Author: KMIZ

Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri House on Wednesday passed a bill to entice the Royals and Chiefs to stay in Missouri.

Senate Bill 3 will now head to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk after it passed 90-58. The bill gives financial incentives for stadium projects for Missouri’s professional sports teams.

The Show Me Sports Investment Act is aimed at keeping the two sports teams from moving to Kansas after lawmakers failed to pass a plan during their regular, annual session. The proposal 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.

Supporters of the act argue that it would give a major economic boost to the state economy.

“The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t just a football team, they’re Missouri’s front door to the national stage,” Rep. Tricia Byrnes (R-Wentzville) said. “Every game, every Super Bowl, every concert at Arrowhead tells the world who we are, and that even includes every post on social media, those are even often viewed internationally, and that keeps Missouri in the global conversation.”

“We are on the map, we are no longer flyover country, we are the home of the Chiefs,” Rep. Keri Ingle (D-Lee’s Summit) said. “If you’re worried about the revenue lost by them doing this to rebuild the stadiums, wait till you see what happens to the revenue if we lose them because this is a zero-sum game.”

Opponents of the act argued that the bill favors a multi-million dollar organization and forces local taxpayers to foot the bill.

“It’s about taking care of people first, I’m not against the Chiefs, but we need to take care of people, working people, poor people, people who are working hard, doing their part, paying their taxes,” Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) said. “They come first, then football stadiums.”

“Most of the people in my district can’t afford a ticket to either sporting event, they are more concerned about putting food on the table,” Rep. Darin Chappel (R-Rogersville) said. “I cannot in good conscience suggest that tax dollars ought to be utilized for something like this.”

Aspects of the bill include a proposal to give up to a 50% tax credit to professional sports entertainment facility construction and the proposal to give 97 of Missouri’s counties the choice to vote on a property tax freeze.

Many representatives speculated on the legality of the tax freeze, with many claiming it is unconstitutional since it violates Missouri’s Uniformity Clause that requires property taxes to be taxed under the same rules. Others claimed that analyzing the legality of the bill is up to the courts.

“In order for it to be found unconstitutional, someone is going to have to challenge it, and that’s more money that our taxpayers have to pay because we’re not doing our jobs well here,” Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) said, “I think we need to do a better job of not putting things into bills that we know are going to be found unconstitutional.”

The Missouri House of Representatives also passed two pieces of legislation during a special session that would assist those impacted by the St. Louis tornado.

Members of the chamber gathered on Wednesday to discuss several bills, including Senate Bill 1, which provides funding for the University of Missouri Research Reactor. It also appropriates money to the Department of Economic Development for the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

The bill passed with a vote of 143-2 and will now go to the governor. Senate Bill 4 was also passed by the House. This expedites the use of the Missouri Housing Trust Fund for emergency aid.

In an X post, Kehoe praised the general assembly for their work and said, “I look forward to seeing this legislation on my desk very soon.”

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Protesters in Mid-Missouri are joining a national movement this weekend, rallying against what they call authoritarianism and unjust immigration practices.

The demonstration is part of a coordinated “No Kings” effort taking place in cities across the country, timed to coincide with President Donald Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, D.C., marking the Army’s 250th birthday.

More than 1,500 demonstrations are planned nationwide as part of the ongoing “No Kings” movement.

Locally, rallies will be held Saturday afternoon at the Boone County Courthouse Plaza in Columbia, the State Capitol in Jefferson City, and the Cooper County Courthouse in Boonville.

Mark Haim with Mid-Missouri Peace Works is the organizer of the rally being held at the Boone County Courthouse Plaza.

Boone County Sheriff’s Captain Brian Leer says they are aware of the planned events and have been in communication with the Columbia Police Department.

However, Leer says the sheriff’s office does not plan to assign uniformed deputies to the protest at this time.

“We will be monitoring up to and during the event for any intel to the contrary, but our hope is that the event will be peaceful,” Leer added in an email Wednesday morning.

Check back for updates.

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Olivia Hayes

ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Ashland has installed a mobile camera system at its recycling lot on Red Tail Drive.

