Author: KMIZ

Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A committee in the Missouri state House of Representatives heard the governor’s income-tax elimination bill and public comment on Wednesday.

Income-tax revenue makes up about two-thirds of the state’s revenue. The general assembly needs to find a way to replace money from the income tax, and Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe proposed expanding the sales tax to include services.

The policy is receiving a lot of attention from Republicans, including Speaker of the House Jonathon Patterson (R-Lees Summit), who introduced the bill to the commerce committee.

Many Republicans who support eliminating the income tax say it means more money in Missourians’ pockets, which is true. Missourians and people who come to the state could pay more at the register.

“I don’t think it’s a wash because it gives you your money, you hard-earned money, and lets you keep it, and then it lets you have a choice on how to spend it,” Patterson said.

Patterson and representatives from tourist attracting areas like the Lake of the Ozarks argue that eliminating the income tax makes Missouri more competitive.

However, Democrats argue this would increase the prices of everyday services, especially for senior citizens.

Rep. Pattie Mansur (D-Kansas City) said older adults on Social Security don’t pay income tax, and she’s worried this bill would add expenses that a fixed income can’t afford.

“By eliminating income tax for the state, then we have no choice but to raise sales tax, and we don’t know what that’s going to look like with the bill, that’s not described yet,” Mansur said.

The governor said he was trying not to increase the sales tax rate.

Patterson said the way to combat the sales tax base increase is for local governments to reduce property and personal taxes. The bill language requires this to be done by July 2029, if passed.

The speaker said his bill won’t disrupt public schools, which rely on state funding and local property taxes.

Jason Zamkus, a lobbyist with the Missouri Realtors, testified Wednesday morning in opposition to the bill. He said the bill could force price hikes on services like home inspections, appraisals and title insurance.

“After you layer all those together, it could inflate the housing costs to a Missourian, and potentially price them out of the market,” he said.

The speaker’s bill, House Joint Resolution 174, doesn’t make any changes to the tax rate right away. If passed, the bill would ask voters on November’s ballot if they would want to get rid of income tax, Patterson said. From there, the next general assembly would make a plan to eliminate the income tax.

Committee Chairman Rep. David Casteel (R-High Ridge) said the committee is likely to vote on the bill next week.

Kehoe said in his State of the State Address that income tax elimination is a top priority for this legislative session.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jazsmin Halliburton

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Opening statements wrapped up in the jury trial of a former Cooper County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant charged in the death of an inmate Wednesday.

Robyn Pfeiffer and Rachel Atherton are charged with involuntary manslaughter for their alleged role in the death of Brooke Bailey in the Cooper County Jail in October 2023.

Pfeiffer was a lieutenant at the sheriff’s office and the jail supervisor when Bailey died from untreated diabetes.

Court documents say several jail workers told investigators with the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office that Pfeiffer brushed off Bailey’s complaints of feeling ill, saying the inmate was “playing games.” Bailey was found dead on Oct. 27 in her cell with blood and vomit on the floor and on her clothing.

A medical examiner found Bailey died from diabetic ketoacidosis and low sodium levels.

The prosecution’s opening statement played several phone calls between Bailey and her mother, as she explained the corrections officers were denying her medication and ignoring her pleas for help. In the recording played for the jury, she can be heard telling her mother, “They won’t check my blood sugar…I think they’re laughing… I can’t breathe…I love you, Mom.” The state explained that Bailey’s mother called the jail several times to tell officers that Bailey was diabetic.

The state referred to records made by other corrections officers that Pfeiffer brushed off Bailey’s complaints and showed daily footage from her cell showing her medical decline.

In the defense’s opening statement, Pfeiffer’s attorneys argued when Bailey was booked into the Cooper County Jail, she said she was diabetic when she filled out her medical history. The defense also explained that when Bailey was showing diabetic symptoms two days after her detainment, she allegedly did not complete the medical release form given to her. On the release form, she was asked to provide the name of her doctor, pharmacy, etc., but that information was left blank.

The defense claimed the officers who interacted with Bailey the most during her medical decline were experienced correctional officers who did not need to ask the chain of command for a decision to call for emergency aid.

The defense also questioned why officers working the night Bailey died never checked on her while she was lying on her cell floor motionless for hours.

The probable cause statement states Bailey was originally supposed to spend time at the Missouri Department of Mental Health, but was staying in the Cooper County Jail until a bed became available. The criminal case Bailey had in Cooper County was for a low-level tampering with a motor vehicle charge from 2021.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

The Italians are not happy.

The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday confirmed reports that it would send ICE agents to help bolster security for U.S. officials at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan. The agents will be there purely in a security role, a DHS spokesperson told CNN.

