant, Possession of Stimulant, No Drug Tax Stamp, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Keefe was arrested on charges of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, Possession of Stimulant and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757107746300.png" alt="Williams photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop in rural Brown County.Just after 9p.m. September 4, a sheriff's&nbsp; deputy was on routine patrol on U.S. 75 Highway when he encountered a vehicle with only one operating headlight, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757107719719.png" alt="Keefe photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Keefe photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>The deputy made contact with the driver, 38-year-old&nbsp; Josiah Williams from Topeka. It was discovered that his drivers license had been revoked.&nbsp; The passenger of the vehicle 31-year-old Paige Keefe of Omaha had a $500 Failure to Appear Warrant out of Ford County Kansas.&nbsp; K-9 Carla alerted on the vehicle and cocaine, a scale, baggies and other items of interest were located and taken as evidence.&nbsp;Three children were also present at the time of stop.Williams was arrested on requested charges of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, Distribution of a Stimulant, Possession of Stimulant, No Drug Tax Stamp, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Keefe was arrested on charges of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, Possession of Stimulant and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Couple accused of selling cocaine had kids in the car

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30a.m. Saturday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Kia Teluride driven by a 28-year-old Plattsmouth, Nebraska man was northbound on Route O ten miles north of Blythedale. The SUV was traveling too fast for conditions. The vehicle crossed the center of the road, traveled off the west side of the road, struck some trees and continued down an embankment.

North Missouri EMS transported the driver to Liberty 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 before 2:30a.m. Saturday in Harrison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Kia Teluride driven by a 28-year-old Plattsmouth, Nebraska man was northbound on Route O ten miles north of Blythedale. The SUV was traveling too fast for conditions. The vehicle crossed the center of the road, traveled off the west side of the road, struck some trees and continued down an embankment.North Missouri EMS transported the driver to Liberty Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Driver hospitalized after SUV strikes trees

CALDWELL COUNTY— One person was injured in an accident just after 2a.m. Saturday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Lincoln Navigator driven by a 27-year-old Braymer woman was southbound on SE Sunnyvale Road at SE Tobin Valley Drive. The SUV crossed the T intersection, traveled down an embankment and struck some trees.

Caldwell County ambulance transported the driver to Hedrick Medical Center. The patrol did not report seat belt usage details and they no longer releases names of accident victims.

CALDWELL COUNTY— One person was injured in an accident just after 2a.m. Saturday in Caldwell County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Lincoln Navigator driven by a 27-year-old Braymer woman was southbound on SE Sunnyvale Road at SE Tobin Valley Drive. The SUV crossed the T intersection, traveled down an embankment and struck some trees.Caldwell County ambulance transported the driver to Hedrick Medical Center. The patrol did not report seat belt usage details and they no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman injured after SUV crash down an embankment

Retailers in others states have offered steep discounts that threaten market stability, analysts explained at the MJ Unpacked cannabis conference in St. Louis.

More people are heading to Missouri’s dispensaries to buy cannabis products — and spending more money when they go, according to industry experts who spoke Thursday at the MJ Unpacked cannabis conference in St. Louis.

While dispensaries in other states are offering steep discounts to try and attract customers, Missouri’s prices have remained steady.&nbsp;

“Missouri is viewed as a stronger market than others,” said Kris Walker,&nbsp;president and chief commercial officer at Hoodie Analytics, during a panel discussion on retail data analysis.&nbsp;“There are things happening in Missouri that are causing consumers to not just be shopping on price. When you’re only shopping on price, it becomes a race to the bottom.”

Samuel Soong, chief revenue officer at Grön cannabis edible brand, called Missouri customers “very savvy.”&nbsp;

“They know what they want,” he said. “They’re expecting a lot of value in their purchasing.”

