AGP Executive Report

Severe Weather Watch: The Kansas City region is bracing for repeated rounds of storms and flash flooding Monday, with a First Alert Weather Day in effect as a storm line moves in overnight and another round builds by Tuesday. Power Reliability: Ameren Missouri is upgrading aging substation equipment in Webster Groves, including new switchgear at the Lockwood substation, aiming to cut outages and speed restoration for about 3,400 customers. Road Safety & Construction: Webster Groves residents are pushing back on a proposed South Elm shared-use path and resurfacing plan that would narrow lanes and add a 10-foot path, with construction targeted for summer 2027. Local Infrastructure Moves: In Columbia, MoDOT will close two westbound I-70 ramps Monday night for construction tied to the Improve I-70 project. Grants & Growth: Missouri’s Department of Agriculture is taking applications for 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grants, offering up to $50,000 for fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, honey, nursery crops, and more.

Roadwork Disruptions in Columbia: MoDOT and local crews are lining up multiple closures starting Monday, including a West Rollins Road westbound lane shutdown (May 18–21) and a Rollins Street gas main replacement on the University of Missouri campus (May 18–June 5), plus two westbound I-70 ramp closures Monday night (8 p.m.–2 a.m.). Grant Push for Specialty Crops: Missouri opened applications for the 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, offering up to $50,000 over two years for fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, honey, nursery crops and more, with a May 28 deadline. Weather Watch: Central U.S. storm risk ramps up through Monday with intense tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds possible. Politics & Maps: The U.S. Supreme Court preserved Virginia’s redrawn congressional map, keeping a likely Republican edge heading into midterms. Statehouse Focus: Missouri lawmakers adjourned after a comparatively orderly session, advancing major GOP priorities including a proposed sales-tax constitutional amendment and a maternal/telehealth health package. Local Energy Costs: Paullina’s electric rate study recommends about a 20% increase over four years.

State Capitol Wrap: Missouri lawmakers adjourned Friday with GOP priorities largely intact and fewer late-session blowups than recent years, approving a $50.7 billion budget and measures including a proposed constitutional sales-tax expansion, a public safety package, and health care changes expanding maternal care and telehealth. Public Safety Procurement: Columbia’s Fire Department ordered a replacement aerial ladder truck, but residents won’t see it for about three years, with the price tag around $2.2 million. Food Safety Watch: USDA expanded a public health alert tied to a dairy recall, adding more frozen pizza and snack items and warning buyers not to eat or sell the listed products. Local Governance & Data Centers: In Nodaway County, residents are pushing for AI data-center limits tied to water and zoning fears, while a letter urges commissioners to act. Business & Consumer: Diesel prices in Douglas County dipped to $4.99 in the week ending May 9, though Missouri’s average stayed higher at $5.25.

PBM Crackdown: U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren reintroduced the Patients Before Monopolies Act, aiming to stop Pharmacy Benefit Managers from owning pharmacies and squeezing drug prices. Missouri Courts: A Missouri consumer filed a class-action lawsuit against Good Day Farm, alleging the state’s biggest dispensary chain conspired to monopolize recreational cannabis sales and overcharge customers. Public Safety: Prosecutors are seeking murder charges in the death of a Moberly teen, with additional suspects still facing related allegations. Statehouse Watch: Missouri lawmakers adjourned without advancing a constitutional ballot step that would have let child sexual abuse survivors bring older civil claims. Energy: The Missouri DNR’s Division of Energy will hold an open forum May 18 in Jefferson City on the State Energy Plan. Local Government: Boone County commissioners set a public hearing on a proposed jail sales tax for the Aug. 4 ballot. Business/Tech: Nebius plans to expand AI operations in Independence, targeting 130 jobs.

Missouri Capitol Wrap: The 2026 session ended Friday with GOP wins and fewer late-session meltdowns, including a push to ask voters to phase out the state income tax, plus a new state budget and health-care expansions. Gaming Fight: Lawmakers again rejected legalizing video gambling machines, killing the 2026 push after a Senate committee vote. Downtown Incentives: A new Missouri incentive package would let cities create “innovation districts,” offering tax credits to convert office space to housing—aimed at accelerating redevelopment in downtown St. Louis. Energy & Agriculture Pressure: Evergy reported higher profits after Kansas approved a rate hike, while Missouri-area farmers say diesel costs are squeezing livestock raising and processing. Workforce Reality Check: A new report finds young job seekers in Kansas City and beyond facing a “low-hire, low-fire” market. Local Business & Community: A Republic Fire Department rope-rescue grant will replace gear used in recent grain-bin emergencies, and Three Rivers College and Farm Credit Southeast Missouri are set to cut the ribbon on a new ag classroom.

