After an audit last year determined the former city clerk of Center misappropriated more than $300,000, State Auditor Nicole Galloway has issued a follow-up report measuring the progress made to implement the audit’s recommendations. While officials in the Ralls County town of 500 have taken some measures to better safeguard public funds, the follow-up report […]
Category: State News
Missouri Attorney General’s push to sue every school with mask mandate heads to court next week
(Missouri Independent) – Orders requiring school children to wear masks in class will be tested in court next week when a Boone County judge will be asked to decide if Attorney General Eric Schmitt can sue every district in the state in a single case. Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs has set a hearing for 9 […]
Missouri State Treasurer joins coalition of 22 state financial officers opposing proposed IRS overreach
The Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick announced he has joined a coalition of 22 State Treasurers and state financial officers to speak out against proposals that would require financial institutions to turn over private citizens’ personal bank account information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) if they exceed $600 of inflows or outflows from the […]
Video: Hawley grills Facebook Vice President about safety of platforms like Facebook and Instagram
During Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee hearing, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) grilled Steve Satterfield, Facebook’s Vice President of Privacy & Public Policy, about the safety of platforms like Instagram and Facebook for teenage users. Satterfield repeatedly declined to provide clarity on internal research from Facebook showing the negative effects their services have on users. When Senator […]
State of Missouri extends monoclonal antibody treatment contract
Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri’s six state-contracted monoclonal antibody treatment sites will be operational for an additional 30 days. “Monoclonal antibody treatments have been successful for many COVID-19 patients and have allowed us to lessen the strain on Missouri’s health care systems,” Governor Parson said. “However, this treatment is not a replacement for the vaccine. Encouraging more […]
Deadline for entries for fourth “MO VIP” drawing is today
More than 600,000 vaccinated Missourians have entered the MO VIP, Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccine incentive program, for a shot at $10,000. The statewide program was launched on July 21. The fourth of five drawings will take place Friday, with the deadline for new entries being Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 11:59 p.m. Winners of the program’s third drawing have […]
Missouri man sentenced to 11 years in prison, without parole, for meth and illegal firearms
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for possessing methamphetamine to distribute and for illegally possessing firearms. Nathan Scott Thomas, 42, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 11 years in federal prison without parole. On May 3, 2021, Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with […]
Jury convicts Missouri man of illegal firearm
A Missouri man has been convicted by a federal trial jury of illegally possessing a firearm. Jeremiah Ezekiel Brown, 36, of Columbia, was found guilty on Monday, Sept. 20, of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Brown was arrested by a Columbia police detective during a traffic stop on Nov. 24, 2020. The […]
Missouri Department of Conservation invites women to free wingshooting event on October 16
The Missouri Department of Conservation will offer a free Women on the Wing Bird Hunt event from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on October 16, 2021, near Mendon. This event will be held at Ringneck Farms, a game farm in northwestern Chariton County. Participants will learn about the techniques, gear, and strategies for hunting upland […]
Lawsuit filed by lobbyist accuses MOSERS of violating Missouri Sunshine Law
(Missouri Independent) – A new lawsuit will test whether public agencies can hide how much they are paying attorneys and determine how far they must go in searching for records sought under the Missouri Sunshine Law. The lawsuit, filed Sept. 10 in Jefferson City by lobbyist John Gaskin of Flotron McIntosh, accuses the Missouri State Employees […]
Federal court hears arguments on Missouri abortion ban with no rape, incest exception
(Missouri Independent) – The fate of Missouri’s ban on abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy, with no exception for rape or incest, rests in the hands of a panel of federal judges. Arguments Tuesday before the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, and questions from the judges, focused almost exclusively on another provision […]
Big BAM, Bicycle Across Missouri set to roll on October 11
The next edition of Missouri’s Big BAM, Bicycle Across Missouri, is just three weeks away, with more than 100 cyclists already registered and plenty of room for more to join the cross-state trek on the Katy Trail. The recreational autumn ride takes place October 11 through October 15, 2021. Day 1 is 36 miles from […]
Learn black bear hunting basics during a Missouri Department of Conservation virtual program September 30
Four hundred Missourians were drawn to participate in this year’s inaugural black bear hunt, slated to open Oct. 18. Those hunters were invited to attend special education programs to prepare for their hunt, but the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is now opening the educational opportunity to the public. Learn about black bear hunting at […]
Audio: New law compels Missouri to join rest of nation and create a statewide prescription drug monitoring program
Missouri will no longer be the only state in the nation without a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. A new state law has begun that will allow the creation of the database – for doctors to check for cases of suspected drug misuse. State Senator Holly Rehder has sponsored the legislation for nine years. Rehder, […]
Governor Parson announces three appointments to various boards, fills two county office vacancies
Governor Mike Parson announced three appointments to various boards and commissions and filled two-county office vacancies. Teresa Creek, of Memphis, was appointed as the Scotland County Recorder of Deeds. Ms. Creek has served as the Deputy Recorder for the Scotland County Recorder of Deeds Office since 2019. Prior to joining the Recorder’s Office, she worked as […]
Missouri Attorney General Files Brief in support of Texas lawsuit that allows migrants to be expelled
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a brief in support of Texas’ lawsuit against the Biden Administration over their proposed exceptions to the Title 42 program. Title 42 is a President Trump-era rule that allows for the federal government to expel migrants who are immigrating from a country where communicable disease is or was present. […]
Missouri lawmakers buck national trend by establishing police “Bill of Rights”
(Missouri Independent) – On the final day of the 2021 legislative session in May, Missouri lawmakers passed a “law enforcement bill of rights” that gives officers special legal protections and closes files to police misconduct. When Gov. Mike Parson signed it into law in July, the bill of rights portion was largely overshadowed in press […]
Groups see Missouri proposals as voter-suppression attempts
As lawmakers in Congress work to expand access to voting, members of the Missouri Legislature are proposing laws their critics say would limit people’s ability to vote. State legislative committees on elections convened last week to discuss measures that would impose a stricter voter ID law, require election officials to purge voter rolls more frequently, and others. Luz […]
Audio: MoDOT needs emergency snow plow drivers for cold weather months
The Missouri Department of Transportation needs part-time emergency snow plow drivers for the upcoming cold weather months. Without these positions filled when the hardest of winter hits, MoDOT Assistant District Engineer Kevin James says he worries it will affect not only people’s commutes to work but also the transport of goods across Missouri. […]
Missouri trucker sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole, for transporting minors across state lines and sexually assaulting them
A Missouri, truck driver was sentenced in federal court for transporting two Missouri teenagers across state lines and sexually assaulting them. Cleveland Lee Crumsey, 38, of Republic Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Crumsey to spend the rest of his […]