Month: June 2025

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe issued a proclamation Monday afternoon recognizing the value of self-directed supports.

The proclamation made the city the first in the state to recognize SDS.

Part of a Medicaid-funded program for Missourians with developmental disabilities, SDS is a service that allows individuals to directly hire their own care staff.

“Rather than putting the decision making in the hands of an agency to send their staff out, they become the employer and can direct their care,” Executive Director of Acumen Fiscal Agent, LLC Laura Brownlee said.

“In Columbia and Boone County, many residents with developmental disabilities rely on Self-Directed Supports to remain in their homes and stay engaged in their communities,” a spokesperson from Acumen said in a press release. “The model puts the individual-not -not an agency-at the center of care decisions.”

Acumen has partnered with the City of Columbia in this effort, the release states.

In 2023, about 3,031 Missourians were using SDS to fund their at-home caregivers, according to the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

People with a developmental disability waiver who live in their own home or with family may choose SDS. It can empower individuals with disabilities, as it gives more choice and control over supports. Without the Medicaid option, some of those individuals would likely require inpatient care.

“Individuals with disabilities, like all Missourians, are entitled to the pursuit of happiness, freedom and self-determination, embodying the spirit of independence and choice,” Buffaloe said.

Brownlee said that by formally acknowledging the impact and importance of self-directed care, Columbia becomes a leader in promoting independence and decision-making for people with disabilities.

“Columbia is a city that’s always led with compassion and inclusivity,” Brownlee said.

The SDS program is overseen by the Missouri Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Acumen and the MDDD told ABC 17 News their hope is that within a year, they will be able to connect with Governor Kehoe and make this a statewide proclamation.

The first-of-its-kind proclamation was delivered inside the Council Chambers of Columbia City Hall at 12:15 p.m. on Monday.

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Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

An 18-month process begins on Monday for the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force appointed by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The 16-member task force, established by Executive Order 25-14, is looking to modernize the state’s K-12 foundation formula and recommend updates to the state’s foundational funding structure.

Missouri’s school funding formula was last updated in 2005, following its earlier versions established in the mid-1970s and revised in the early 1990s.

The current formula is designed to reflect what is considered necessary or adequate to provide a quality education. To determine that amount, the state analyzed spending levels in high-performing districts that met state academic expectations.

Gov. Mike Kehoe kicked off the task force’s inaugural meeting with a few words of appreciation. Kehoe asked them to develop a new formula that would be sustainable long-term and consider funding for non-traditional public schools.

“The current model is just not sustainable,” Kehoe said. “You can have the best intentions, but if you don’t produce results, that’s what the world’s all about. I think the kids going through our school systems need to know that.”

The task force includes educators, economists, business leaders, and nonprofit representatives. Over the next 18 months, they are expected to review data, explore best practices from other states, and conduct stakeholder engagement before submitting recommendations.

Karla Eslinger, Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said during Monday’s meeting that she feels confident that everyone that’s part of the task force has the same end goal.

“I don’t care if it’s a charter. I don’t care if it’s public, I don’t care if it’s ABC School of Wonderful. I don’t care, I just want great schools for all children,” said Eslinger.

A final report is due to the governor by December 1, 2026. The task force will hold its next meeting on June 23.

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri lawmakers reconvened in Jefferson City on Monday for a special legislative session called by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Kehoe called the special session after lawmakers failed to pass several proposals during the regular session. A total of 17 bills were introduced on day one of the special session.

During a press conference, Kehoe emphasized what initiatives he wants the special session to focus on. One top priority is stadium funding to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri.

The Show Me Sports Investment Act would give the state’s professional sports teams access to state funding for stadium projects through new bonds, but only if certain requirements are met.

The project must cost at least $500 million and involve stadiums with more than 30,000 seats. The state could cover up to 50% of the total cost, and eligible teams could also access a tax credit worth up to 10% of their investment.

The state is facing competition from Kansas, which has offered to fund up to 70% of new stadium costs under new tax revenues. The teams have until June 30 to decide whether to extend their leases past 2031 or move to Kansas.

Senator Rick Brattin introduced Senate Bill 10 during the first day of the special session.

The bill would push back on using taxpayer dollars to fund new or renovated stadiums and propose the “no taxation, no donation act.” The proposal would allow Missourians to voluntarily donate toward stadiums, and depending on how much they donate, they would receive perks like free parking.

The measure would also cap food and beer prices at stadiums to avoid price gouging.

Senate President Pro-Tem Cindy O’Laughin said it comes down to the teams’ owners.

“People want to bring the owners into the conversation, but for them it’s a business decision, but for me it boils down to do you want to make an offer that you think is reasonable, do you want to keep the chiefs and royals, then they have to decide,” O’Laughlin said.

Other priorities to be addressed in the special session include assistance for families affected by recent severe storms across the state. Kehoe wants lawmakers to approve a tax deduction for insurance deductibles paid by homeowners repairing damage from this spring’s storms, including a proposed $25 million in emergency housing aid and a $5,000 tax deduction for tornado victims.

Budget appropriations are also a priority during the special session, including funding for the NextGen MURR project — a proposal that failed to pass during the regular legislative session. The original allocation in House Bill 19 included $50 million for the University of Missouri Research Reactor, but Kehoe is now asking for half of that amount.

Stephen Webber (D) Columbia and Minority Floor Leader Doug Beck are both pushing for more funding for MURR.

Webber introduced Senate Bill 12 on Monday, which he said is similar to the house bill that originally called for $500 million in state projects like MURR.

Webber said the bill passed out of the senate with nearly unanimous support from senators in the regular session, and he’s now asking for an increase in funding for MURR.

“I am filing it at $75 million because if there is going to be a $25 million off of deals made in this chamber, I figure we might as well vary it in the other direction,” Webber said.

Other budget appropriations included in House Bill 19 are funding for a mental health facility in Kansas City and livestock barns at the state fairgrounds.

“We’re hoping to get the full amount for the cancer research, we’re hoping to keep the mental health hospital in there, and then we need that relief for the victims. If you’ve been in North City, it’s troublesome we’re not out there with more resources for these folks,’ Beck said.

Governor Kehoe hasn’t given a specific timeline for when he wants lawmakers to wrap things up, but under the law, special sessions can last up to 60 calendar days.

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