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Missouri Politics

Despite sports betting bump from World Cup, Missouri sees second-lowest monthly total in taxable revenue

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri schools are finally starting to see money from the state’s sports betting industry, which was legalized in December. According to Liz Hoffman of the Missouri Gaming Commission, $1.084 million was transferred to the Sports Wagering Education Fund on June 9, marking the first distribution to education since sports betting was legalized.

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‘Respect Missouri Voters’ rallies in Jefferson City days after Hoskins rejected ballot initiative

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Respect Missouri Voters held a rally on Friday at the Missouri Secretary of State Office this afternoon. The rally comes after Secretary of State Denny Hoskins decided on Tuesday to reject the group’s proposed constitutional amendment from appearing on the November ballot. The group filed a lawsuit on Thursday in an

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Secretary of state declares referendum on congressional map ‘insufficient’; lawsuit filed challenges claim

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said Tuesday that a citizen-led referendum challenging a Republican-friendly map passed by the state legislature is “insufficient.” Hoskins made the announcement at a news conference in Jefferson City about an hour before his deadline to certify the petition challenging the “Missouri First” congressional map. Hoskins said

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Amendment 4 would lessen penalties for petition signature fraud

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Voters are set to head to the polls and decide on Amendment 4, which would require approval of citizen-led petitions in every congressional district, prohibit foreign contributions and penalize petition fraud. Part of the proposed amendment would explicitly define the constitutional crime of petition signature fraud, covering actions like signature forgery, submitting

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DBRL responds to Brattin’s Sunshine request; senator upset with length of time to complete

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Daniel Boone Regional Library has responded to state Sen. Rick Brattin’s Sunshine Law request. Brattin (R-Harrisonville) had filed a request earlier this week surrounding an LGBTQ+-themed event that was held on Saturday. The Columbia Public Library held a “Rainbow Storytime” event on Saturday that included readings of “Rainbowsaurus” and “Big Wig.” Secretary

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Growing concerns over Flock cameras in Columbia mirror national debate over surveillance technology

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Growing concerns over the use of Flock Safety cameras in Columbia are part of a larger national debate over privacy, data sharing and the expanding use of artificial intelligence in law enforcement. Two University of Missouri students brought those concerns to the Columbia City Council on July 20, questioning what information the

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Missouri Senate candidate goes on attack with AI ads

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Political campaigns, like Republican state Senate candidate Rudy Veit’s, are using artificial intelligence in their political advertisements to get their message across and/or to disparage opponents. This week, Veit’s campaign launched advertisements using AI against another candidate, Jake Vogel. Both men are seeking the Republican nomination in Missouri’s Senate District 6, where

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Columbia files response to airport revenue guarantee lawsuit, says it does not violate Missouri Constitution

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia filed a response on Monday in a lawsuit over its revenue guarantee with American Airlines. Two Columbia residents — Mark Winter and Richard Shanker – filed a lawsuit against the city in June alleging the city’s revenue guarantee with American Airlines violates the gift clause of the Missouri

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Republican state senator, secretary of state compare Columbia library’s ‘Rainbow Story Time’ to sexual grooming

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) State Sen. Rick Brattin and Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said at a news conference that an LGBTQ+-themed event held last weekend at the Columbia Public Library included “grooming” of children. The Republican politicians are pushing for an investigation into an event called “Rainbow Story Time” that was held Saturday at

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