edit: oops Title should say Proposition A not Referendum. sorry.

I skipped to the conclusion at the end, then posted. Still have to read full opinions.

Respect MO Voters https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SC101806SignedMajorityOpinion.PDF?courtCode=SC&di=222832

Proposition A https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SC101805SignedMajorityOpinion.PDF?courtCode=SC&di=222831

edit 1: First paragraph of both decisions they call out Hoskins for waiting until the very last hour to issue his certificates. :)

edit 2: For Amendment 6 the MO Supreme Court did kick the can down the road on some of the constitutional questions, saying they were not ripe for adjudication yet. They did, however, basically tell the clown man he screwed up royally and his finding of insufficient had no actual stated reasons for them to review. No signature counts. And attaching the AG's opinion was not sufficient under MO law. Oh, and by the way Hoskins' constitutional review was well outside his administrative role. A surprising number of constitutional questions were answered (single subject, single article), but they left the question of restraining future legislation to some future lawsuit. And the question of removing the republican form of government can only be decided by Congress.
It really is a lovely hit piece on the secretary of state Clown Denny Hoskins.

edit 3: The redistricting opinion isn't as entertaining, but it did include this lovely sentence "...these arguments are particularly misplaced given the secretary's delay created the confusion, expense, and practical difficulties of which he complains." (footnote 8)
They also berate Hoskins for delaying despite clear guidance from the court in the Maggard case, and that he chose to verify every signature rather than use random sampling that had a much quicker 30 day deadline.

It is notable that for both opinions the Supreme Court justices all concurred.

I have explored all 50 states taking pictures of abandoned things! These are the cool things I saw while I was in Missouri.

If you like my work see more of it on my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whimsicalruins/

JEFFERSON CITY— The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in three cases that could reshape how much power Missourians have to challenge their lawmakers through initiatives and referendums.
Outside the courthouse, supporters of the three measures called on the court to let voters decide their fate. The demonstration reflected the broader issue before the judges: whether Secretary of State Denny Hoskins can block a proposal from the ballot because he believes it is unconstitutional, even after supporters collect enough signatures.

Inside, the judges considered whether Missourians should be allowed to vote on the congressional map Republican lawmakers passed last year and whether a proposed amendment making it harder for legislators to alter voter-approved initiatives should appear on the November ballot.
The court faces a tight deadline. Its decisions are expected before Sept. 8, the deadline for the Nov. 3 ballot to be finalized.
Initiative hearing
The first hearing was on proposed Amendment 6, which would make it harder for legislators to alter voter-approved initiatives. The proposal would require lawmakers to have at least 80% majority support in both the House and Senate or in a public vote in order to change an initiative.
The citizens’ initiative seeking to place the question on the ballot received more than 367,000 signatures.

The proposed amendment was rejected Aug. 4 by Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, stating that it included more than one subject, which is prohibited under the state constitution. Additionally, Hoskins changed the ballot title of the initiative and certified it after it was submitted to his office.
Chief Justice W. Brent Powell questioned when the single-subject concern came from Hoskins and if a complaint of that nature should have been made before the signatures were collected from constituents.
Lawyers for the state argued that the secretary is allowed to have self-determination in changing ballot material like voter-based initiatives brought before him, especially if it is to protect against “anti-democratic” principles. They also stated that he is within his right in the Missouri Constitution to change his decision at any time.
Gerrymandered maps
The court then heard arguments over whether Missouri voters can use the referendum process to reject the congressional map passed by Republican lawmakers during a 2025 special session.
Opponents of the map submitted more than 300,000 signatures seeking to place the new maps before voters for approval. Hoskins rejected the referendum effort, arguing that congressional redistricting is a power reserved for the Missouri General Assembly and cannot be challenged through a public vote.

