Rural Caucus Newsletter, June 5th 2026

Written By Butler County Democrats .

Happy Pride Month, Rural Democrats!

This week we joined Democrats from across the Midwest for the inaugural Midwestern Regional Rural Forum hosted by the DNC Rural Council. It was great to see so many Missourians on the call, showing once again that rural voices in our state are organized, engaged, and ready to lead. We heard from the Ohio Democrats’ Rural Caucus and Rust Belt Rising about the strategies they’re using to reach voters where they are - and we’ve attached their slide deck so you can dig into the ideas yourself.

If you’re interested in joining future Midwestern Regional Rural Forums, be sure to fill out the form: Western Regional Rural Forum. There's a place to share your ideas on how to make these calls even better and to recommend speakers you’d like to hear from next time. You’re also encouraged to join the DNC Rural Council: DNC Rural Council - Membership 2026. There are no dues. It’s open to any Democrat who cares about rural issues and wants to help strengthen the voice of rural communities.

Rural Caucus News

  • We borrowed a terrific idea from the DNC’s Storyteller program and created a Missouri version of our own: The Rural Caucus "Be A Storyteller" - Google Forms. This is our way of connecting with folks across the state - to hear what issues matter most to you and to lift up those stories in a people‑first way. Your voice can help shape the narrative about what’s happening in our towns, counties, and rural communities, and why we stand together to push for progress. We're going to post it on our social media later today but we wanted to share it with you first. Be sure to share it on your social media. After about a month or so, we'll take a look at the results.

  • We’re hosting two virtual informational workshops with Amy Blouin, President and CEO of the Missouri Budget Project, on Wednesday, June 24 and Monday, June 29, both at 7 PM. For the last week or so, we've been trying to figure out how to get the MO Budget Project’s information about Amendment 5 - the “Everything Tax” - in front of folks across the state. There’s just no affordable way to hit that many counties in person, so Zoom is the easiest and most effective option. It lets us reach people everywhere without travel costs while still making sure voters get the facts they need. We'll send a separate email with the link and event flyer for you to share. By the way, here's a "Letter to the Editor" template on Amendment 4 and Amendment 5 for your use: LTE Templates - Amendment 4 & Amendment 5 - Google Docs

Missouri News

  • A statewide task force is reviewing how K-12 public schools are funded and wants to hear directly from parents, educators, taxpayers, and community members. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete. Your feedback can help influence decisions that impact students, schools, and communities across Missouri: Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management. This is a great opportunity to share what you believe should be prioritized.

National News

  • Yesterday, Sen. Jon Ossoff brought round two of his amendment to the budget reconciliation package to stop insurance companies from denying or delaying medically necessary care. Three Republicans crossed the aisle to support it but the rest of the GOP blocked it anyway: Susan Collins bucks GOP on amendment to address insurance companies denying medical care. Yeah...it would have killed the funding bill for ICE and DHS, but if the choice is between funding a department that’s already funded and making sure people get time-sensitive medical care on time...hmmm...that’s not a tough call. Honestly, it just shows the Republicans’ priorities aren't with the people who need cancer treatments, heart procedures, imaging and surgeries. Shocking part: Hawley voted for the amendment.

  • Trump invoked the Defense Production Act - a Cold War wartime law meant for actual emergencies - and used it to shovel money into coal projects. Funding coal through wartime powers is outside the norm: Trump uses wartime powers to dole out $700m to ‘clean, beautiful’ coal | Donald Trump | The Guardian. In the past year, Trump has doled out hundreds of millions of dollars to the coal industry, signed orders forcing customers to pay extra to keep ageing plants open, and torn up the environmental rules that kept coal toxins out of our air and water. If there’s a way to make Americans pay more for dirtier energy, he’s checked every box, and he's gaslighting the American people by claiming this move will lower electricity prices in the middle of an energy affordability crisis that he created.

Other News

There's several proposed changes from the Missouri Conservation Commission: Missouri Conservation Commission considers rules on camping, shooting ranges, out-of-state deer hunters - Missourinet. Public comments on the proposed rules can be submitted between July 16 and August 14 here: Public Commenting Opportunities | Missouri Department of Conservation

In closing...

The Supreme Court kicked "Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe" back to the Eighth Circuit: Supreme Court Sends Voting Rights Case Back to the Eighth Circuit - Native American Rights Fund. SCOTUS didn't reinstate the bad ruling, but it also did not overturn it. Although the case originated in North Dakota, it's a decision that matters a great deal for Missouri voters. The case centers on a major question: Can private citizens and civil rights groups bring lawsuits under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, or is that power limited only to the U.S. Department of Justice?

Last year, the Eighth Circuit ruled that private plaintiffs cannot bring Section 2 cases at all - wiping out nearly 60 years of Voting Rights Act enforcement: Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe | Brennan Center for Justice. That ruling would have stripped voters in Missouri and six other states of the ability to challenge racially discriminatory maps or voting rules.

For Missouri, the stakes are high. Because Missouri sits inside the Eighth Circuit, whatever the court decides next will directly apply here. If the Eighth Circuit doubles down and again rules that private citizens cannot sue under Section 2, Missouri voters would lose one of the most important tools they had to fight discriminatory voting laws. Most Voting Rights Act enforcement over the past several decades has come from private plaintiffs, including Black, Native and Latino voters, and rural communities whose representation was diluted by redistricting.

For now, the bottom line is simple: nothing is fixed, nothing is final, but Missouri voters’ ability to defend their own voting rights is in limbo. The next move belongs to the Eighth Circuit - the same court that created this problem in the first place.


Joshua Dunne

Chair

Jacqueline Farr

Vice-Chair

John Parks

Treasurer

Rust Belt Rising Presentation
RC Presentation
Butler County Democrats .
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Rural Caucus Newsletter May 31st 2026