Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent

Stories by Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent

Independent Missouri Senate Candidate John Wood.

Danforth PAC Bets Big on Independent Senate Candidate in Missouri

The political action committee backing independent Senate candidate John Wood is “in it to win it,” former Sen. Jack Danforth said a day after the PAC spent another $750,000 on TV ads to run before the Aug. 2 primary.

David Roland, treasurer of Better Elections Missouri, signs petition submission paperwork Sunday at the Secretary of State's office in Jefferson City.

Legal Marijuana, Ranked-choice Voting Initiatives Submitted for Missouri Ballot

Missourians this fall may have a chance to legalize adult marijuana use and change the way elections are conducted.

Eric Greitens is directed to a press conference with the media after filing to run in the Missouri Senate primary on Feb. 22, 2022, at the James C Kirkpatrick State Information Center in Jefferson City.

Sheena Greitens Says She has Photos, Records to Document Abuse by Former Missouri Governor

Former Missouri First Lady Sheena Greitens says in a new court filing that she has photos and other evidence to back up her claims that former Gov. Eric Greitens physically abused her and their children as his political career unraveled.

Patrick Mahomes throws a pass against the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 23, 2022.

Sports Wagering Bills Moving Toward Missouri House Debate Amid Efforts to Boost Tax Rates

A bill to legalize sports wagering is heading to the House floor for debate following a committee vote Tuesday. Three other bills legalizing sports wagering will have public hearings Wednesday in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Two “no-chance” gambling machines await customers in a Columbia convenience store.

Push for Expanded Missouri Gambling Puts Casinos, Video Operators in Opposing Camps

Approving video lottery would produce more than 10 times the new state revenue of sports wagering and drive cash-prize video games of debated legality out of Missouri, a newly updated report contends.

House Budget Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage.

Parson Signs $4.6B Spending Plan, House Approves Bill Targeting Medicaid Expansion

The first bill sent to Gov. Mike Parson from this year’s legislative session includes a pay raise for state employees, money to fund Medicaid through the end of the fiscal year and federal COVID-19 recovery funding for schools.

Downtown Cape Girardeau on May 6, 2020.

Uncounted: Inaccurate Death Certificates Across the Country Hide the True Toll of COVID-19

Some counties, like Cape Girardeau, have seen a spike in deaths that aren’t attributed to COVID-19. Many of them, blamed on natural causes, are likely from the coronavirus.

A general view of Busch Stadium as fans watch during the third inning of the Cardinals home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 8, 2021 in St Louis.

Science Backs Mask Mandates. But in Missouri and Elsewhere, They’re Politically Toxic

Studies have repeatedly found mandates encourage mask use and slow COVID spread. Politics and lawsuits make them unattractive to policymakers.

Donald Kauerauf, the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, speaks during a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on July 21, 2021

Missouri Health Department Found Mask Mandates Work, But Didn’t Make Findings Public

Mask mandates saved lives and prevented COVID-19 infections in Missouri’s biggest cities during the worst part of the delta variant wave, an analysis by the state Department of Health and Senior Services shows.

Mark Kirchhoff, left, a volunteer with Columbia Project Homeless Connect, speaks July 29, 2021 with Taylor Knoth, a public health nurse, at the registration table for a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

Once Upon a Time in Missouri: Republican Attorney General Backed Mandatory Vaccination

During a 1921 smallpox outbreak in Kansas City, the state health board required vaccine passports to board trains. The case is pertinent in today's COVID-19 vaccine debate.