Rural Caucus Newsletter, August 7 2026
Missourians proved something mighty important on Tues., Aug. 4th, Rural Democrats: when folks from every corner of the state - in every county - decide enough is enough, even the slickest, big‑money amendments don’t stand a chance. Amendments 4 and 5 came wrapped in fancy packaging, but rural voters saw straight through it. Missouri voters reject income tax phaseout, initiative petition changes • Missouri Independent. Neighbors talked to neighbors and people who don’t agree on much agreed on this: these amendments weren’t written for us, and we weren’t about to let someone else rewrite our constitution to suit themselves. What's interesting to note is Amendment 5 received only 16% of the vote Historic defeats for Missouri GOP priorities raise questions about what comes next • Missouri Independent the lowest level of support for any constitutional amendment since 1912
What happened was the best of Missouri. Small towns showed up. Farm families showed up. Union halls, church basements, VFW posts, and kitchen tables became organizing hubs. Folks didn’t wait for permission or a perfect plan; they just got to work. And because of that grit, those conversations, and that stubborn rural backbone, Missourians sent a loud, clear message: our constitution isn’t for sale, and our communities aren’t pushovers. And as unpopular as the amendments were, let your communities know how their representatives voted: How did your State Rep. vote on Amendments 4 & 5? — Missouri House Democrats — Missouri House Democrats
Elections
Congratulations! to all the Democratic candidates who have advanced to the November General Election. Every single one of them poured months of sweat, shoe leather, and late‑night planning into their campaigns, and it shows. They’ve earned this moment but we all know the primary is just the warm‑up lap.
From now until November is when the rubber really hits the road. This is the stretch where name recognition gets built, doors get knocked, postcards get mailed, county fairs get worked, and every conversation at the grocery store or gas pump matters. Our candidates are ready, but they can’t do it alone. The next three months are where volunteers, local leaders, and everyday Democrats make the difference between a close race and a win. Let’s show up, dig in, and carry this momentum straight through Election Day.
State Fair
We asked for help and you - along with the candidates - are coming through. Open shifts are filling up State Fair Booth Sign-Up - 2026 - Google Sheets but we still need volunteers for:
Sun., Aug. 16th, 3 PM - 5 PM
Mon., Aug. 17th, 3 PM - 5 PM
Fri., Aug. 21st, 3 PM - 5 PM
Sat., Aug. 22nd, 3 PM - 5 PM
Sun., Aug. 23rd, All Shifts (Tent takedown begins around 3:30 PM)
We need volunteers on Wednesday, Aug. 12 to help set up the tent. You can drive right up to the spot - free admission. We’ll get started at 9 AM and, with enough hands, should wrap everything up by noon - if not sooner.
Our "State Fair Best Practices" turned out to be a great collaboration - with participants giving us ideas we can easily incorporate. For those of you who couldn't attend, here is the outline we walked through: State Fair Volunteer Best Practices - Google Docs.
Missouri News
Aug. 7 through Aug. 9 marks Missouri’s tax-free holiday weekend, meaning parents can get items like clothes, school supplies and computers without paying state sales tax. Missouri's 2026 tax holiday starts Aug. 7- Beacon: Kansas City Which couldn't come at a better time: A “typical basket” of school supplies - notebooks, lunch boxes, index cards, etc. - is up nearly 8%. Individual items jumped even more: Lunch boxes: +27%; Notebooks: +23%; Index cards: +22%; Glue sticks: +7.6%, and book bags are up to 20% more than last year, depending on the brand.
Hoskins rejecting the congressional map referendum because HE doesn’t "believe" that redistricting plans are subject to the referendum process goes beyond the pale.: Hoskins rejects Missouri congressional redistricting map referendum | STLPR: Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians, filed a lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court hours after Hoskins rejected their referendum petition: Lawsuit filed after Missouri rejects congressional map referendum - KMBC.
In November, Missourians will once again be asked to decide the fate of abortion rights with Amendment 3. Republicans want voters to repeal the reproductive‑rights amendment approved in 2024 and reinstate a near‑total abortion ban. It’s going to be one of the hottest topics on the ballot. We’re stocked with “Vote NO on 3” buttons for the State Fair, and the Missouri Democratic Party is putting together yard signs. And here’s a bit of genuinely good news: Bloomberg gives $1.25M to Missouri abortion rights campaign as fundraising gap grows • Missouri Independent. Support is building as we head toward November.
