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Missouri’s election officials are planning to use new congressional lines for the August 4 primaries.
After the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the submission of referendum signatures did not automatically suspend the new map, some election officials held off on implementing the new lines. They pointed to language in the high court’s decision stating it was “impossible to say” if the map was suspended, since Secretary of State Denny Hoskins hadn’t made a decision on whether it qualified for the November ballot.
But county clerks and election officials across the state decided to use the new map, primarily to make sure there was consistency when Missourians cast their votes in Democratic, Republican and Libertarian primaries.
Still, election officials are very concerned about what happens after Aug 4. If either Hoskins or courts put the redistricting referendum on the November ballot, the Supreme Court decision states that the map was suspended as of last December.
While it’s unknown what courts would decide under that scenario, some election officials are bracing for the possibility that they’ll have to conduct redo congressional primaries throughout most of the state.
“I’ve heard different scenarios that could play out hypothetically,” said Miller County Clerk Clinton Jenkins. “But I don’t want to deal in hypotheticals. We all want to know what’s our next step. What do we do?”
For all of St. Louis Public Radio’s coverage of the 2026 election cycle, stick with stlpr.org.
Cover photo: brianmunoz
06/18/2026
More than 16,000 people who were detained at the jail between 2012 and 2022 are eligible to receive payment after a federal court recently issued preliminary approval.
The deadline to file a claim is June 29: https://www.stlpr.org/law-order/2026-02-17/st-louis-settles-federal-lawsuit-poor-conditions-workhouse-jail-4m
06/18/2026
When a proposed data center appeared near her parents’ home, Warrenton resident Änna Farrar started asking questions.
That search has grown into a statewide effort to track data center development. She now publishes her own newsletter, manages several Facebook groups and is working on a book, "The Data Center Next Door."
She's part of a brigade of residents battling the secrecy and speed with which mega-sized data centers have spread across the country, fueled by the growth of cloud computing and generative artificial intelligence.
From KBIA: https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/2026-06-18/missouri-residents-fill-information-gaps-data-centers-come-knocking
06/18/2026
St. Louis police commanders will receive raises of up to 22% under a plan approved by the Board of Police Commissioners. In a 4-1 vote, Mayor Cara Spencer was the lone no vote.
The approval of the pay hikes triggers identical raises for higher-ranking members of the St. Louis Fire Department, setting off a mad scramble by the city to find the $1.45 million needed to cover those salary costs in the budget that starts July 1.
The police board had delayed a vote on the raises to give Spencer and her administration time to start those conversations, but her anger with the timing was still palpable on Wednesday.
“Policing doesn’t happen well in a vacuum, and unfortunately the decisions of this board are happening in a vacuum,” Spencer said. “They’re not happening in concert and collaboration with the other city departments that we, as a community, rely on in order to have a safe and healthy and successful city.”
Find the full story below. ⬇️ https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-06-18/st-louis-police-board-approves-command-raises
06/18/2026
The nation is turning 250, and communities across the St. Louis region are celebrating with fireworks, live music, parades and more.
Here’s your guide to Independence Day events happening around the area: https://www.stlpr.org/culture-history/2026-06-18/4th-july-fireworks-celebrations-st-louis-st-charles-metro-east-2026
06/18/2026
Juan Cox was officially sworn in as the St. Louis County Police Department’s chief Wednesday at the county government building in Clayton.
Juan Cox officially sworn in as chief of the St. Louis County Police Department The Board of Police Commissioners held a short ceremony Wednesday at the county government building in Clayton.
06/17/2026
The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District issued a precautionary advisory Wednesday warning of possible sewage backups in downtown St. Louis basements.
MSD officials said last week’s water main break and street collapse under Interstate 44 may increase the risk of basement flooding when it rains.
Giant hole could lead to sewage backup during storms, St. Louis sewer officials warn The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District issued a precautionary advisory for possible basement backups in the area of a water main break and street collapse near Broadway and Biddle.
06/17/2026
Preceding a data center summit in Jefferson City, roughly 100 Missourians gathered on Wednesday to rally against the development and construction of the centers across the state.
The summit, labeled as an education event, was limited to members of the Missouri Association of Counties, Missouri Municipal League and the Missouri School Boards’ Association. Vendors, corporate partners and the public were not allowed to participate, which angered opponents of the centers.
“Even though the people who live, work, and farm at the front lines of these industrial invasions have the most at stake,” said Olivia Stockman with the Missouri Rural Crisis Center.
Full story: https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-06-17/missouri-local-government-data-center-summit-protest
06/17/2026
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