According to the city, the issue has escalated since Columbia’s recycling plant was closed after a tornado in April. Frustrations have been running high for the taxpayers of Ashland.

“People [are] complaining cause they’re [recycling bins] always full and other people complaining because people just throw the trash out anyway,” Ashland resident Mitchell Basinger said.

In a social media post, the Ashland Police Department says this system is temporary while improvements are being made to existing cameras. With this camera system, officials can identify and link people and license plates to suspicious activity.

“Users of the recycling lot will be greeted with an audio message, which, in addition to the existing signage, clearly lays out the rules and expectations for the utilization of the recycling lot,” the post states.

Ashland Police Chief Scott Young told ABC 17 News that they can tell who’s bringing in trash and from where but they have to have physical evidence that links the person directly.

“We can tell by the address labels you know where they’re from, but we need more than just an address label to make out, to actually be able to spot people. So that’s why we did the video,” Young said.

The Ashland Police Department also issued a reminder that the recycling lot is provided as a paid service to City of Ashland residents only.

“Only Ashland citizens who are currently paying Ashland utility bills are allowed to use the site. They’re the ones paying for it,” Young said. “Our goal is compliance right. Not, not enforcement. Unfortunately, we will have to do some enforcement to get compliance.”

According to Ashland police, the camera system has already provided documentation of illegal dumping violations. Young said the city is using this new mobile camera system under a free trial, until it can find a permanent option.

The city will keep the facility locked over the weekend to help reduce — what the city is calling — abuse.

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Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Camden County Sheriff’s Office said a man has been arrested after he was accused of trying to take a deputy’s gun during a traffic stop.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Office shared on Facebook that there is an increased law enforcement presence in the Camdenton area with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A search went on for hours.

Law enforcement wrote at 3:26 p.m. that William Horrighs IV, 41, was arrested.

The post states he is accused of attempting to take a deputy’s gun during a traffic stop. He then allegedly left the scene.

Horrighs was described by the sheriff’s office as a career criminal with a violent history. The post also states he is wanted for violating his parole.

The Sheriff’s Office added around 1 p.m. on Wednesday they do not think he is a threat to the general public, but only to law enforcement.

“At this time there is no reason to continue any kind of lockdown, however, we encourage all citizens to secure doors and windows,” the post states.

Local schools and daycares in the area were notified, according to the post.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Protests against ICE have been going on in Los Angeles for several days.

Do you support the protests? Let us know in the poll and in the comments.  

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

In an 11-2 vote with one member abstaining, the Missouri House Committee of Economic Development approved Senate Bill 3 Tuesday afternoon.

SB3 covers a wide range of items, with the Show-Me Sports Investment Act being the hot topic of the bill.

If the act passes, Missouri’s Office of Administration and the Department of Economic Development will give tax credits to Missouri’s professional sports teams’ construction projects. 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.

This deal is part of the current “Border War” between Kansas and the Show-Me state on the location of Kansas City sports’ home state.

Supporters of the act argue that its implementation will improve Missouri’s identity as a tourist destination while also bringing jobs to the state.

“The bottom line is if the teams go across the state line, we will lose a lot of the revenue that we currently generate, if we keep them here, the state of Missouri will be better off, the city of Kansas City would be better off,” Kansas City’s 2nd District Councilman and former Rep. Wes Rogers said.

Rogers added in his testimony that outside of bringing in sports-entertainment-related jobs, additional sports construction could be a draw to people relocating to Missouri.

“So one lady from Columbia, which is an Ivy League (school), says, ‘well, I don’t really like baseball, but we sure go by the stadiums a lot to eat dinner,’ and I said, ‘We got great restaurants here, and there’s going to be more once we build the stadiums,'” Rogers said.

Opponents of the bill warned that it would give too much power to private corporations and cause public services like public schools and healthcare to lose out on state funding.

A major opponent of the bill was Patrick Tuohey of Show-Me Institute. His passionate testimony argued that Missouri shouldn’t be making a deal to keep professional sports teams in the state at the expense of funds, comparing the border war to a “race to the bottom.”