Homeland Security Investigations, a part of ICE, has helped with Olympic security in the past, CNN reported. However, ICE is currently in the spotlight, and the news has left some Italian government officials unhappy.

The mayor of Milan said ICE is “not welcome” in the city for the upcoming Winter Games.

What do you think of ICE agents at the Olympics? Let us know by voting in the poll.

Click here to follow the original article.

Haley Swaino

COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

By Wednesday afternoon, the Cole County Commission will decide if it will ask Hawthorn Bank to pause an upcoming land auction, just 11 days away.

Lawrence Renn Jr. left his 178-acre Elston farmland to become a county park. He created a trust, leasing the land to the county after his death in 2021.

But questions about what the trust says, how much money is available and other issues led the county to withdraw from the trust. The bank then put the land up for a Feb. 7 auction. Renn’s family and friends had one last say in the fight at Tuesday’s commission meeting.

Mark Knapp, one of the beneficiaries of Lawrence and Mary Renn’s trust, was the first to speak to commissioners at the meeting.

“The next step is irreversible,” Knapp said. “A sale on Feb. 7 can’t be undone cleanly after the fact. That’s why we’re asking for a short pause so the county can verify the controlling trust instrument before anything permanent happens.”

With a looming auction date, Knapp and multiple other friends and family members asked for a 60-day pause to sort through and verify trust documents.

“I have the original trust,” Knapp said. “Some of the language that they’re [Hawthorne Bank] using in there isn’t in Junior’s copies.”

He said certain procedures outlined in the trust were not followed.

“They were supposed to have an advisory committee which would have two people outside of the bank and one member from their bank. It’s in the trust, that never happened. The 501(c) was supposed to be set up. Which see all those would make for more accountability,” Knapp said.

The question of how much money is available for the park has been another issue.

“They’ve [Hawthorn Bank] alluded to these guys [commissioners] as if the trust didn’t have very many funds or much money,” Knapp said.

He said he gave commissioners an Edward Jones statement showing the account has more than $3.2 million for the future park.

Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman had told ABC 17 News that the bank told the Cole County Commission the land was a gift and there was only about $15,000-$20,000 available for use. He said they were told the county would have to pay the rest, and taking that much money out of the county parks budget would not be doable.

“The park wasn’t an abstract idea on paper. It was a real gift intended for the citizens of Cole County. The community’s been trying to honor that intent,” Knapp said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We’re not here to attack you guys [commissioners]. We’re here to ask you to help correct the course while you still can.”

Knapp is hopeful the commissioners will get the bank to pause the auction. He said Renn would be disappointed if his county park dream never came to fruition.

“He [Renn] didn’t talk about anything but that park. So it’s really upsetting that they’re [Hawthorn Bank] about to get away with it,” Knapp said.

It all now hangs on what happens at Wednesday morning’s closed Cole County Commission meeting.

Bushman said he will call the Renn family after the meeting to let them know what’s been decided.

Knapp told commissioners they have a duty to uphold as elected officials, and finished his Tuesday speech to commissioners with again asking they initiate a voluntary pause on the sale of the land with the trustee and its agents.

“Long enough for authentication and a clear record,” Knapp said. “If you do that, you’re not taking sides. You’re doing what responsible government does. You protect the public record, you verify the controlling document and you prevent irreversible harm.”

Knapp said that if the sale moves forward, family and friends will come together and file a petition with the court because the trust wasn’t followed and many things in it were left unverified.

Hawthorne Bank had told ABC 17 News it’s worked to exhaust all options, while still maintaining the language in the trust. The bank said the trust was not to be the sole source of funding for the park.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 17-year-old pleaded guilty to a pair of felony counts on Tuesday in relation to a 2024 shooting at a Columbia apartment complex.

Ja’Mez Thompson-Bey, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree assault and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was previously charged with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and single counts of unlawful use of a weapon and armed robbery.

Court documents in previous reporting allege that Thompson-Bey shot at two people in a vehicle on Nov. 23, 2024, at The Links apartment complex after demanding “everything the victims had.” Someone had allegedly fired a shot back at Thompson-Bey, previous reporting shows.

Thompson-Bey allegedly went to an emergency room and gave a fake name to hospital staff, court documents in previous reporting say.

One of the shooting victims identified Thompson-Bey by his first name for police and investigators verified his identity by looking at Instagram, according to the statement.

Previous reporting also shows Thompson-Bey was accused of escaping from a juvenile facility in May 2025.

He is currently being held at the Boone County Jail.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Sedalia man was charged with two felonies on Monday after he allegedly crashed into a law enforcement vehicle and injured an officer.

