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Here are six pressing issues that test Gov. Mike Kehoe’s leadership in Missouri politics

Stories by Kansas City Star journalists, with AI summarization

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe faces big tests as he leads the state through difficult issues.

He pushed a stadium funding plan to keep the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri, but the effort got stuck in the Senate and exposed deep political divides.

At the same time, Kehoe must weigh state intervention in Kansas City's local housing discrimination law, a move that has angered local officials seeking to protect low-income renters. He also faces criticism for a tough-on-crime agenda that avoids addressing gun violence, and for backing new rules to help overturn voter-approved abortion rights.

Each challenge highlights questions about Kehoe's leadership and how he balances state priorities with local needs.

Police and crime scene investigators were on the scene collecting evidence where three people died and five were injured following a shooting early Sunday, June 25, 2023, near 57th Street and Prospect Avenue in Kansas City. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 1: MISSOURI GOV. MIKE KEHOE WANTS TO FIGHT CRIME. KC DEMOCRATS ASK: WHAT ABOUT THE GUNS?

“They have found a way to talk about almost everything except firearms,” one Kansas City Democratic lawmaker said. | Published February 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jonathan Shorman Kacen Bayless

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe enters the House chamber ahead of his State of the State speech. In February, he signed and executive order banning DEI initiatives from all state agencies. By Tim Bommel

NO. 2: CRITICS SAY MISSOURI GOP LAW FIGHTING ABORTION IS A ‘LET POLITICIANS LIE ACT’

The law represents a relatively new target for Missouri Republican lawmakers and officials: judges who rule against them. | Published May 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kacen Bayless

Rep. Chris Brown, a Kansas City Republican. By Tim Bommel

NO. 3: KC HOUSING LAW LIKELY DOOMED AFTER MISSOURI REPUBLICANS PASS BILL TARGETING IT

Renters and tenants advocates had celebrated the Kansas City ordinance but some landlords despised the measure. | Published May 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jonathan Shorman Kacen Bayless

An aerial view of Truman Sports Complex

NO. 4: AN 11TH-HOUR PLAN TO KEEP CHIEFS, ROYALS IN MISSOURI? TOP REPUBLICANS TO DISCUSS

The anticipated gathering comes as Missouri lawmakers are poised to debate a bill to potentially lure the Kansas City Royals to Clay County. | Published May 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kacen Bayless Sam McDowell Jonathan Shorman

An aerial view of Arrowhead Stadium (bottom) and Kauffman Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City, Mo., on April 26, 2023. By Kirby Lee

NO. 5: MISSOURI SHOULD MAKE AREA AROUND CHIEFS, ROYALS STADIUMS ‘A BETTER PLACE,’ SOME FANS SAY

As Missouri’s stadium funding fight heats up, some fans of the Chiefs and Royals are urging both teams to stay at Kansas City’s iconic Truman Sports Complex. | Published May 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by PJ Green

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe enters the House chamber ahead of his State of the State speech. In February, he signed and executive order banning DEI initiatives from all state agencies. By Tim Bommel

NO. 6: MISSOURI’S GOVERNOR SOLD CARS. CAN HE SELL A CHIEFS, ROYALS STADIUMS PLAN?

Approval of the governor’s plan would mark a seismic moment for the Kansas City area, signifying Missouri’s first major response to Kansas in the protracted fight over the future of the teams. | Published May 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kacen Bayless

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.