(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson once again on Sunday took aim at a reporter who notified the state of a security flaw in one of its websites, questioning the journalist’s motives and noting he’d support the prosecution of any state employee found to have assisted the reporter. In a TV interview with Scott Faughn, […]
Tag: adding
Audio: Case adding greater protections for rape survivors heads to Missouri Supreme Court
A case heads to the Missouri Supreme Court this week about a state law adding greater protections for sexual assault survivors. The Missouri Supreme Court will hear a case Tuesday about a 2020 law known as the “Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights”. The law streamlines the testing and tracking of rape kits […]
Child safety tips for a safe and happy Halloween
Halloween isn’t just for children. Many adults enjoy dressing up and visiting haunted houses or attending gatherings of friends. If you are driving to a costume party, the Highway Patrol says to make sure your costume doesn’t hamper your vision. If you attend a Halloween party that includes alcohol, designate a sober driver for the […]
Missouri State Treasurer joins Missouri bankers voicing concerns about IRS Proposal
Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick joined Missouri bankers across the state to voice concerns about an Internal Revenue Service proposal requiring financial institutions to turn over financial account information for accounts with inflows or outflows totaling more than $10,000. At stops in St. Charles, Jefferson City, and Springfield, the Treasurer and Missouri financial institution leaders […]
Missouri Attorney General joins 19 state coalition urging Congress to reject legislation that increases energy fees
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a 19-state coalition urging Congress to reject burdensome legislation that would increase fees on energy producers and hit American consumers with even greater price hikes. The two bills in question are the Methane Emissions Reduction Act in the Senate and a provision of the Build Back Better Act in […]
Lawmakers seethe at Missouri agency over failure to report missing foster kids
(Missouri Independent) – Exasperated lawmakers slammed leaders of the Missouri Department of Social Services on Tuesday, accusing them of passing off blame for a federal review that found the state fails to adequately report missing foster children. Tuesday’s hearing of the House Children and Families Committee was spurred by a report issued last week by the U.S […]
USDA to launch loan guarantee initiative to create more market opportunities, strengthen food supply chain
As part of the Administration’s efforts to address food systems challenges arising from the pandemic as well as those going back decades, United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA plans for another $100 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The funding would leverage hundreds of millions more in […]
Prosecutor asks Missouri governor to ignore AG’s demand to be removed from Agape case
(Missouri Independent) – The county prosecutor who Attorney General Eric Schmitt said “does not intend to seek justice” for victims of alleged abuse and neglect at a southwestern Missouri boarding school urged Gov. Mike Parson to not remove Schmitt’s office from assisting in the case. In a letter sent Tuesday, Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty […]
‘A nightmare’: Missouri schools adapt as labor shortages upend school meal supply chain
(Missouri Independent) – Shawndra Taylor had just 12 hours notice when the first truck canceled. The truck contained food to help prepare the 3,000 meals served each day in her school district in Eldon — including items she needed to make dinner for students. Her supplier, Kohl Wholesale in Quincy, Illinois, was too short-staffed. Taylor, […]
Advocates press for action in Congress on voting rights, despite grim outlook
(Missouri Independent) – Activists are ramping up the pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to move on his chamber’s version of a voting rights bill, even though there’s no sign there will be enough Republican support to advance it. Alternatively, they’re pressing for an end to the filibuster, though there’s no indication there would […]
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 […]
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 […]
U.S. House Democrats add more mass transit, high-speed rail into infrastructure bill
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. House transportation panel early Wednesday passed along party lines the panel’s $60 billion slice of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan, adding nearly $20 billion for a new transit program and high-speed rail development in the states. Chairman Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon had considered these and other items underfunded in […]
Missouri lawmakers look to undermine Biden COVID vaccine mandate
(Missouri Independent) – Members of the Missouri House on Wednesday floated the idea of pursuing legislation to undermine a mandate from the Biden administration meant to increase vaccination rates in the U.S. The House Judiciary Committee held what Rep. David Evans said was the first in a series of discussions about vaccine mandates, including an executive order […]
Missouri Department of Agriculture announces grants for funding of urban agriculture projects
The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced funding for the Urban Agriculture Matching Grant Program. The Department will award grants of up to $10,000 for reimbursement of expenses associated with urban agriculture. Eligible projects include urban agricultural projects, which may include introducing a new crop or product to an area, expanding the use of an agricultural […]
Celebrate grasslands at Prairie Day on September 11 at Dunn Ranch Prairie near Eagleville
Native warm-season grasses and wildflowers retain a place in Northwest Missouri pastures because they benefit cattle forage, scenery, and wildlife habitat. The Missouri Department of Conservation and The Nature Conservancy invites the public to enjoy grasslands at a free Prairie Day event on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, at Dunn Ranch Prairie and Pawnee Prairie west […]
COVID cases among children rising as Missouri Delta variant wave enters fifth month
(Missouri Independent) – Clay LaRue, superintendent of the Van Buren R-1 School District, made a tough decision Sunday. With COVID-19 cases spiking in Carter County in southeast Missouri, and many of those infections among very young children, LaRue shut down the district’s pre-kindergarten program for two weeks. He had previously directed faculty, staff, and students […]
NCMC Board of Trustees set tax levy, hear reports on various matters, and hire new employees
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees heard reports on housing and other matters on August 24. Resident Life Director Donnie Hillerman reported one new residence hall is open, and he hopes the other new residence hall will open September 1st. There are some displaced students currently staying in Selby Hall in the wing […]
FDA gives full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
The U.S. has its first fully approved vaccine against COVID-19, with federal health officials announcing Monday the approval of Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine. The green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to move Pfizer’s vaccine from emergency use to full approval is a milestone in the national pandemic response, and one that comes as the […]