The numbers agree. When the average shopper goes to a Missouri dispensary, they end up spending about $65, with the average price per item being $24.60, according to data compiled by Hoodie. That’s above the national average of $61 and $18.41.&nbsp;

In Colorado and New Mexico, the average item price is about $11.&nbsp;

The most popular item in Missouri is still traditional marijuana buds, or what the industry simply calls “flower.” However, the item that’s seen the most growth in the last year — both in Missouri and nationwide — is pre-rolled joints.&nbsp;

A year ago, 48% of every transaction included flower, and today it’s 43%. Walker said that’s largely due to customers buying more pre-rolled joints, which are often infused with concentrated cannabis oil.&nbsp;They’re designed for people who want a more potent and longer-lasting high than what traditional flower offers.&nbsp;

“It’s a convenient form factor,” said Krista Raymer, chief strategy officer at C3 Industries that operates High Profile cannabis dispensaries. “It’s great for the customer.”

Raymer said in some other states, the growth of pre-rolled joints has brought challenges because it meant that customers are spending less.

“Fundamentally, they are purchasing less brands per transaction,” she said. “Missouri pre-roll prices are holding a little bit differently than maybe what we’ve seen in other markets, but it is something that we pay attention to, a lot.”

Throughout the country, Missouri is still considered a “shining star,” Walker said.&nbsp;

John Mueller, co-founder and CEO at Greenlight, believes the regulatory environment is a big part of the state’s success, particularly because the industry was able to write its own laws.

“If you can write your own rules and ballot initiative and it’s in the constitution, that’s like your best line of defense,” Mueller said.&nbsp;

Every year, industry lobbyists work to kill any legislation that attempts to “control our business,” he said.&nbsp;

“Just let us do business, stay out of our way, we keep paying the veterans, everything’s good here,” Mueller said. “I go around talking in the other states we operate, I think we’ve set a gold standard here.”

He also points to the limited number of licenses.&nbsp;

“Limited licenses is the whole key to any market,” he said. “We won’t go into a market unless there’s a set number.”&nbsp;

Walker said that Missouri also has “disciplined operators.”&nbsp;

“If you’ve got a discipline operator who knows they’re running a business for profit and growth and long-term brand building, you make different decisions than, ‘Oh my God, the guy across the street just dropped his price by 30%. I should do it too,’” he said. “That is an undisciplined choice that unfortunately has very significant consequences.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757073586655.png" alt=" At the MJ Unpacked cannabis conference in St. Louis Thursday, Krista Raymer of C3 Industries, Sam Soong of Grön, and John Mueller of Greenlight speak about retail market trends in Missouri’s cannabis market (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> At the MJ Unpacked cannabis conference in St. Louis Thursday, Krista Raymer of C3 Industries, Sam Soong of Grön, and John Mueller of Greenlight speak about retail market trends in Missouri’s cannabis market (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Retailers in others states have offered steep discounts that threaten market stability, analysts explained at the MJ Unpacked cannabis conference in St. Louis.</h2>More people are heading to Missouri’s dispensaries to buy cannabis products — and spending more money when they go, according to industry experts who spoke Thursday at the MJ Unpacked cannabis conference in St. Louis.While dispensaries in other states are offering steep discounts to try and attract customers, Missouri’s prices have remained steady.&nbsp;“Missouri is viewed as a stronger market than others,” said Kris Walker,&nbsp;president and chief commercial officer at Hoodie Analytics, during a panel discussion on retail data analysis.&nbsp;“There are things happening in Missouri that are causing consumers to not just be shopping on price. When you’re only shopping on price, it becomes a race to the bottom.”Samuel Soong, chief revenue officer at Grön cannabis edible brand, called Missouri customers “very savvy.”&nbsp;“They know what they want,” he said. “They’re expecting a lot of value in their purchasing.”The numbers agree. When the average shopper goes to a Missouri dispensary, they end up spending about $65, with the average price per item being $24.60, according to data compiled by Hoodie. That’s above the national average of $61 and $18.41.&nbsp;In Colorado and New Mexico, the average item price is about $11.&nbsp;The most popular item in Missouri is still traditional marijuana buds, or what the industry simply calls “flower.” However, the item that’s seen the most growth in the last year — both in Missouri and nationwide — is pre-rolled joints.&nbsp;A year ago, 48% of every transaction included flower, and today it’s 43%. Walker said that’s largely due to customers buying more pre-rolled joints, which are often infused with concentrated cannabis oil.&nbsp;They’re designed for people who want a more potent and longer-lasting high than what traditional flower offers.&nbsp;“It’s a convenient form factor,” said Krista Raymer, chief strategy officer at C3 Industries that operates High Profile cannabis dispensaries. “It’s great for the customer.”Raymer said in some other states, the growth of pre-rolled joints has brought challenges because it meant that customers are spending less.“Fundamentally, they are purchasing less brands per transaction,” she said. “Missouri pre-roll prices are holding a little bit differently than maybe what we’ve seen in other markets, but it is something that we pay attention to, a lot.”Throughout the country, Missouri is still considered a “shining star,” Walker said.&nbsp;John Mueller, co-founder and CEO at Greenlight, believes the regulatory environment is a big part of the state’s success, particularly because the industry was able to write its own laws.“If you can write your own rules and ballot initiative and it’s in the constitution, that’s like your best line of defense,” Mueller said.&nbsp;Every year, industry lobbyists work to kill any legislation that attempts to “control our business,” he said.&nbsp;“Just let us do business, stay out of our way, we keep paying the veterans, everything’s good here,” Mueller said. “I go around talking in the other states we operate, I think we’ve set a gold standard here.”He also points to the limited number of licenses.&nbsp;“Limited licenses is the whole key to any market,” he said. “We won’t go into a market unless there’s a set number.”&nbsp;Walker said that Missouri also has “disciplined operators.”&nbsp;“If you’ve got a discipline operator who knows they’re running a business for profit and growth and long-term brand building, you make different decisions than, ‘Oh my God, the guy across the street just dropped his price by 30%. I should do it too,’” he said. “That is an undisciplined choice that unfortunately has very significant consequences.”

