As the Show-Me State joins the mid-decade gerrymandering war following prodding by President Donald Trump, Republican leaders quickly framed the effort as a godly mission. Yet, their proposed map seeks to flip the seat of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a longtime Democratic congressman who…
‘Trey’s Law’ is now in effect, making NDAs unenforceable in Texas and Missouri
Sept. 1 marks a historic victory for child sexual assault survivors in Texas and Missouri. “Trey’s Law” has officially gone into effect, banning the misuse of nondisclosure agreements in civil settlement agreements pertaining to sexual assault claims. In Texas, this…
‘White identitarians’ draw bipartisan rebuke in Missouri
News of a whites-only group seeking to establish a private community in Missouri is generating mounting opposition from a broad range of religious, civic and political leaders. “Return to the Land is a white-supremacist group that wants to create a…
‘Trey’s law’ signed by governors in Missouri and Texas
“Trey’s Law” is now the law of the land in Missouri and Texas after governors Mike Kehoe and Greg Abbott signed their versions of the bill this month. On June 10, Missouri Gov. Keheo signed SB-81, a comprehensive public safety…
‘Trey’s Law’ advances in Texas and Missouri
“Trey’s Law” continues gaining momentum in the Texas and Missouri legislatures. The law calls for an amendment to state laws surrounding the use of nondisclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases. If passed, Trey’s Law will make it easier for…
Nearly 200 Missouri Faith Leaders Urge Lawmakers to Promote Religious Liberty, Not Ten Commandments
As members of the Missouri Education Committee consider legislation that would mandate the posting of an edited version of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, 193 clergy and other faith leaders (and two houses of worship) signed an open letter urging…
Kanakuk survivors speak on nondisclosure agreements at House hearing
Last Wednesday, Kanakuk survivors and other activists spoke at the Missouri House of Representatives in front of a Judiciary Committee hearing on one of multiple bills currently being considered related to child sexual abuse. The bill under discussion is part…
More child sexual abuse bills filed in 6 states
In January, several bills were proposed across different states relating to child sexual abuse — many addressing statutes of limitations, nondisclosure agreements or settlement payouts. Legislators said they hope these changes will make it easier for child sexual abuse victims…
Several states are still fighting over ballot initiatives on abortion
Conservatives in several states have gone all out to defeat abortion-rights ballot measures before voters even get to the polls in November. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered state police to question residents who signed petitions to place Amendment…
Faith leaders want Missouri Supreme Court to overturn abortion ban
More than a dozen faith leaders are urging the Missouri Supreme Court to strike down the state’s near-total abortion ban as a violation of church-state separation. The plaintiffs in Rev. Traci Blackmon v. State of Missouri recently filed a notice…
Evangelical group seeks to pull abortion access initiative from Missouri ballot
An evangelical legal advocacy group wants to stop Missourians from being able to vote whether to enshrine abortion rights into state law. The Thomas More Society on Aug. 22 filed its legal effort to stop Amendment 3 from appearing on…
Abuse survivors press Missouri attorney general to do more
Three women abused as children at Christian reform schools in rural Southern Missouri publicly urged other victims and witnesses to come forward about their ordeals ahead of a major abuse trial scheduled for the fall. “We just want anyone who…