“When we talk about pride, we talk about, ‘I love our teams.’ When we talk about how much it means to Missouri, understand this: The teams do not love us back, this is a bottom line deal for them and they are telling us, ‘If you want us to stay, if you want our love, it’s going to cost you,'” Tuohey said. “There’s a word for that, and it’s nothing that the Missouri legislature should participate in.”

The bill does mention that if a team decides to move out-of-state after SB3 is approved, “the owners of the franchise shall repay the state the amount of funds expended by the state under the agreement and the total debt service remaining for any outstanding bond indebtedness, as described in the act.”

A similarly controversial part of the bill is the addition of a property tax freeze. If approved, voters in 97 of Missouri’s 144 counties would have the option to vote in 2026 for the freeze. This would be similar to the state’s property tax freeze for seniors. Opponents of the credit argued that lower property taxes would harm public services that receive funds from property taxes and that it was unfair for only certain counties to have the opportunity to vote.

“For many, many decades, local property taxes have been primarily what funds schools, we’re one of the most reliant states on local school revenues, we spend about 60% local money when we’re investing in our schools each year,” Otto Fajen Legislative Director of the Missouri National Education Association said. “It needs to be seen as something that is functional and fair.”

SB 3’s Sponsor Sen. Kurtis Gregory (R-Marshall) argued the cut would help increase residential growth.

“There’s some instances where people are literally getting taxed out of their home because they have just enough in their paycheck to make ends meet,” Gregory said. “Every county, I think when you look at how property tax functions, is different, I think in your faster growing counties it is easier and maybe more prudent for there to be the freeze because there is enough new things being built in coming on to the tax rolls.”

If passed, SB3 would reauthorize the amateur sports credit. Under the credit, businesses that support amateur or youth sports events and facilities would receive a tax break. The bill would also offer a $5,000 tax credit in 2025 to people whose homes were damaged in storms. These parts of the bill were left mainly unopposed during the hearing.

SB3 also has a severability clause that would allow parts of the bill to be passed or overturned, instead of the entire document being overturned if one aspect is struck down.

The House’s Fiscal Review Committee will review the bill at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday in House Hearing Room 4, and the bill will then move to the House floor for discussion.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who evaded law enforcement for more than 18 years has been detained, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Tuesday social media post.

Dontay Cropp was arrested in Clarke County, Iowa, according to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with forcible rape and forcible sodomy in 2007, according to court filings.

A $50,000 bond was set on July 17, 2007, and a warrant was issued days later. A judge was assigned on Dec. 1, 2017.

The sheriff’s office also wrote that he was wanted for parole and probation violations and “other miscellaneous warrants.”

Cropp awaits extradition back to Missouri, the sheriff’s office wrote.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Highway 54 in Cole County over the Neighhorn Branch will narrow to one lane in each direction, according to a Tuesday press release from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Crews will begin replacing the eastbound bridge on Monday, June 16 and the traffic shift will be fully in place by the week of June 23, the release says. There will be some turning restrictions, including:

Existing median crossovers closed at Route CC, Shepherd Hills Road and Wooded Hills Lane.

Route CC:

No access from Highway 54 eastbound to Route CC.

No access from Route CC to either direction of Highway 54.

Shepherd Hills Road/Wooded Hills Lane intersection:

No access to or from westbound Highway 54 at Shepherd Hills Road.

No access to or from eastbound Highway 54 at Wooded Hills Lane.

A 14-foot width restriction and speed reductions will be in place. The westbound bridge will be worked on after the eastbound bridge is completed, the release says. The entire project – costing $2.8 million – is expected to be completed in early November.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Commission has announced that Amy Hayse will be the director of the new Public Safety Childcare Center.

The commission announced the appointment in a Tuesday press release. She begins Monday, June 16.

The release says that Hayse has nearly two decades of experience in early childhood education, organizational leadership and administrative management. For the past 10 years, Hayse has served as the preschool director at College Park Christian Preschool in Columbia, the release says.

Construction of the childcare center is expected to begin this summer and will open by the middle of 2026, the release says.  