Attorney Chuck Hatfield, representing the referendum’s supporters, argued that the Missouri Constitution allows referendums on “any act of the General Assembly.” The Constitution excludes appropriations and emergency legislation, but the redistricting bill did not include an emergency clause.
Hatfield said the state was trying to find a reason to keep the referendum off the ballot after its supporters had already collected the required signatures.
“This is all after-the-fact stuff, trying to come up with some reason not to put the referendum on the ballot,” Hatfield said.

State attorneys argued that the Missouri Constitution prohibits referendums on redistricting plans. They also warned that changing congressional districts after the Aug. 4 primary could create confusion and conflict with federal election law.
The primary was conducted using the new map. If the Supreme Court places the referendum on the ballot, it may also have to address whether the state should use the new boundaries or return to the districts used in the 2022 and 2024 elections for the November general election.
Hatfield argued Hoskins created the uncertainty by moving forward with the primary while the map remained under legal challenge. He said the state should return to the previous districts if the court determines that the referendum should have suspended use of the new map.
“The secretary of state will run an election on something that’s not the law,” Hatfield said. “It’s very dangerous for an election that is only a few weeks away.”

After the hearing, Hoskins said his office would follow the Supreme Court’s ruling. However, he did not directly answer which map the state would use if the court restores the referendum but does not specify boundaries for the November election.
“We will comply with any court order given the parameters and the deadlines that we have,” Hoskins said.
Missourians rally
In the final case heard, Hatfield brought before the court a matter he said was less pressing, centered around the group People Not Politicians.
Spread all across the state, the group has been encouraging signatures for various initiatives to appear on the midterm election ballot. However, after gaining over 100,000 signatures, the amount needed for an initiative to be pushed through, the attorney general delayed the process by objecting to the ballot.
The organization had to go out and gather 100,000 more new signatures, differing from the people who originally signed.

Marc Ellinger, a prominent Republican attorney, and William Seidleck, representing the state Attorney General’s office, pushed for the entire case to be ruled moot. They argued against Hatfield that the signatures — no matter how many were collected — are either not valid or were not obtained within the correct time frame.
During and after the hearing, members of People Not Politicians and allied groups gathered in front of the Supreme Court building, equipped with a band and chants.
Richard Von Glahn, the group’s executive director, stated that the people have the right to a referendum and is confident that Proposition A will end up on the ballot this coming election.
“This charade they’ve been playing for months ends today,” Von Glahn said in response to the delays the group has faced from the state.

Nurses, farmers, veterans and even a state representative showed their support for these cases.
Kenda Caloroso is a retired nurse from Kansas City who said she has been speaking out and volunteering for years. Frustrated with the people in power, Caloroso came to the rally to support People Not Politicians to “take charge of our futures, for our children, for my grandchildren.”
Will Westmorlin, an advocate and farmer in the group, stated that this is “not about red versus blue,” stressing that the signatures gained over the past months reached people of all demographics and areas of Missouri.

Sources from MU Archives
MU Athletics
State Historical Society of Missouri
Wikipedia
And my own photos

https://mutigers.com/memorial-stadium-project

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faurot_Field

https://muarchives.missouri.edu/historic/buildings/Stadium/

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu

Is there any music scene or good, serious musicians doing anything original in the area from Jefferson City to Hermann and maybe down near New Haven and Washington areas?

The pavement blowing up at Doolittle is so frequent now that locals, during the summer, instead of telling their loved one to watch for deer when they leave, tell them to watch for the pavement blowing up.

If you aren’t local to that area and find yourself driving westbound thru there when the mercury is hovering around 100 slow down and pull over to the right lane from Doolittle to Sugar Tree Road Exit.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Tigers picked apart Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the first game of the 2026-27 season 54-14.

You can watch extended highlights of the win in the video player below.

There were plenty of questions heading into the week one for Mizzou. An nearly entirely new cast on both sides of the ball, and a slew of new coaches had fans wondering if head coach Eli Drinkwitz' vision would come to pass.

Within the first 15 minutes, those questions were answered.