Leopaldo Leon was charged with driving while intoxication – injuring a law enforcement officer and leaving the scene of an accident. A $15,000 bond was set and an arraignment was held on Tuesday morning.

The probable cause statement says a GMC Yukon was heading northbound and ran through the stop sign on North Osage Avenue at West Broadway Boulevard. The GMC – driven by Leon – hit a patrol vehicle and Leon allegedly drove it away from the scene, the statement says. The officer had bruised/fractured ribs, according to the statement.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report shows a 29-year-old man was brought to Bothwell Regional hospital with minor injuries.

A Sedalia police officer found the GMC outside of a home in the 600 block of Wilkerson Street, the statement says. Leon allegedly claimed he had been in a crash and the officer noted he smelled like intoxicants, the statement says.

Leon claimed he drank four beers before driving and an open beer can was found in the console of the vehicle, the statement says. Court documents say a breath test was conducted and Leon’s blood alcohol content was .187, more than twice the legal limit to drive.

Click here to follow the original article.

Matthew Sanders

Editor’s note: This piece was updated on Wednesday, Jan. 28 after authorities said the child was found safe.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Benton County Sheriff’s Department called off an AMBER Alert on Wednesday that was issued the day before.

The Endangered Person Advisory was issued for Remington Rose McLaughlin, a 1-year-old, whose mother did not relinquish her to state custody. Authorities announced on Wednesday that Remington was found safe.

The sheriff’s department initially said officers tried to contact the mother after a court order that the child be taken from her custody, but authorities could not locate her on Tuesday.

Remington was thought to be with her mother, Tristan D. McLaughlin, 35. The alert describes her as white, about 5 feet, 4 inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes.

A Wednesday social media post from The Benton County Sheriff’s Department alleges McLaughlin took off with the child to St. Clair County “to avoid Children’s Family Services intervention.” McLaughlin was arrested on suspicion of endangering the welfare of a child.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is facing a lawsuit in Pulaski County over a September crash that involved a trooper.

The petition was filed by Orin Miller, of Waynesville, on Monday. The lawsuit accuses MSHP of negligence and negligence per se. The plaintiff is suing for personal injuries and property damage, court documents say.

Court documents claim that trooper Elanor Ferrel hit Miller’s vehicle on Sept. 23, 2025, while she tried to perform a U-turn on Highway 7 near Rock Bluff Drive.

The petition claims Ferrel was responding to an “abandoned camper call” and didn’t have enough room to make a U-turn. She allegedly backed up on the highway, crossed the center line and hit Miller’s vehicle.

ABC 17 News reached out to MSHP on Tuesday afternoon.

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man who was already charged with several child sex crimes earlier this month is facing more charges in Cole County.

Michael Minor, 48, was charged on Jan. 16 with two counts of first-degree child molestation and two counts of statutory sodomy of a child younger than 12 years old. He was charged in a separate case on Monday with first-degree child molestation and statutory sodomy of a child younger than 12 years old.

He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. An arraignment for the new charges and a counsel status hearing in his first case is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday. He has a preliminary hearing for the first case scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10.

The probable cause statement in the new case says Minor allegedly sexually abused a child in 2017 and police were dispatched for a sexual offense involving a child on Oct. 2, 2017. The victim gave an interview detailing the assault that night as well as at the Rainbow House in Columbia days later.

The victim was interviewed again on Jan. 23, 2026, to detail the assault.

The victim in the case filed earlier this month had allegedly been abused from July 2023-September 2025.

Click here to follow the original article.

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A group of 85 people was called to the Boone County Courthouse on Tuesday to potentially decide the fate of a woman charged in the death of a baby in 2023.

Sarah Brown is charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter, a felony, in connection with the death of a 3-month-old in Columbia in May 2023. Court documents accuse Brown of playing a role in the death of Ayla Gibson.

Brown allegedly put Gibson in a crib at her daycare in Columbia with a loose, unfitted blanket and pillow in a position that resulted in death by suffocation, court documents say. Documents also claim that the baby had a viral lung infection, and Brown ignored parent instructions to have her sleep on her back.

She’s also accused of lying to police and saying she found the baby not breathing while lying on her back in the crib. Court documents also claim that Brown was running an unlicensed daycare and did not qualify for any exemptions.

Missouri law requires that anyone caring for more than six children be licensed. Brown allegedly had 12 children in her care.

Jury selection began on Tuesday morning in Brown’s jury trial. Prosecutors and the defense chose from a panel of 85 people.

Brown faces three to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

Court is scheduled to reconvene Wednesday morning at 8:45 a.m.

The trial is expected to last four days.

Click here to follow the original article.