FEATURED STORY
Here’s how to file for the KCPS school board special election
Jennifer Wolfsie, the board’s vice chair, encourages people who support public education to become school board candidates.
DIY Democracy: How to be a tax incentives watchdog
From the Power and Light District and midtown Costco to the planned KC Current stadium in the rapidly developing Berkley Riverfront, economic development and tax incentive decisions leave an indelible mark on Kansas City. These decisions help bring jobs, housing and sparkly new arenas, but…
DIY Democracy: How to read a government budget and why you might want to
Do you wonder whether your local government is prioritizing the things that are important to you, like policing, affordable housing, walkability or public health? Official budget documents offer a peek into what elected officials are prioritizing. The budget outlines how much money the city or…
Why is Kansas City’s transit agency involved in housing?
Over the past year, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) has considered tax exemptions for a string of mixed-use housing developments across the city. Among them are an apartment building in Waldo, a downtown high-rise building and two developments coming to midtown — one along…
How committees pull the strings in the Missouri legislature
The Missouri General Assembly is in full swing, and legislators are beginning the arduous process of lawmaking through months of hearings and negotiations in legislative committees. Although bills need approval from majorities in both the House and Senate before they are sent to the governor’s…
Follow the money: Police budget raises a $5.6 million question
Thanks to a statewide vote in November 2022, Kansas City will be required to increase its minimum funding for the Kansas City Police Department from 20% to 25% of the city’s revenues. How will KCPD spend the money? That might not be easy for the…
Missourians on Medicaid should make sure state has their address if they want to keep insurance
About 1.4 million Missourians rely on Medicaid for their family’s health insurance, known in the state as MO HealthNet. They are all at risk of losing their coverage because federal law requires them to reenroll this year. The best way to prevent getting kicked off?…
DIY Democracy: How to follow the Missouri General Assembly
Members of the 2023 Missouri legislature are in Jefferson City to begin the spring legislative session. Much of the work happens behind closed doors, but floor debates, bill hearings and other legislative happenings are easy to tune into online. Lawmakers meet from January to May,…
DIY Democracy: How to follow the Kansas Legislature
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include revisions to the legislature’s website made after this story published, and to add more information sources available to the public. When the 2023 Kansas Legislature convenes on Jan. 9, lawmakers will begin writing, revising and debating…
Decoding the language of Kansas City’s tax incentives: Key terms to know
Kansas City is known far and wide for its use of tax incentives. Researchers have studied the use of incentives to move development projects back and forth across the state line as part of the “border war” between Kansas and Missouri. Many local landmarks, including…
The informal workings of Kansas City’s state-appointed police board
Kansas City’s Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday carried out one of its highest-profile responsibilities when members announced they had chosen police Maj. Stacey Graves as the new chief of police. The hiring of Graves, the first woman to lead the department on a non-interim…
Landlord ignoring your complaint? Here’s how to get your apartment fixed.
As temperatures dip in the winter months, safe homes become all the more critical. Broken furnaces, moldy ceilings and crossed wires all endanger residents who are spending more time indoors. For tenants, problems in their units can be a source of anxiety, especially if their…
How to get involved with a charter school board
Like traditional school districts, charter schools have different policies and procedures regarding transparency and the ease with which the public can access information.
How to get involved with your local school board in 2022
Under open records laws in Missouri and Kansas, school districts must open their meetings to the public unless they’re discussing specific protected topics. But policies for accessing meeting recordings and signing up to make a public comment can vary from district to district or even…
Here’s how Kansas City, Kansas, schools design their budget and how you can weigh in
The KCKPS school board is intensifying its work on the 2022-23 budget as summer approaches. But dealing with the budget is a year-round process that involves the state of Kansas, the federal government and input from the public.
Know your rights: How to make sure a child with disabilities can access education
An appropriate public education can look different for each child, and parents have a huge role to play in determining which services their child may need.
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