You can watch the full postgame press conference with head coach Eli Drinkwitz, recapping the game, in the video player below.

Transfer quarterback Austin Simmons made his debut in the black and gold, and looked like he had been playing in this system for years. A perfect 7-7 on his first drive that went 60 yards and ended with Sean Terry II getting into the end zone for the first touchdown of the year.

The senior quarterback continued his hot streak on the next possession, finding Donovan Olugbode for a touchdown towards the end of the first quarter.

In the second, Mizzou's offense was even better. Jamal Roberts broke in for six points at the start of the quarter, before Simmons put two more scores across with a second touchdown to Olugbode, and a 47 yard connection to his former Ole Miss teammate Cayden Lee, which put the Tigers ahead 37-0. A field goal from Blake Craig made it a 40-point game heading into the half as the clock hit zeros.

You can watch the full postgame press conference with Olugbode in the video player below.

Quarters three and four were slower for the Tigers as the starters did not return with their helmets, signifying the end of their night. Mizzou broke in for another two touchdowns, but also allowed the Golden Lions to score twice for themselves, making the final score 54-14.

Simmons finished his day 17-19 with 252 yards and four touchdowns. Olugbode was the top target with eight catches for 116 and a pair of scores.

You can watch the full postgame press conference with Simmons in the video player below.

I Never like this season I know this Isn't unique to Missouri. It's Hot as a Witches tit.

It just sorta happened

Went to upper Maramec last Tuesday for a nice day on the river and saw this. If you’re on Reddit, thank you so much for building it. You made me feel like a kid again!!! So fun!

Do Democrats have a chance in this district now?

New research from the University of Missouri shows wind and solar farms can bring economic gains to rural communities.
Energy generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar has grown as power companies diversify from fossil fuel sources. A new report from the MU Center for Rural Energy Security analyzed the economic impact of renewable energy in rural counties.
Adrienne Ohler, Mizzou economist and lead researcher on the study, analyzed economic factors in counties with renewable power plants to those without from 2001 to 2023.

The economic advantage of solar energy development in rural counties materialized in the utilities, construction and transportation sectors, which saw 10%-20% increases in employment and wages. The communities hosting wind energy infrastructure saw an increase in gross domestic product by approximately 7%.

Ohler, who is from a rural area herself, said she witnessed firsthand how energy development can be controversial. She said concerns about property values and taking farmland out of production can divide neighbors.
“Renewable energy isn't right for every community," she said. "There are good reasons to adopt it and good reasons to set up ordinances and permitting that would limit what it would look like in a community.”
Large-scale wind and solar power plants are disproportionately sited in rural areas — 70% of large-scale solar and 94% of wind farms are built on cropland. Ohler said local leaders should take note of the policies in communities that have had success.

“For a county or a community to have positive effects, they would need to have similar mechanisms in place, similar policies and regulations in place,” she said.
The report states that neither wind nor solar development were associated with declining agricultural GDP, employment or wages, suggesting that renewable energy development does not substantially diminish agricultural economic activity.
Nearly 10% of Missouri’s electricity comes from wind and just more than 1% comes from solar power. There were a number of bills proposed in the Missouri legislature last year to ban or limit renewable energy. Those opposed to renewable energy projects raised concerns about property rights and values and how the infrastructure impacts quality of life in rural areas.

James Owen is the executive director of Renew Missouri, an organization that advocates for solar and wind power. He said that although renewable energy projects don’t bring many long-term jobs to rural counties, communities can benefit from increased tax revenue.
“What's going to benefit a school district, fire district, ambulance district?" Owen said. "Those are the things that I think rural communities certainly do care about, should care about."
Additionally, Owen said domestic power is more reliable than oil and gas that’s imported.
“Solar and wind do not go through the Strait of Hormuz. It can be produced right here,” Owen said. “So if you want to have reliable electricity that is somewhat cost-efficient, you've got to be able to have this, and sometimes that's going to be in your backyard.”