Kansas City Beacon

Health experts say that MO HealthNet covering dental exams is a significant step in Missouri's effort to improve dental access — and to boost overall health beyond cavities, molars and gums.

The amendment would open the way for the General Assembly to exempt child care businesses from property taxes in response to a chronic shortage.

Missouri prisons can house offenders in county jails after they’re convicted for a cost. But, counties say they’re spending more than what the state pays.

STAR bonds, or sales tax and revenue bonds, pay for tourist attractions and then use the sales taxes collected at those attractions to pay off the construction debt.

The new summer EBT program will give an extra $120 to eligible school-age kids. But, families in Missouri and Kansas probably won’t get the money until late summer or fall.

This year’s Missouri General Assembly session was defined by fighting among factions in the Republican Party amid campaigns for other offices ahead of the November general election. It resulted in a recent low for passing legislation. Most laws are still waiting a signature or veto from Gov. Mike Parson.

Republican-led statehouses, like Missouri’s, increasingly limit what rules municipalities can adopt — typically shutting down more progressive policies on issues like minimum wage and housing.

Missouri counties told state lawmakers that they needed more information when it comes to putting the freeze in place. Some revisions were made this year, but some lawmakers contend that it will take a third try to get the program right.

The Missouri House advanced a bill that would prevent pregnant inmates in their third trimester from being restrained, except under extraordinary circumstances. The bill would also create certain health care requirements for pregnant inmates and reverse the prohibition on nonviolent drug offenders receiving SNAP benefits.

Missouri is one of 19 states that has banned gender-affirming care for minors. The state has proven to be ripe for laws limiting transgender rights, which are often engineered by a network of out-of-state conservative advocacy groups.