Gun Control Fight: Virginia’s new “assault firearms” ban is already hitting the courts, with gun-rights groups filing quick challenges after Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed the measure. Opioid Money: Delaware’s Purdue Pharma settlement is now legally effective, and Missouri is set to receive $27M from the broader opioid settlement. Energy & Policy: Missouri’s DNR is set to hold a public forum Monday on updates to the State Energy Plan, as the state weighs a fast-changing energy landscape. Local Economy & Jobs: A new report highlights a “low-hire, low-fire” job market for young workers in Kansas City and beyond. Education & Pay: Maryville R-II approved staff raises after voters backed a school funding measure. Sports: Pike High’s Isaiah Hill committed to Purdue, ending a long recruitment. Business/Legal: Good Day Farm faces a second antitrust lawsuit in two weeks.

Workforce Pressure: A new report-style look at Kansas City and beyond finds young job seekers stuck in a “low-hire, low-fire” market, with graduates applying for months and still not landing even basic roles. Higher Ed & Talent: Fort Hays State’s Tiger Media Network swept top honors again in regional TV production awards, including a live sports broadcast win. Housing & Local Finance: Hays, Kansas is weighing low-income housing projects that hinge on competitive state tax credits, while Columbia braces for major campus construction road closures tied to an energy center. Public Safety & Justice: A Kansas jury convicted Andrea Cothran of first-degree murder in the 2023 death of Officer Jonah Oswald, with neighbors tying fresh blue ribbons after the verdict. Policy Watch: Missouri’s porn-age-verification bill is headed to Gov. Mike Kehoe, codifying existing enforcement with third-party checks. Science & Economic Growth: Mizzou broke ground on a $40M radioisotope science center, pitching it as part of a “nuclear renaissance” and a boost for cancer treatment supply. Business & Competition: Good Day Farm faces a second Missouri antitrust lawsuit in two weeks, alleging license webs that limit competition and push up prices.

E15 Fight: Missouri’s ag groups are pushing back as the House moves year-round E15 forward, while the American Soybean Association says the backlash is tied to added small refinery exemption language—not the ethanol plan itself. Local Workforce: YouthBuild trainees showed off construction skills at the Missouri Capitol, spotlighting hands-on pathways into jobs. Healthcare Safety: A Penn State Health sterile processing crisis is drawing national attention to how backlogs and staffing strain can raise patient-safety risks. Livestock Watch: The NCBA is urging stronger surveillance as the Asian longhorned tick spreads west toward Missouri. Road & Transit: MoDOT is planning Route FF repairs near Parkville to improve drainage, pavement, and safety. Business & Growth: Ameren won approval for a Callaway County solar project, and the American Royal says major events will shift to a new Kansas campus starting this fall. Community Life: Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford reopens after major upgrades, and Kansas City weighs extending bar hours during the World Cup.

Housing Pressure in Kansas: Hays city commissioners are set to hear a Sunrise Park improvements update and, more importantly, two affordable-housing proposals that hinge on state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits—if the credits don’t land, the projects likely stall. Energy Watch: Missouri regulators approved Ameren’s 250-megawatt solar plan in Callaway County near the nuclear plant, citing the need for more generation as demand rises. Workforce Reality Check: A new report says young job seekers in Kansas and Missouri are running into a “low-hire, low-fire” market, with graduates struggling to land even entry-level roles. Public Safety & Crime: The FBI arrested a Missouri man accused of posting bomb-making tutorials tied to the New Orleans Bourbon Street attack. Politics & Prices: The House passed year-round E15 sales, while inflation data shows gas-driven price pressure continues. Local Life: Kansas City is spending $15 million to prep for the World Cup, with sidewalks, lighting, and cameras among the upgrades.

