Rural Caucus Newsletter October 2nd 2026

Oct 6

Missourians deserve straight answers about how our votes are handled, Rural Democrats - but that’s not what we're getting from the proudly incompetent Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. He recently announced that his office had “utilized the federal SAVE database to identify approximately 1,000 individuals registered to vote in Missouri that could not be confirmed as United States citizens.” Missouri can keep using disputed federal database to review voter eligibility • Missouri Independent.

What he didn’t mention is that the SAVE database is deeply flawed with outdated records, inaccurate matches, and thousands of people in it who are U.S. citizens Homeland Security’s “SAVE” Program Exacerbates Risks to Voters | Brennan Center for Justice. Yet while leaning on this shaky federal tool, Hoskins’ office now claims the state “can’t comment” on how many voters were removed, arguing that local election authorities maintain voter records, not the state. Hoskins initiated the review. Hoskins generated the list of “potential noncitizens.” Hoskins mailed the letters. But when asked what happened next, Hoskins suddenly throws up its hands and says he has no idea. Those two statements cannot both be true. Hoskins is leaning on the same disputed federal database to question the eligibility of its own voters, while insisting he bears no responsibility for the fallout. When Hoskins pushes the button, generates the list, and sends the letters, he doesn’t get to pretend he wasn’t involved. It’s time to call this what it is: a manufactured crisis built on shaky data and political theater.

And aside from that whole mess, the Postal Service has fully implemented its 2025 Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) "...broad cost-saving measures..." in Missouri (see updated map in article) The Postal Service is slowing delivery. Will your mail ballot be affected? - Democracy Docket. We all know in Missouri, election officials don’t look at postmarks. If your ballot isn’t in their hands by 7 p.m. on Election Day, it’s toast - no matter what the envelope says. Given that reality, rural Democrats cannot afford to pretend USPS is going to deliver every ballot on time. Plan ahead, or risk getting shut out.

All of this is designed to make voters doubt their own power, we’re pushing back the way rural Missourians always do. We’ve created the attached meme - something simple, sharp, shareable and yeah...a little bit of factual snark - that reminds folks exactly what’s at stake and why showing up matters.

Rural Caucus News

We haven’t met for the past few months - between the primary, the State Fair, and all the county‑level reorganizing, we’ve been just as busy as the rest of you, working in our communities to amplify the Democratic message and support our candidates. But the time is coming when we must reorganize. We will reorganize on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 2 PM. To vote or hold office, you’ll need to be a paid member; dues are $12: Missouri Democratic Party Rural Caucus — Donate via ActBlue. When you pay your dues, they will be good through 2027. We'll send the Zoom link closer to the date.

We've been taken to task a couple of times for the attached "Republicans Want to Decide" Amendment 3 meme - pointing out that only certain age groups are included in the gender-affirming care ban. Folks...they’re coming after trans people, cis people who don’t conform, LGBTQ+ Missourians, and anyone outside their rigid little definition box of what's acceptable. A ban on one group is a ban on all.

Missouri News

Did y'all see Kehoe's EO 26-19: Governor Kehoe Signs Executive Order Providing Input Cost Relief to Missouri Agriculture Industry | Governor Mike Kehoe. So what does this mean in practice? #1. Farmers can use dyed diesel in trucks only when hauling agricultural goods under this temporary state exemption — and Missouri’s order doesn’t shield anyone from federal IRS or DOT inspections. #2. It does not create a blanket “farm pickups can run on dyed diesel now.” That talking point is political spin. The exemption is narrow, temporary, and risky if federal inspectors show up. #3. Tractors and combines were already exempt. Kehoe can pause Missouri’s enforcement, but he can’t override federal dyed‑diesel rules. So the “new benefit” sounds big, but nothing major changed.

Missouri thinks that dumping even more paperwork and documentation on SNAP recipients will somehow help them finally hit the federal 6% error‑rate threshold: Missouri adds new paperwork requirements to food assistance as federal penalties loom • Missouri Independent. Hell, they haven’t managed to reach that threshold in umpteen years. If state leaders honestly believe that piling on more forms and hoops will magically fix their error rate, they’re only kidding themselves. A lot of people are gonna' go hungry.

Eric Schmitt. Boy howdy...his major faceplant has been THE news: Eric Schmitts the Bed and Eric Schmitt Confuses Ass with Hole in the Ground and Eric Schmitt's Shock Hearing Faceplant Stuns Media World. This will go down as Caitlin Clark’s greatest assist of all time: Jack Smith game-day texts reviewed by Eric Schmitt never referenced basketball team names. It’s hilarious because Schmitt was almost unknown outside Missouri but now he’s a punchline.

The issue is familiar in Missouri: FEC questions thousands of donations to Eric Schmitt tied to prolific online donors • Missouri Independent. During the last legislative session, lawmakers tightened Missouri’s campaign‑finance rules. State and local candidates now have to get clear consent for recurring donations, send a receipt every time money comes in, and stop those contributions when asked or once the election is over. None of those protections exist at the federal level.

Missouri doesn’t require providers to ask pregnant patients about their mental health, and on the rare occasions they do - for moms in rural Missouri - actually getting help is a whole different battle New moms are dying from mental health conditions in Missouri.

