Missouri on the Record

What do the MyPillow guy, a fight over gun laws in Illinois and Missouri’s county sheriffs have in common? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

This week on Missouri on the Record, host Jason Hancock talks with reporter Rebecca Rivas about the surprising story behind Amendment 8, a proposal to put the office of county sheriff into Missouri’s Constitution.

They trace the amendment’s roots to a 2023 visit by Mike Lindell to the Missouri Capitol, explore the national “constitutional sheriff” movement and explain how a proposal to give sheriffs sweeping new powers evolved into something much narrower.

On this episode of Missouri on the Record, Jason Hancock talks with Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians, about Proposition A and the fight over Missouri’s 2025 congressional map.

Von Glahn makes the case for rejecting the map and answers questions about partisan gerrymandering, the split of Kansas City, the power of Missouri’s referendum process and what could happen next if voters say no on Nov. 3.

Eric Schmitt has spent nearly two decades climbing Missouri’s political ladder, from the state Senate to attorney general to the U.S. Senate. Along the way, his style has changed dramatically — from bipartisan dealmaker to one of the Republican Party’s most combative national voices.

In this episode of Missouri on the Record, Jason Hancock looks back at the Eric Schmitt he covered in Jefferson City, the moments that shaped his rise and what his evolution says about ambition, ideology and the incentives driving American politics.

After a year of lawsuits, conflicting court orders and three trips to the U.S. Supreme Court, Missouri will use the same congressional map it used in 2022 and 2024.

Jason Hancock talks with Missouri Independent Deputy Editor Rudi Keller about how the redistricting fight spiraled into contempt proceedings, dueling state and federal court rulings and confusion for local election officials — and what voters still need to know about Proposition A.

Missouri voters are being asked to decide abortion rights again, just two years after approving them.

Amendment 3 would repeal the reproductive health protections voters added to the state constitution in 2024, allow lawmakers to restrict abortion with limited exceptions and constitutionally prohibit gender-transition procedures for minors.

But this time, the anti-abortion movement isn’t united. Some of the state’s most outspoken abortion opponents argue Amendment 3 doesn’t go far enough, creating a public split inside a movement trying to reverse the 2024 vote.

Missouri Independent reproductive healthcare reporter Anna Spoerre joins Jason Hancock to explain what Amendment 3 would actually do, why abortion abolitionists oppose it, how transgender health care became central to the debate and what the fight reveals about Missouri’s latest abortion battle.

Jason Hancock talks with Missouri Independent Deputy Editor Rudi Keller about what the latest SLU/YouGov poll says about Missouri’s political mood — and whether signs of a strong Democratic year nationally could reach the state. They dig into Trump and Gov. Mike Kehoe’s declining approval, turnout, the auditor’s race, legislative supermajorities and the ballot measures shaping November. 

Missouri’s 2026 election will bring major races, ballot measures and political fights with consequences across the state.

Missouri on the Record, a new weekly podcast from The Missouri Independent, will add another layer to our election coverage, giving listeners more context, deeper conversations with our reporters and a closer look at the people and issues driving the news.

Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Jason Hancock, the podcast will draw on the reporting of Missouri’s largest newsroom focused on state government and politics.

Subscribe now and follow Missouri on the Record as we cover the 2026 election and the stories shaping Missouri.

Missouri on the Record is a new weekly podcast from The Missouri Independent, taking listeners beyond the headlines to better understand the stories shaping Missouri.

Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Jason Hancock, the show will feature conversations with Missouri Independent reporters, newsmakers and people directly affected by decisions made across the state. Each episode will bring added context, original reporting and voices from the field to Missouri politics, state government, public policy and other issues affecting Missourians.

Subscribe now and join us for the first episode of Missouri on the Record.