AI + Data Centers Backlash: Nebius broke ground on a gigawatt-scale AI factory campus in Independence, promising steps to limit local impact like water use plus noise and lighting controls—while critics keep pushing back on the broader strain data centers put on communities. Energy + Cost of Living: The fight over a federal gas tax pause is heating up nationwide as prices stay stubborn, with trucking groups warning against the idea and drivers watching every pump change. Missouri Workforce + Education: The Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation backed career and technical education with $50,000 across 51 grants statewide, aiming to strengthen career pathways and job-ready skills. Housing Pressure: In Hays, Kansas, officials are weighing low-income housing plans that hinge on competitive tax credits and industrial revenue bond sales-tax exemptions. Public Safety: Kansas City homicide investigators are treating a Monday shooting as a homicide case after a man died from stab wounds; a person of interest is in custody.

Federal Gas Tax Push: President Trump says he’ll move to suspend the federal gasoline tax to blunt Iran-driven price spikes, but Congress has to approve it—and analysts warn the savings could be small and short-lived. Missouri Energy & Infrastructure: Evergy won partial approval for a south-central Kansas transmission line, while MoDOT begins Missouri Boulevard widening in Jefferson City with weekday lane closures. Public Safety & Courts: Missouri prosecutors charged a man tied to online bomb-making tutorials allegedly used in the New Orleans attack; separate cases also allege a multi-state diesel theft scheme. Regulation & Politics: A Missouri House committee killed an AI regulation bill aimed at elections and healthcare. Local Economy: Columbia REDI praised the $441M I-70 widening project, and Kansas regulators approved part of Evergy’s transmission route—after landowner concerns. Tech & Health: FDA commissioner Marty Makary was ousted, with Kyle Diamantas named interim. Data Centers Backlash: Festus voters ousted city council members after a $6B data center deal controversy.

Gas Tax Push Meets High Prices: President Trump says he’ll move to suspend the federal gasoline tax to blunt Iran-war fuel spikes, but Congress must approve it; AAA puts the national average near $4.52 a gallon. Missouri Roads & Construction: MoDOT is shifting westbound I-70 traffic near Kingdom City for lane work, with ramps and lane changes affecting drivers for months, while a new roundabout interchange opens this week. Agriculture Watch: USDA reports Missouri corn planting is about two-thirds done, and winter wheat production is set to drop sharply year over year. Higher Ed Costs: Northwest Missouri State University approved a 3% tuition increase for undergrads. Opioid Settlement: Missouri is set to receive $91M+ from the Purdue Pharma opioid settlement now in effect. Health & Science: A WashU-led personalized vaccine trial shows promise against glioblastoma, and Mizzou researchers are testing engineered algae to pull microplastics from water. Local Business: Kansas City’s Open Doors program is placing small businesses into empty storefronts, including a Midtown swimwear shop.

Gas Tax Push: President Trump says he supports suspending the federal gasoline tax—“till it’s appropriate”—as the national average hits about $4.52 a gallon, with Missouri drivers feeling the pinch and Sen. Josh Hawley backing a 90-day pause (gas and diesel) that still needs Congress. Missouri Energy Fight: The Missouri legislature is stalled over how to finance new nuclear plants, with lawmakers debating “construction work in progress” charges that could shift costs to ratepayers. Local Housing Moves: In Hays, two affordable housing projects are advancing via industrial revenue bonds tied to sales-tax exemptions, but low-income tax credits are the make-or-break step for whether construction proceeds. Public Safety: Prosecutors charged an Ellisville man in the I-70 pursuit with multiple felonies, including allegations he fired at law enforcement and drove through work zones at high speeds. Nationwide Environment: The Interior Department is canceling a rule that treated conservation and development equally on public lands.

Gas Tax Showdown: President Trump says he’ll reduce the federal gasoline tax “till it’s appropriate,” as the Iran standoff keeps pump prices elevated and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley backs a bill to suspend it—though analysts warn the savings may not fully reach drivers. Grid Cost Pressure: A new Reuters review spotlights how “construction work in progress” rules let utilities charge customers for power projects before they’re built, with Missouri among states that have shifted policy to meet data-center demand. Defense Tech Rollout: The Pentagon picked five U.S. bases for an anti-drone pilot, including Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, as directed-energy systems move from trials toward operations. Local Housing Moves: In Hays, Kansas, city leaders are weighing affordable housing proposals that hinge on Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and industrial revenue bonds for construction sales-tax breaks. Business Deal: Drummond Scientific is buying St. Louis glass-capillary maker Accu-Glass, expanding its MedTech supply chain.