The MO Dept. of Commerce and Insurance released preliminary information about health insurance plans and premiums for Missouri's 2027 issouri releases preliminary health insurance rates for 2027 | State News | komu.com and insurance companies are asking for more money: Missouri and Kansas to see double-digit ACA premium hikes again. Insurers jack up rates based on whatever’s getting more expensive - hospital stays, prescription drugs, and how many folks they think will need care. The good news is Missouri regulators don’t just rubber‑stamp it; they can approve the hikes, shrink them, or toss them back and say “try again.” And in a tug‑of‑war over control and money. Doctors want fewer hoops and more direct payment. Insurers want to keep their contracts and justify their cut: Amid federal changes, advocates question the role of private insurers in Missouri Medicaid • Missouri Independent. The state hires private insurance companies to run Medicaid. Those companies take a cut for overhead - admin costs, marketing, executives, profit - all the stuff that isn’t actual medical care. Doctors argue the state doesn’t need those middle‑man costs because Missouri could run Medicaid itself and keep that money in the healthcare system.
Federal changes affecting public assistance programs will begin taking effect over the next several months. The MO Dept. of Social Services encourages Missourians to stay informed by relying on official DSS communications and visiting the department’s H.R.1 website for accurate, up-to-date information: MO. Dept. of Social Services Urges Residents to Stay Informed as Federal H.R.1 Changes Roll Out - Ozark Radio News
National News
Fantastic news for America’s toddlers: Trump has decided that Head Start - the preschool program serving over half a million kids - has just been too helpful, so naturally it’s time to take a chainsaw to it: Head Start preschool regulations axed under Trump and RFK Jr. proposal | AP News.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services opened a 60-day public comment period for the new regulations: Federal Register :: Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs.
Trump's administration is just showing how much suffering they can squeeze out of people who already don’t have much left. And the worst part is they’re proud of it: Trump to HIV and Cancer Patients: Get Back to Work - The American Prospect. The cruelty isn’t a side effect - it’s the whole damn point.
Undeterred by the Supreme Court swatting down his first attempt, Trump is - once again - trying to shrink the number of people born here, saying they aren't American citizens: Trump signs immigration actions on birthright citizenship, 'birth tourism' | AP News. The ACLU called the new orders another attempt to undermine the Constitution: ACLU confident it could defeat Trump's latest birthright citizenship orders
Twenty‑three thousand jobs vanished in July U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July but corporate profits are somehow soaring: US stocks hit records as profits keep piling up and oil prices ease. Funny how the corporations keep creating fewer jobs while raking in more cash - almost like the economy only counts as “strong” when it’s strong for them.
Todd Blanche - being the genuine sleazeball that he is - told "faith leaders" on a private call that he was preparing to take action to roll back abortion access nationwide.from millions of women: Todd Blanche tells anti-abortion groups that he wants to roll back women's rights.
The headline is catchy Trump Expands Family, Medical Leave Benefits: Here’s Who Can Get It - Newsweek He isn’t creating a paid‑leave program people can actually apply for; it’s just dangling a tax credit to employers who might choose to offer paid leave. So the way the policy is structured,the boss gets the benefit. The workers get whatever the boss feels like giving them.
Other News
Powerful lobbyists - especially the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association - are fighting to keep one simple fact off beef labels: where it came from: The Beef Lobby Doesn’t Want You to Know Where Your Beef Comes From. Right now, imported beef can be sold alongside beef raised by U.S. ranchers without shoppers knowing the difference.
Trump‑linked oil guys from Texas are trying to roll up on Greenland like they own the place, hauling in shiploads of drilling gear and acting like they’ve already got permission to poke holes in the Arctic. Greenland’s government is saying, “Uh, no you don’t": Licensed to drill? How a Trump-linked Texas oil company is elbowing its way into Greenland | Greenland | The Guardian. There's Trump‑world donors, former envoys & big money buying stakes, and a ship with containers full of equipment - all for a project Greenland hasn’t approved and said they won't approve.
Homeland Security "Lets hide" Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a waiver clearing dozens of federal protections so the Big Bend Project 5 border barrier could move forward: Bulldozers Descend On Big Bend National Park As Trump Keeps Disfiguring America | HuffPost Latest News. The construction zone runs through the Lower Pecos Canyonlands, an area with thousands of archaeological sites and rock art murals dating back 6,000–10,000 years & DHS contractors plan to use dynamite in areas containing ancient murals. The waiver explicitly suspended laws including:Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA); Archaeological Resources Protection Act; Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act; Paleontological Resources Preservation Act; The Clean Water Act; Clean Air Act; National Environmental Policy Act (forces the government to stop and think before it tears something up) and The Endangered Species Act. And Mullin calls himself “Native”
In closing...
Joshua Dunne
Chair
Jacqueline Farr
Vice-Chair
John Parks
Treasurer
