(Missouri Independent) – Former Trump administration officials and conservative and libertarian nonprofits have launched lawsuits to block federal relief funds aimed at Black and minority farmers—a development that House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott of Georgia calls “an evil system at work here.” Suits have been filed in Florida, Wisconsin, and Texas that says it’s […]
Tag: attorney
Trenton City Council addresses complaints on residential trash pickup, approve bid for water plant
After discussing trash service complaints received by councilmen and the staff of Trenton City Hall, the Trenton City Council on Monday night requested the owner of Rapid Removal Disposal to attend an upcoming meeting of the council. Administrator Ron Urton, who brought up the topic, said the city does the residential billing for Rapid Removal […]
Audio: Missouri Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in Missouri Medicaid expansion lawsuit case in July
Missouri’s high-profile Medicaid expansion lawsuit case will go before the state’s highest court in July. The attorney for the three women suing Missouri over Medicaid expansion says the Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case on July 13 in Jefferson City. The same two attorneys who argued the case in […]
Missouri Attorney General obtains $150,000 Medicaid fraud settlement
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has obtained a $150,000 settlement against a former Poplar Bluff Medicaid provider for falsely billing services that weren’t provided. “My Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works tirelessly to root out, investigate, and prosecute instances of Medicaid fraud across the state of Missouri,” […]
Missouri man arrested while attempting to sell stolen guns pleads guilty to illegal firearms
A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing two firearms that he stole from a car and attempted to sell outside a nearby hotel. Edward J. Kelly Jr., 39, of Independence, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. […]
Missouri Attorney General recoups $156,000 in restitution, settles case against Jim Bakker and Morningside Church
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt today announced that his office has recovered $156,000 and obtained a consent judgment against Jim Bakker and Morningside Church Productions. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office filed suit against Bakker and Morningside Church Productions back in March of 2020 for marketing “silver solution” as a potential cure for the Coronavirus. The […]
Judge strikes down Missouri Medicaid expansion as unconstitutional
The push to expand Medicaid eligibility in Missouri was dealt another blow on Wednesday, as a Cole County judge ruled the voter-approved initiative was unconstitutional because it didn’t include a way to pay for 275,000 new enrollees. Plaintiffs, which include three people who would have been eligible for Medicaid on July 1 if the expansion […]
Texas man sentenced to 40 years in prison for running child obscenity website
A Texas man was sentenced in the Western District of Texas to 40 years in prison for multiple obscenity crimes involving children. Thomas Alan Arthur, 65, of Terlingua, was convicted by a federal jury on Jan. 21, 2021, of three counts of trafficking in obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of a child, five […]
Kansas City man sentenced to 10 years, without parole, for illegal firearm
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm. Kenneth E. Barbee Jr., 34, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 23, 2020, Barbee was found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of […]
Missouri man sentenced to 15 years in prison, without parole, for illegal firearms and drug trafficking
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms that were linked to several shootings. Marck E. Fristoe, 28, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 9, 2020, Fristoe pleaded guilty to one count of […]
Missouri man sentenced to 10 years in prison, without parole, for illegal firearm
A Missouri, man who led police officers on a chase in a stolen car, causing a collision with another vehicle, was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm. Cameron D. Smith, 25, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole. On Jan. 27, […]
Missouri Attorney General joins letter urging Congress to restore Hyde Amendment to prohibit taxpayer funding of abortions
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and 21 other state attorneys general wrote to congressional leaders on Monday, urging Congress to keep the Hyde Amendment in the 2022 budget. The amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortions was not included in the Biden Administration’s budget. The Hyde Amendment has been included in federal budgets […]
Audio: Missouri judge plans to issue a ruling by Wednesday in Missouri’s Medicaid expansion lawsuit
A judge in mid-Missouri’s Cole County expects to issue his decision in Missouri’s Medicaid expansion lawsuit by tomorrow (Wednesday). Brian Hauswirth covered Monday’s hearing in Jefferson City: Three Missouri women are suing the state over the issue of Medicaid expansion. They note 53 percent of Missouri voters approved Amendment Two in August. Their […]
Audio: Missouri Public Defender System prepares to hire 53 new attorneys, biggest staffing increase since around 1989
If Gov. Mike Parson does not make changes to the Missouri Public Defender System’s next budget, the office is on track to get its largest staffing increase since about 1989. Director Mary Fox tells Missourinet 53 new public defenders would be hired statewide. “This is going to make a huge difference in terms […]
Audio: US Justice Department says “not so fast” to new Missouri law that supersedes federal gun laws
The US Justice Department is warning officials in Missouri that the state can’t ignore federal law after the governor signed a bill that bans police from enforcing federal gun rules. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause outweighs the measure that Gov. Mike Parson signed into law. The […]
Audio: Missouri leaders respond to Department of Justice’s warning about state’s new gun law
Missouri has responded to the U.S. Justice Department’s warning about a new gun bill signed into state law. The US Justice Department says Missouri cannot ignore federal law after Governor Parson signed a bill last weekend that bans police from enforcing federal gun regulations. Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton says the law […]
Missouri hospitals sue to block changes in Medicaid payments
(Missouri Independent) – After obtaining some relief from lawmakers for revenue cuts likely from a change in the way Medicaid pays for outpatient services, Missouri hospitals are asking the courts for relief from a coming change in payments for inpatient care. The Missouri Hospital Association on Friday filed a lawsuit in Cole County alleging the Department of […]
Owner of school sentenced to prison for defrauding program dedicated to rehabilitating disabled military veterans
A Maryland man was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution for defrauding a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program dedicated to rehabilitating military veterans with disabilities. According to court documents, Francis Engles, 65, of Bowie, was the owner and operator of Engles Security Training School (Engles […]
Missouri Attorney General opposes reinstatement of overreaching WOTUS rule in Letter to EPA and Army Corps of Engineers
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, opposing their recent move to reconsider the more limited Navigable Waters Protection Rule, a President Trump-era rule that reversed the 2015 Obama-era Waters of the United States rule. EPA Administrator Michael Regan and the […]