In the past 12 hours, Missouri-focused coverage is anchored by state budget and education fallout, plus a mix of local government and business developments. A report says Missouri lawmakers passed a $50.7 billion state budget after a final fight over school spending, with the dispute tied to how much the budget assumes the Missouri Lottery will generate for education funding. The same day’s coverage also includes a public meeting notice for a U.S. Route 63 conceptual study in Adair and Schuyler counties, and a Monett comprehensive plan open-house unveiling a 147-page land-use document covering the next 20 years.

Several items in the last 12 hours are more “community and economy” than policy, but still show active local change. The Maryville High School principal (Thom Alvarez) is described as moving into a remote educational specialist role at the University of Missouri, continuing work with students transitioning from high school to post-secondary life. In labor and industry, 1,350 Olin employees ratified a revised contract, ending a month-long strike at the Winchester ammunition factory in Independence. Other business/expansion signals include Lightbridge Academy reporting continued growth with awards and new center openings, and Kansas City’s Sallee promoting a new COO to oversee development and construction operations.

Beyond Missouri, the most prominent “national/international” thread in the last 12 hours is healthcare and immigration. A California Hospital Association filing reports hospitals are suing Anthem/Elevance over a policy that penalizes facilities for using out-of-network radiologists, seeking to block changes that would begin June 1. Separately, a Springdale, Arkansas immigration crackdown story presents personal accounts of fear and disruption, including claims that immigration authorities have arrested at least 65 people since mid-November and that many had no prior criminal record.

Looking across the broader 7-day window, there’s continuity in Missouri’s policy and economic themes—especially around budgets, agriculture, and data centers. Earlier coverage includes Missouri’s $48.7 billion operating budget passage and ongoing debate about data centers’ risks and rewards, alongside a “skinny” farm bill analysis noting SNAP cuts and how they may be harder to reverse once locked in. The older material also adds context for infrastructure and planning, such as transportation program comment periods and other regional development discussions, but the most recent 12-hour evidence is where the clearest “what changed today” signals appear (budget/education, Olin labor resolution, and new local planning meetings).

Missouri Business Gazette coverage over the past day is dominated by state policy and cost-of-living pressures, with several items also pointing to ongoing infrastructure and economic development debates. The biggest Missouri policy development in the last 12 hours was the passage of Missouri’s fiscal 2027 operating budget: lawmakers approved a $48.7 billion operating budget (with $2 billion for construction/building maintenance), bringing the total to $50.7 billion. Reporting also highlights that the final budget included compromises around education funding and lottery assumptions, after a late-stage fight over whether education money depended too heavily on lottery performance.

A second major thread is the state’s energy and infrastructure planning—especially around data centers and electricity demand. Missouri lawmakers heard from industry experts about the “data center boom,” including Ameren Missouri’s plan to increase generation capacity and the regulatory framework requiring data centers to pay connection costs and enter long-term electricity contracts. At the same time, the coverage reflects local and political friction around data centers: a Gardner, Missouri report says residents celebrated after a data center developer withdrew its application, and another story describes how data-center proposals can trigger intense public backlash elsewhere (including a Utah project tied to Kevin O’Leary).

Cost pressures and public safety issues also feature prominently. Multiple stories focus on rising gas prices and their ripple effects—ranging from warnings that prices could reach $5 in the Kansas City area to reports that high fuel costs are already forcing Missouri businesses to adjust delivery strategies. On public safety, coverage includes Missouri work-zone crash reporting (including a fatality tied to a construction traffic-control situation) and a Missouri Senate action shutting down a bill that would have regulated “no chance” slot machines—effectively ending a legal pathway for those devices.

Beyond Missouri, the last 12 hours include broader political and social developments that may still matter to Missouri audiences, particularly around redistricting and national election dynamics. Tennessee redistricting coverage describes Republicans advancing plans that could reshape majority-Black congressional districts amid a U.S. Supreme Court shift weakening the Voting Rights Act’s race-based approach. The same national redistricting push is also described as continuing in other Southern states despite protests and objections.

Older items from the 3–7 day window provide continuity on Missouri’s budget and governance environment (including additional discussion of Missouri’s final budget plan and education funding), while also showing how the data-center debate is evolving from general policy discussion into specific local fights (e.g., Independence residents protesting a proposed $6.6B data center project). However, the most recent evidence is richer on budgets, gas prices, and data-center policy than on any single Missouri business-sector event, suggesting the current news cycle is more about setting conditions (costs, regulation, infrastructure) than about one-off corporate breakthroughs.