Missouri Statehouse

St. Louis Public Radio is adding to its coverage of the Missouri Legislature by launching a Statehouse reporting internship in partnership with the River City Journalism Fund.

Near Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday, the Missouri governor and top general of the Missouri National Guard touted the bill, which funds the deployment for 200 troops and 22 highway patrol officers.

Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher and his allies complained for weeks that the ethics investigation into his alleged misconduct was dragging out unnecessarily. But, it turns out the delay may have been the Speaker himself.

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.

Plocher’s hold on his speakership remains tenuous and his campaign for lieutenant governor is now considered a longshot. His top legislative staff are gone, either fired or resigned in the wake of the scandals. But the impact of the ethics probe is playing out in more subtle ways in the Missouri House.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced a plan Tuesday to add 200 Missouri National Guard members and 22 state highway patrol troopers to the 250 guardsmen already deployed to southern border by next month.

House leaders decided not to take up the legislation just days after a deadly shooting in Kansas City.

In the wake of Wednesday’s mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs parade, lawmakers say they feel helpless to do anything about firearms or the high homicide rate. That's in large part because Missouri preempts local governments from enacting gun control measures.

The two Missouri legislators who called for Plocher to resign from his position as speaker were, until last week, the only Republicans without any of their bills referred to committee.

As amendments aimed at legalizing abortion in cases of rape or incest were voted down, one Republican state senator defended the decision saying, ‘God does not make mistakes.’