(Missouri Independent) – Missouri voters on Tuesday repealed a constitutional amendment they enacted in 2018 that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. They replaced it with one that critics contend could forgo the use of total population to draw districts and instead exclude all non-voters, specifically children and non-citizens — tilting the political […]
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says nearly 828,000 mail-in and absentee ballots combined have been returned to the state’s local election authorities for the general election. In the 2016 general election, roughly 282,000 absentee votes were counted. Ashcroft expects about 75% of Missouri’s voters to cast a ballot in the election. […]
The months of campaigning are over and the fate of each candidate on the Missouri general election ballot today rests in the hands of voters. Here is an overview of some of the top races on today’s ballot: Republican Governor Mike Parson is seeking his first full term as Missouri’s chief executive officer. He faces […]
A Missouri, man who led law enforcement officers in a pursuit in Taney County, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing approximately six pounds of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Andrew R. Trammell, 47, of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of possessing 500 grams […]
Missouri has the first state chapter of Heroes to Hives, a program that supports veterans who want to learn beekeeping. New sessions of the free program begin on March 2021, says Karen Funkenbusch, state director of the Missouri AgrAbility Project, which provides education and assistance to farmers and ranchers with disabilities. Enroll at www.heroestohives.com. Army […]
(Missouri Independent) – Across Missouri, local election officials have received 628,395 mail-in and absentee ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s Oct. 27 report. Already, that’s more than twice the total absentee ballots counted in the November 2016 election. While many Missourians have already voted by mail or in-person absentee, many more will head out […]
Missouri is gearing up for Tuesday’s general election. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says initial election results will not be posted online Tuesday night until his office has confirmed that polls across the state are closed. Polling precincts are open statewide from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ashcroft expects about 70 percent of […]
In previous elections, Missouri counties posted absentee ballot results first. For Tuesday’s general election, that practice will vary from county to county. Columbia College Political Science Professor Terry Smith says the change presents a new challenge. Missouri’s local election authorities have received more than 723,000 mail-in and absentee ballots so far for the […]
A Kansas City, Missouri, brother and sister were charged in federal court with the armed robberies of two pizza delivery drivers after a third suspect was killed during a shootout with police officers. Samuel M. David, 18, and his sister Rochelle E. David, 22, were charged in a six-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his office has filed 24 criminal charges and civil action against unlicensed dog breeder Marlisa McAlmond of Cedar Ridge Australians, located in Oregon County. A criminal complaint, filed Wednesday afternoon, details the 24 criminal charges filed against McAlmond, which includes 21 counts of animal abuse, two counts of […]
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Missouri’s three-year loan default rate decreased two-tenths of a percent, keeping Missouri’s rate lower than many of its neighboring states and on par with the national rate. Missouri’s student loan default rate dropped from 9.9 percent to 9.7 percent. The national rate decreased from 10.1 percent to 9.7 […]
(Missouri Independent) – A Missouri family that was denied a license to grow medical marijuana alleged in court this week that outside groups and individuals had undue access to top state officials — and that access led to an opaque process and contributed to the decision to cap the number of licenses granted. To buttress […]
(Missouri Independent) – State governments are unique political bodies that allow for experimentation in how rules and laws affect political outputs. As Justice Louis Brandies pointed out – states are laboratories of democracy. State governments have broad jurisdiction to “tweak” institutional rules and laws. Through this system of government, we can observe the aftermath of […]
The two main gubernatorial candidates are focusing on rural Missouri again Friday and during the final days of the campaign. Governor Mike Parson (R) brings his “Mike works bus tour” to four rural western Missouri towns: his hometown of Bolivar, as well as Clinton, Belton, and El Dorado Springs. He’ll finish Friday evening in Springfield. […]
The latest White House Coronavirus Task Force report ranks Missouri 18th for its rate of new COVID-19 cases. The report, dated October 25, says 87% of all Missouri counties have moderate to high levels of community transmission. St. Louis County, Jackson County, and St. Charles County leads the state in the new case count. Recommendations […]
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says he expects about a 70% voter turnout for the general election. In 2016, Missouri had about a 67% voter turnout. Local election authorities project their jurisdiction’s voter turnout and then Ashcroft’s office compiles a statewide estimate. And this year, at best, it’s going to be a guess because […]
A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm following a shootout at an Independence, Mo., motel. Randy K. McGaugh, 54, of Wellington, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. By pleading guilty, McGaugh admitted that he […]
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for video recording his sexual abuse of a 15-year-old victim. Daren Watts, 28, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Watts will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison […]
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy that distributed more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine in southern Missouri. Eric Eugene Akins, 54, of Monett, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 12 years in federal prison without parole. On Jan. 21, 2020, Akins pleaded guilty […]
The Missouri Small Business Development Center at Northwest Missouri State University, the Missouri Small Business Development Center for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, and University Missouri Extension are partnering to host a Food Safety for Food Processors and Small Businesses webinar on Nov. 17, 2020, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There is no fee to […]