We already have plenty of reasons to fight Amendment 3, but here’s one more coming down the pike that Reproductive Freedom for All flagged: The Washington Sun: White House Officials Told the DOJ to Delay Action on Abortion Ahead of the Midterms - Reproductive Freedom for All®. It makes our fight even more urgent.

Because it's clear that misinformation, disinformation and people simply not knowing what their options are, Missouri Abortion Fund partnered with a Seattle nonprofit called Shout Your Abortion. They provide information about abortion access, including obtaining medication abortion in advance: Missouri nonprofit launches campaign focused on abortion options ahead of November vote • Missouri Independent

National News

American trucking firms aren’t just collapsing out of nowhere - they’re the latest casualties of Trump’s policy landscape from his war with Iran: Mass layoffs, trucking bankruptcies mount amid diesel price shock - Newsweek. This is the predictable result in Trump's economy where cost shocks hit working industries first & working families hardest.

OMG...making Musk one of three co‑leaders of the Weapons Development Project is a colossal bad idea. And every single red flag from Musk’s last government stint is an EF5 tornado.The other two aren't much better but Musk?!: Elon Musk Tapped For Military Weapons Development Project. This is the same Musk who: Ran DOGE like a demolition derby, gutting agencies with no measurable savings. Who left behind lawsuits, cybersecurity concerns, and chaotic management. Who has billions of dollars in active Pentagon contracts - meaning he’s now helping decide what weapons the government should buy while selling weapons to the government: Hegseth puts the future of warfare in the hands of major Maga donors | Trump administration | The Guardian

Hegseth plans to lop off 20% of America’s admirals and generals and declared “no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps” would be tolerated inside the country’s military.- right in the middle of Trump’s war with Iran: Hegseth confirms plan to cut 20% of US top military brass and rails at ‘beardos, weirdos and wimps’ | US military | The Guardian. Nothing says leadership like gutting the top brass and mocking the rank‑and‑file during an active conflict.

The final jobs report before the midterms just landed, and the numbers are brutal: US job growth slams on brakes in September, unemployment ticks up. And - just like clockwork - the previous job numbers got whacked again. July was revised all the way down to a loss of 10,000 jobs. August took a buzz‑cut too, dropping from 162,000 to 133,000. That’s 60,000 fewer jobs than we were originally told. Even Fox Business couldn’t sugarcoat it, telling viewers, “The numbers do not look good.” And this is the last jobs report Americans will see before the midterms: weaker hiring, higher unemployment, big downward revisions, and wages still struggling to keep up with prices: Inflation and Weak Wage Growth Are Keeping Americans' Woes Alive - Business Insider. This is perfect ammo to show - once again - that Republicans do not have working families in the forefront of their priorities. They keep proving it, and we need to point it out every single time.

A new VA report shows more than half of all VA medical centers are now reporting severe staffing shortages. 97% of facilities can't fully staff their doctors, and 58% can't hire enough psychologists: VA Facilities Report Records 4,712 Severe Staffing Shortages, Watchdog Says. This didn't happen in a vacuum. The Trump administration cut roughly 30,000 VA jobs. Now, Veterans are paying the price.

It's long but Trump’s TIME interview shows an unfettered view into his mind - consumed by his own news coverage: What Trump Has Built. It’s alarming, to say the least.

Other News

Friendly reminder! We have until October 6 to tell our government to NOT rescind the Roadless Rule: Tell the U.S. Department of Agriculture: do not rescind the Roadless Rule. | American Rivers. The importance of the Roadless Rule protections cannot be overstated. It has protected some of the last intact forestlands in this country for more than two decades, and gutting it now would be a disaster for rural communities, wildlife, clean water, and the outdoor heritage we actually depend on. Once those protections are gone, it’s open season for road‑building, logging access, and industrial projects that carve up habitat, fragment migration corridors, and damage the watersheds our towns rely on. You don’t get those places back once they’re bulldozed. Make your voices heard!

In closing...

All kids deserve to be safe in school. Every single one. But Trump has - as of Sept. 29th - ripped critical protections out of Title IX HRC | You Get No Say: Trump Administration Abandons Rule Protecting… and doing it in the most heavy‑handed way possible - erasing safeguards for LGBTQ+ students, pregnant and parenting students, and anyone who relies on nondiscrimination rules to learn without fear. These protections weren’t JUST policy tweaks; they were the guardrails that kept schools accountable when students were harassed, pushed out, or denied equal access.

Instead of giving the public a chance to weigh in, the administration didn't even bother with a comment period. They announced they’re wiping the Biden‑era Title IX rule off the books. Period. No hearings. No feedback. No transparency. Just a one-sided wipe out of student protections that took years to build. It’s a power move that puts vulnerable kids at risk and shut out families, educators, and communities entirely from the process.

Now you would think this would be a bit of good news: Trump restores 988 LGBTQ+ crisis line amid respect concerns | Advocate.com. But when they were asked whether counselors would recognize transgender and nonbinary young people’s identities and use their chosen names and pronouns, their answer was: “HHS remains fully aligned with President Trump’s Executive Orders to defend women from gender ideology extremism and restore biological truth to the federal government." So you know what that word salad answer means? A big fat NO. And The Trevor Project’s role - as the nation’s leading organization for suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people - would not be restored in the federal program.