# @thekansascitystar on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct6guO3MlTh
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/18810437-thekansascitystar-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/b76080a2f1.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-06-25T13:00:06.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Kansas City Star (@thekansascitystar) — https://gondola.cc/thekansascitystar

## Caption

Nearly six months ago, when Andrew Bailey was appointed Missouri’s attorney general, some Republicans viewed him as someone who would bring stability to the position — which has seen four attorneys general since 2017.

Others hoped that he would take a more pragmatic approach than his predecessors Sens. Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley, both Republicans who built their statewide profiles with highly-publicized lawsuits against the federal government.

But, since Gov. Mike Parson named him Missouri’s top lawyer, Bailey has shaped the attorney general’s office into his own battleground in the conservative culture wars.

The unelected Republican has pushed the boundaries of the office, attempting to use state law to effectively ban gender-affirming care for both adults and kids in April. He deployed a rarely-used legal maneuver in an effort to take down the top elected prosecutor in St. Louis. He tried to circumvent Republican Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to inflate the cost of a ballot measure to restore abortion rights. And he’s wielded the office to take on President Joe Biden and the federal government, although he has not led many of the lawsuits championed by his office.

As Bailey faces what is expected to be a hotly contested Republican primary in 2024, The Star spoke with more than a dozen lawmakers, lawyers, consultants and advocates about his approach to the position. What emerged from those interviews is a portrait of a man who has used his appointed position as a weapon, aggressively pushing to expand the powers of his office.

Read the full story at the link in our bio.

#Missouri #CultureWars #AndrewBailey #Politics #MOLeg

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## Tags

missouri, culturewars, andrewbailey, politics, moleg

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