JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri House of Representatives passed a $47.9 billion state budget on Thursday. The budget features $8 billion for K-12 education, including more than $4 billion in core funding for schools. House Republican leaders touted the $200 million increase in funding for this year over last year, one of the largest
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Municipal elections in Missouri are April 8, and one of the roles up for grabs is the mayoral seat in Columbia. Incumbent Barbara Buffaloe is running for reelection, while challengers Blair Murphy, Tanya Heath and write-in candidate Lucio Bitoy take a shot at the seat. View an interview ABC 17 News reporter
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) President Donald Trump is set to escalate his trade dispute with Canada, announcing a 25% tariff on auto imports that will take effect Wednesday — a move that could significantly impact Missouri. Canada is Missouri’s largest trade partner. The Show-Me State imports goods such as transportation equipment and primary manufactures from Canada,
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Gun violence prevention activists gathered at the Missouri Capitol on Tuesday to call for action on gun safety. Volunteers from the Missouri chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action gathered for their annual Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Advocacy Day. “Moms Demand Action is incredibly strong across
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency has received more than 9,000 pages of responses through its Missouri Accountability Portal. Records obtained by ABC 17 News show that in the first 48 days of the portal’s operation, the department received approximately 9,048 responses, with most coming in the first 24 days. Between
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former Mid-Missouri congressman has been confirmed to a seat on the board that governs the University of Missouri. According to a social media post from the University of Missouri System, Blaine Luetkemeyer was confirmed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators by the Missouri Senate. Luetkemeyer, who stepped down from
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Gov. Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 495 on Wednesday morning, focusing on public safety, which has been a top priority for the administration since taking office. A part of this bill will establish a committee dedicated to school safety within the Department of Public Safety. Those who will serve on this
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A hearing was held Tuesday morning by the Senate Education Committee on a proposed bill that would require Missouri school districts and charter schools to display the Ten Commandments in every building and classroom. Senate Bill 594 is sponsored by Sen. Jamie Burger (R-Benton) and would mandate the Ten Commandments to
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The American Postal Service Workers Union held a rally Thursday at the Capitol, calling it “Hands Off Our Public Postal Service.” The rally began at noon inside the Missouri Capitol and was held by Area Local 7065. Other rallies were held across the country, including one in Columbia at the post
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued a cease-and-desist order against Planned Parenthood facilities in the state, prohibiting them from performing medication abortions without an approved complication plan from state health officials. However, Planned Parenthood officials contend they are not currently offering medication abortions and have complied with state requirements. Abortion appointments resumed
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Tom Santulli has not forgotten the early morning of Oct. 19 2021. “We lose sleep all the time about what if Danny had 20 more minutes? What if the paramedics had got there 20 minutes, you know 30 minutes before,” Santulli said. Santulli learned then that his son, Danny Santulli, who was
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Scientists, students, advocates and community members carried signs outside the Missouri Capitol on Friday during the Stand Up for Science rally. According to the rally’s website, the nationwide events were planned to advocate for continued government support for science, defend against censorship and push back on attacks against diversity, equity, inclusion
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sent a letter to the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk on Thursday calling for an immediate investigation into federal funding for the Grain Belt Express project. The project proposes constructing massive transmission lines across Missouri to transport wind-generated energy from Kansas to other states.
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A Missouri lawmaker has filed a bill that would make sweetened drinks and candies unavailable under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called food stamps. SNAP benefits help low-income people — the majority women and children — afford to buy food. The bill mirrors a federal proposal and supporters say it would force families to
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A bill sponsored by Rep. Jamie Gragg (R-Ozark) would prevent Missourians using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from buying soda and candy with their benefits.
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Rep. Adrian Plank (D-Columbia) and Rep Del Taylor (D-St. Louis) are pushing for funding for three infrastructure projects in Boone County The money would be part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ budget. The Subcommittee on Appropriations Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources and Economic Development met Monday afternoon to discuss the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former Mid-Missouri congressman has been appointed to a seat on the board that governs the University of Missouri. Blaine Luetkemeyer, who stepped down from his seat representing Missouri’s Third Congressional District after the November election, has been tapped by Gov. Mike Kehoe to fill a seat on the University of Missouri
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Abortion appointments resumed Monday at Columbia’s Planned Parenthood clinic four months after voters enshrined reproductive rights into the Missouri Constitution. Four patients went to appointments at the clinic Monday, a Planned Parenthood spokesperson said. They were the first abortion appointments at the clinic since 2018. Appointments are also available at the midtown
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Republican members of Missouri’s congressional delegation — including both U.S. senators — are backing President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in their tense confrontation with Ukraine’s leader. Trump and Vance were part of a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday that turned at some points
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Less than a month after launching a portal for residents to submit concerns to the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Jefferson County) is continuing her push for greater government accountability. On Tuesday, Coleman introduced five bills aimed at cutting waste: SB 720 – Requires the
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