The commission last year approved a $2.5 million funding agreement for the center, which will “provide extended access to childcare for first responders within Boone County government,” according to previous reporting.

The release says that while the center is being constructed, “Hayse will play a key role in establishing the operations, developing policies, hiring and building a team, developing an early childhood education curriculum and nutritional program, and collaborating on future expansion of the Center. She will also work closely with stakeholders regarding policy development, programs, and feedback.”

“Ami’s experience in both early childhood development and organizational leadership make her the ideal choice to lead this new and essential initiative,” Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick said in the release. “Her dedication to building strong educational foundations and her ability to lead with empathy and efficiency will be a tremendous asset to building this much-needed program for our public safety staff and their families.”

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Mitchell Kaminski

EDITOR’S NOTE: A misspelled name has been corrected.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

A new law signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe on Tuesday includes sweeping public safety reforms, including updating the state’s outdated firework regulations. 

Senate Bill 81, which takes effect Aug. 28, modernizes how Missouri regulates fireworks for the first time in more than two decades, updating technical definitions, safety protocols and inspection authority.

“In terms of the fireworks provisions, there’s just a lot of things that needed updated and improved,” Sen. Kurtis Gregory (R-Cooper County), who sponsored the bill, told ABC 17 News. “In terms of fireworks, I think it’s been 25 years and there’s been some major advancements in fireworks and definitions needed changed. We had the proper definitions for the proper type of fireworks to make sure we had the right licenses and availabilities out there for everything to be done in a safe manner.”

Gregory emphasized that while the state hadn’t experienced enforcement issues, outdated definitions led to confusion. For example, some pyrotechnics commonly seen at sporting events were being mislabeled.

“The correct term is articles pyrotechnic, and that is what you see at football games and celebrations where it’s like on a timed button that gets pushed,” Gregory said. “Those are being defined as proximate fireworks. That’s not the correct definition at all.”

The bill also overhauls the state’s fee structures to help provide training for fire departments across Missouri. Gregory pointed to Missouri’s unique relationship with fireworks as to why the law was necessary.

“Missourians per capita spend more money on fireworks than anyone, any other state in the country, by like almost double,” Gregory said. “I think Missourians on average spend about $25 per person on fireworks. The next closest state is just a little over $10.”

Industry veteran Bob Gerau — who has owned and operated Bob’s Fireworks in Columbia since 2005 — has seen Missouri’s fireworks landscape change since entering the business in 1965.

“It was a lot looser than it is today,” Gerau said. “But it’s basically been the same. They don’t want fireworks in the city. And, you know, I can understand that to a degree.”

Still, Gerau said any state enforcement presence on his business has been minimal. 

“I haven’t seen an inspector in 10 years,” Gerau said. “If they come in my first thought is ‘Tell me what I need to do to correct it.’’”

Gerau also echoed Gregory’s point, noting that Missouri consistently ranks among the top states in fireworks sales nationwide.

“Missouri has a reputation amongst all the states as being fireworks-friendly,” Gerau said. “I’ve been asked the question many times. Just what is your favorite fireworks? I got a standard answer. Anything with a fuse.”

While the law will expand the State Fire Marshal’s authority to inspect retail locations, including those outside counties with local fire codes, it’s not expected to disrupt operations in regulated areas like Boone County.

“I think what it really does is it allows the State Fire Marshal’s office a little more access to those areas that don’t have a fire code,” said Gale Blomenkamp, who is an assistant chief of the Boone County Fire Protection District. “The trend has been people are leaning towards more of a brick-and-mortar type facility for these temporary fireworks stands because they’re easier to secure. Storms don’t blow them away, you know, like they’re blowing away their tents and their product is more secure and more safe.”

Blomenkamp noted that for many counties without their own codes, the law will help close inspection gaps. 

“That will allow the State Fire Marshal’s office to gain access into those structures, to do those inspections,” Blomenkamp said.

Though SB 81 becomes law in late August, its fireworks provisions won’t impact the upcoming Fourth of July season. Full implementation is expected by 2026.

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