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Fentanyl test strips will finally be legal in Kansas. Here’s why that matters.

Kansans will soon be able to use fentanyl test strips without fear of being prosecuted after Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 174 earlier this month, a measure that addiction experts hope will prevent deaths from accidental fentanyl poisoning.  “By decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, we are helping Kansans protect themselves from a deadly poison that…

How Missouri gun laws could change now that the 2023 session is over

Throughout 2023, Missourians witnessed a number of tragic instances of gun violence that led many to question what Missouri gun laws are actually in place to prevent mounting gun deaths in the state.  The answer? Not many. Missouri has some of the loosest gun laws in the nation, and it has preemption laws in place…

2023 Kansas legislative session: What passed, what didn’t, what was vetoed

Kansas lawmakers concluded this year’s legislative session last Friday after a three-day flurry of veto overrides and finalizing budgets for both public schools and the state, but without passing any of the tax relief policies each party wanted at the start of the session.  Neither did Gov. Laura Kelly achieve the major priorities she laid…

What rules and regulations about gender-affirming care could mean for the future of medical care in Missouri

Editor’s note (May 16, 2023): This story has been updated to reflect that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey rescinded his order regarding gender-affirming care for adults and minors in Missouri. Editor’s note (May 10, 2023): This story has been updated to reflect the Missouri General Assembly’s passage of a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors…

The Missouri Senate wants to make it harder to pass citizen-led initiative petitions

The Missouri Senate on Thursday passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would increase the amount of voter support needed for constitutional amendments proposed by citizens to become part of the state constitution.   The Republican-led measure, which would require voter approval before it is put into place, passed with a party-line vote of 24-10. It is…

Missouri libraries dodge GOP funding strike — for now

Library professionals across Missouri have spent months pushing back against actions being taken in Jefferson City. And while one immediate funding threat has eased, librarians are still working to inform Missourians about a political landscape that has become newly hostile. Despite a torrent of objections from across the state, libraries in Missouri that want to…

Missouri’s “Stand Your Ground” law could play a role after the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the charges issued by Clay County prosecutors on Monday evening. On Monday, Clay County prosecutors announced charges against 84-year-old Andrew Lester, a white man accused in the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl. The teenager, who is Black, had knocked on Lester’s door Thursday night after he…

Missouri’s Sunshine Law turns 50 this year. Some lawmakers want to exclude more records from public view

Lori Curry didn’t set out to become an advocate for transparent government when she started using Missouri’s Sunshine Law to request records about a loved one who was incarcerated in a state prison.  But now, in her work as executive director of Missouri Prison Reform, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on Missouri prisons, she depends…

“We’re pushing people into a system without any choices”: The state of maternal mortality in Missouri

Correction: An earlier version of this story misattributed a statement about abortion politics and maternal mortality to KC Women’s Ministry executive director Kristen Mason. The KC Women’s Ministry is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and takes no stance on access to abortion. Kristen Mason knows that the months during pregnancy and after childbirth can be difficult,…

Is support for legal medical marijuana in Kansas coming in 2023?

Recreational marijuana is legal to the west in Colorado and to the east in Missouri. Medical marijuana is legal to the south in Oklahoma. But Kansas remains one of three states where possession for any purpose remains illegal — despite the fact that nearly 90 percent of Americans support legal use for at least medical…

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