Over the past decade, few issues have occupied as prominent and contentious a spot on the national stage—and in Missouri—as health care. It's not just about politics: Debates in the General Assembly, actions by past and present governors and oversight by state agencies all result in real impact on people's lives. In this episode of Statehouse Blend Missouri, recorded before an audience at Kansas City's Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, we take a deep dive into the challenges facing

There are only a few legislative races this November, but one of the most dynamic—and expensive—is taking place in eastern Jackson County. The Majority Floor Leader of the Missouri House Mike Cierpiot was considered a likely choice to succeed fellow Republican Will Kraus, who resigned to take a state job. Democrats recruited a strong challenger in Hillary Shields , a co-founder of the Indivisible KC political organizing group. And the race got really interesting when Jacob Turk , the perennial

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens vetoed six bills passed by the Missouri General Assembly this year, and this week the legislators had their annual chance to override those vetoes and get their way anyway. In the end, the number of vetoes they overrode was ... zero. But one of those sustained vetos—of funding for in-home and nursing care for 8,000 disabled Missourians—left lawmakers still searching for a way to pay for care that everyone seems to agree is needed. House and Senate leaders tasked two

Why are thousands of Missourians losing state funding for nursing home or in-home health care this week? On this episode, we discuss how that funding was salvaged—and then lost again. And one legislator shares her ideas for how to get it back. Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay up to date with the latest news from the Missouri General Assembly: Apple Podcasts , Google Play , and on the NPRone app . Guests: Rep. Deb Lavender , D-Kirkwood , Missouri General Assembly Jason Hancock ,

The Missouri Senate is scheduled to debate a bill this week that would add new regulations for clinics providing abortions. Its supporters, including Gov. Eric Greitens, say these will protect the health and safety of Missouri women, but abortion rights advocates say the legislation is designed to deny access to safe and legal abortion. We talk with both sides about this bill and how the abortion debate plays out in Missouri, year after year. Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay up

Governor Eric Greitens had a busy afternoon last Friday, June 30. He signed a major change to employment law, making it much harder for a fired employee to prove a discrimination case. He vetoed a bipartisan compromise that would have preserved a tax credit for low-income seniors and disabled people. And he signed the state budget—while also withholding more than $250 million in spending. Host Brian Ellison talks with KCUR's Kyle Palmer to catch you up on the political news of the weekend and

Back in February, St. Louis passed a law that some say placed too many restrictions on anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers. In April, a federal judge struck down many of Missouri's restrictive regulations on abortion clinics. And last week, Gov. Eric Greitens called lawmakers back for an "extraordinary session" to pass a bill in response to all of that. But these two lawmakers think the session, and the reasons for it, aren't so extraordinary. We consider the legislation approved by the

One Missouri lawmaker who won't be back for any special sessions this summer is Kansas City's Randy Dunn; the representative resigned last week to begin a new job in Omaha. Dunn was a triple minority in the Missouri General Assembly: A Democrat, a person of color and an openly gay man. He joined us for an exit interview to give us an unvarnished look at the way things work in Jefferson City. Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay up to date with the latest news from the Missouri

At the end of the 2017 legislative session, we took the podcast on the road to ask an important question: are Kansas City's communities of color being heard in Jefferson City? This podcast was recorded live at the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay up to date with the latest news from the Missouri General Assembly: iTunes , Google Play , and on the NPRone app . Guests: Rep. Gail McCann Beatty , D-Kansas City, Minority

Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri. But sometimes, it feels like its interests aren't at the forefront of the discussion in Jefferson City. Two former Missouri legislators turned Kansas City council members talk about how the city's priorities fared during the 2017 session and what's on their agenda for the future. Subscribe to Statehouse Blend Missouri, and stay up to date with the latest news from the Missouri General Assembly: iTunes , Google Play , and on the NPRone app . Guests