(Missouri Independent) – School districts are not subject to the law Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is using to challenge masks mandates in classrooms, attorneys for Columbia Public Schools wrote in a court filing seeking dismissal of a lawsuit initiated last month. The district also challenges Schmitt’s standing to file the lawsuit, argues that he is […]
Tag: administration
Who will get a booster shot? A Question and Answer about what the feds are saying
(Missouri Independent) – Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels […]
Missouri Attorney General seeks court order to force Biden Administration to reimplement the “Remain in Mexico” policy
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed a motion to enforce a permanent injunction and for expedited discovery, which seeks a court order from the District Court to compel the Biden Administration to reimplement the Migrant Protection Protocols, or “Remain in Mexico” Policy. “We sued the Biden Administration in April over their cancellation of the […]
Hy-Vee now offering free Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccines to eligible individuals
Hy-Vee, Inc. announces that free Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster doses are now available at Hy-Vee’s more than 275 Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations across its eight-state region. The new booster, recently approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommended for the following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients at least six months […]
USDA and HHS launch resource guide to help rural communities increase access to child care services
United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson and Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development Katie Hamm today unveiled a joint resource guide (PDF, 3.5 MB) to help people in rural and Tribal communities increase access to child care services. “Access to quality, affordable […]
Caldwell County Cares Coalition receives $100,000 grant to address alcohol and substance abuse issues
The Caldwell County Cares Coalition has received funding to address alcohol and substance use issues. The group received a Mega Grant Award for $100,000 from Preferred Family Healthcare Prevention. The 3C Power in Prevention project will be a joint effort of sectors of Caldwell, Daviess, and DeKalb counties. It will implement a three-fold initiative that […]
Grundy County Health Department reports on COVID-19 cases, announces vaccine clinics
The Grundy County Health Department reports another COVID-19-related death, bringing the total to 49. Thirty-five new COVID-19 cases have also been added since September 14th, making that total 1,654. Health Department Administrator Elizabeth Gibson notes the positivity rate for the last 14 days is 14.6%. The number of active cases went down five from September […]
Audio: Missouri Bankers Association opposes Biden’s plan to keep further tabs on bank transactions and accounts
A Biden Administration proposal attempts to track cash transactions being made to avoid taxes but has drawn strong opposition by the Missouri Bankers Association. Executive Vice President of Member Services Jackson Hataway says it makes no sense to require banks to keep track of every $600 transfer and every $600 account.
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Immigration reform blocked from reconciliation bill in Congress, but Democrats vow to try again
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Senate parliamentarian has turned down a plan to include a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented people in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, a blow for Democrats and immigration advocacy groups when the decision was disclosed late Sunday. “We are deeply disappointed in this decision but the fight to […]
Struggle over tax break for inherited farmland churns below surface in reconciliation bill
(Missouri Independent) – Agricultural groups and farm-state lawmakers notched a significant win when U.S. House Democrats chose not to touch a big tax break for inherited property, avoiding, for now, a confrontation. But opponents remain wary that the idea could come back at any time as Democrats shape their massive $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, and […]
USDA extends deadline to apply for pandemic assistance to livestock producers with animal losses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing additional time for livestock and poultry producers to apply for the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program. Producers who suffered losses during the pandemic due to insufficient access to processing may now apply for assistance for those losses and the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animals through Oct. […]
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 […]
USDA launches resource guide to assist rural communities seeking disaster and recovery assistance
United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson today unveiled a resource guide as part of National Preparedness Month to help rural communities seeking disaster resiliency and recovery assistance. This guide follows the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement of the American Jobs Plan, which targets investments to support infrastructure in communities that are most physically […]
Community Foundation of Northwest Missouri announces local scholarship awards
The Community Foundation of Northwest Missouri, Inc. is excited to announce 184 individual scholarships were awarded in the amount of $214,300 to graduating seniors in the Class of 2021. The Community Foundation administers 98 scholarship funds for students in the 18 counties of Northwest Missouri and beyond. The following high schools had at least one […]
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 […]
Audio: Federal worker vaccine mandate expected to drive nursing home workers out the door
The Biden Administration is expected to require nursing home workers to get their COVID-19 vaccination. In Missouri, about 50-percent of nursing home employees have been vaccinated, one of the worst rates in the country, according to federal data. Nikki Strong with the Missouri Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes across the state, says a […]