Missouri cannabis sales remain steady as new products emerge

MERCER COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Thursday in Mercer County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Focus driven by an 18-year-old Mercer woman was southbound on U.S. 65 three miles north of Princeton. The car struck a deer.

A priate vehicle transported the driver to Wayne County Hospital. She was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

MERCER COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Thursday in Mercer County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Focus driven by an 18-year-old Mercer woman was southbound on U.S. 65 three miles north of Princeton. The car struck a deer.A priate vehicle transported the driver to Wayne County Hospital. She was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. teen hospitalized after car strikes a deer

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement continue to search for a suspect wanted for criminal activity in northeast Kansas.

Just before 1a.m. Sept. 1, a sheriff's deputy initiated a traffic stop&nbsp; in the vicinity of U.S. 36 Highway and Hopi Drive in Hiawatha, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

 The passenger of the vehicle, Joshua Heideman from the traffic stop. Deputies arrested the driver 65-year-old Leonard Bindel of Hiawatha on requested&nbsp; charges of Flee and Attempt to Elude and Drive While License Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked.

Heideman is described as a 38-year-old  white male,  6-foot tall and he weighs approximately 230 pounds.&nbsp; He is wanted for a variety of criminal activity in Brown and Jackson County, accoring to Merchant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756995493636.png" alt="Bindel photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Bindel photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement continue to search for a suspect wanted for criminal activity in northeast Kansas.Just before 1a.m. Sept. 1, a sheriff's deputy initiated a traffic stop&nbsp; in the vicinity of U.S. 36 Highway and Hopi Drive in Hiawatha, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant. The passenger of the vehicle, Joshua Heideman from the traffic stop. Deputies arrested the driver 65-year-old Leonard Bindel of Hiawatha on requested&nbsp; charges of Flee and Attempt to Elude and Drive While License Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756917615076.png" alt="Heidman photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Heidman photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Heideman is described as a 38-year-old white male, 6-foot tall and he weighs approximately 230 pounds.&nbsp; He is wanted for a variety of criminal activity in Brown and Jackson County, accoring to Merchant.

Local