Missouri State Capitol courtesy of WikiMedia

Missouri Republicans maintain supermajorities in House and Senate

(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Democrats had another disappointing night in legislative elections Tuesday, losing in two state Senate districts crucial to their hopes of cracking the Republican supermajority in the upper chamber. Republicans held a key Senate seat by re-electing Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden of Columbia in the 19th District in central Missouri. As […]

Presidential Election 2020

Audio: Political scientist in Missouri says predicting outcome of election night will be challenging this time

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 […]

North Central Missouri Development Alliance or NCMDA

NCMDA board member Jackie Soptic: “Technology and internet revolutionize economic development”

North Central Missouri Development Alliance Board Member Jackie Soptic says technology and the internet have revolutionized economic development. Site selectors and companies can visit a location from their home or office by reading statistics and demographic information.     The United States Census also provides data on demographics. Soptic says that data should be used […]

Apprentice News Graphic

Missouri continues to lead nation in Registered Apprenticeship efforts

For the second year in a row, Missouri ranks second in the nation for completed apprenticeships. Missouri saw 3,388 Registered Apprenticeships completed in FY 2020, more than any other state except California. Missouri currently has more than 13,560 active apprenticeships, participating in 489 registered programs. Through Registered Apprenticeships, workers obtain on-the-job training through a paid […]

School Lunches by Anton Murygin

Trump administration extends free meals for kids for entire school year

 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending flexibilities to allow free meals to continue to be available to all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year. This unprecedented move is part of USDA’s unwavering commitment to ensuring all children across America have access to nutritious food […]

McCloskeys Defending Home in St. Louis

Missouri’s governor releases $133 million in funding; says he’d pardon the McCloskeys

Missouri’s governor has announced that he is releasing about $133 million in funding that was previously withheld, saying the state’s unemployment rate has improved and state revenues outpaced expectations. Governor Mike Parson (R) made the announcement Wednesday afternoon in Jefferson City while addressing Capitol reporters. He’s releasing $95 million in CARES Act funding and $40 million […]

Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission website

Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to require annual de-escalation and implicit bias training

The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission has voted to require annual training in de-escalation techniques and recognizing implicit bias for all Missouri law enforcement officers. Missouri officers will take a one-hour course in each area as part of their required 24-hours of annual continuing education training. “At its June meeting, I challenged the […]