During my four terms in the Missouri House, I witnessed first-hand as the Republican leadership willfully and openly overturned the will of the voters.
From puppy mills to expanding Medicaid access, to paid sick leave, to redistricting and campaign finance, and our abortion rights – the leadership in Jefferson City has targeted laws and amendments voters approved at the ballot box.
We are also witnessing this attitude of disregard for citizen engagement at the Federal level with dangerous and deadly consequences. It’s insidious, and it’s right at our doorstep.
We are seeing this type of “we the politicians know better than you the people” attitude is taking over Kansas city.
Last April, Kansas City voters were asked to approve a public safety sales tax to fund a new municipal jail at I-70 and U.S. 40. They said yes—by more than 8,000 votes, a 60–40 margin—renewing the tax for 20 years. That approval was a crucial step in the city’s long-term plan to once again operate its own detention center.
Kansas City voters made their will clear: they support public safety. What they did not vote for was a bait-and-switch.
Late last week, the City Council was presented with a “same-day adoption” ordinance from the mayor and the unelected city manager to move the jail’s location. The proposal was not listed on the pre-published agenda, even though this type of expedited action is typically reserved for true emergencies.
With little transparency, the mayor pushed to relocate the detention center from the voter-approved I-70 and Highway 40 site to Front Street, just east of Frontier Academy. While the Front Street location may have certain advantages, there was no community engagement. No public testimony. Businesses, schools, and families in the area were blindsided. Most troubling, council members were presented with this major change only moments before being asked to vote. The public deserved a chance to weigh in.
Kansas Citians are being cut out of the process by political maneuvering.
Kansas City deserves accountability—and respect for the commitments made to voters.
The game of bait and switch is becoming too common for Kansas Citians.
In 2023, Missouri lawmakers approved the funds to replace Kansas City’s state psychiatric hospital, which had long been described as being “in disrepair.” The investment is intended to expand the number of hospital beds at the Center for Behavioral Health, the state-owned facility currently serving the region and partially leased by University Health.
For years, legislators were warned that the aging hospital no longer met the needs of patients or staff. The new facility is designed to address those concerns by increasing capacity, improving safety, and modernizing mental health care infrastructure for Kansas City and the surrounding area.
Then, in 2025, $48.2 million was cut from the funding for the hospital’s construction. As a result, people experiencing mental health crises are being left to languish in emergency rooms and jail cells due to a severe shortage of psychiatric hospital beds.
Locally, This game of bait and switch is becoming too common in Kansas City.
Right now, the city is highlighting the number of beds available this winter for people experiencing homelessness. Providing shelter is important, and taking care of our neighbors should always be a priority.
But here’s the problem: residents were promised dignity, health, and stability—private rooms, access to bathrooms, and medical respite services. Instead, many unhoused individuals are sleeping on cots in large, open spaces with limited privacy and support.
We can—and must—do better for the people who need our help the most.
These political games are insulting to the people of Kansas City. Our voters deserve better than rushed decisions, closed-door deals, and last-minute changes that bypass public scrutiny.
The residents of this city expect transparency, honesty, and meaningful opportunities to weigh in on major projects that affect their neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and families. Public input isn’t a formality—it’s a cornerstone of good government. When leaders ignore that process, they erode trust and undermine the democratic values our community depends on.
Kansas Citians deserve elected officials who respect established procedures, communicate openly, and keep their word. When commitments are made to voters, those promises should be honored—not quietly rewritten behind the scenes.
Our city is strongest when decisions are made in the open, with accountability and community involvement at the center. The people of Kansas City have spoken clearly: they want leadership that listens, follows the rules, and puts the public first.
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