As Missouri lawmakers enter the second half of the legislative session, they are considering bills to amend or repeal the voter-approved measure that ended the state’s near-total abortion ban. They also must pass a state budget. Plus: Layoffs and court-ordered rehiring have all but paralyzed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development agency.

Missouri lawmakers returned to Jefferson City yesterday for the second half of this year’s legislative session. The Republican-led Legislature has already accomplished one of its main goals: placing the St. Louis Police Department under state control. St. Louis Public Radio’s Abby Llorico spoke with statehouse reporter Sarah Kellogg about what to expect before the Legislature adjourns on May 16.

And it’s been a turbulent couple of months at the federal agency that funnels funding to many rural communities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development agency experienced hundreds of layoffs before employees were called back. As Harvest Public Media contributor Frank Morris reports, that uncertainty may erode a major source of federal largesse for small towns and farms.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Lisa Rodriguez, Emily Younker, and Gabe Rosenberg.

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