Legislation that declares it’s the duty of the courts and law enforcement agencies to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms has been signed into law by Missouri’s governor. GOP Governor Mike Parson signed the Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA) Saturday in Lee’s Summit, where he was joined by the bill […]
(Missouri Independent) – Jeff Jones has lived on his family’s land east of Columbia, Missouri, his entire life. Some of the family’s farms are more than 150 years old. And Jones, who raises cattle and grows row crops, has no intentions of going anywhere. But after years of fighting, his community is home to a […]
(Missouri Independent) – Attorney General Eric Schmitt has determined his office cannot investigate an alleged violation of Missouri’s open records laws by the governor’s office, an interpretation of state law that has transparency advocates alarmed. Missouri’s attorney general’s office is in charge of enforcing the Sunshine Law, which requires meetings, records, votes, actions, and deliberations […]
(Missouri Independent) – Vicky Hartzler made her entry into the 2022 U.S. Senate race official Thursday, kicking off her campaign at a firearms store surrounded by supporters. One day before Republicans gather in Kansas City for their annual Lincoln Days meetings, Hartzler said her experience in Congress will make her the best candidate over the […]
Legislation establishing a Second Amendment Preservation Act will be signed into law Saturday afternoon by Missouri’s governor, in the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit. Governor Mike Parson will sign SAPA Saturday at 2 p.m. at Frontier Justice. House Bill 85 is sponsored by State Rep. Jered Taylor (R-Nixa) and State Sen. Eric Burlison (R-Battlefield). They say […]
(Missouri Independent) – For years after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, activists and community leaders have pushed to “re-envision public safety.” Inspired in part by the Ferguson Commission, which recommended that cities focus more resources on the root causes of crime, organizers across the state echoed these calls. But they largely fell on deaf ears. […]
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri lawmakers were not obligated to fund Medicaid expansion, and the courts cannot force the state to pay the medical bills of people who would be eligible under an initiative that amended the state constitution, the state attorney general’s office argued in documents filed Monday in Cole County Circuit Court. The filing from Attorney […]
The Grundy County Nursing Home District Board of Directors on June 8 discussed the construction project at Sunnyview Nursing Home of Trenton. The meeting was with contractor The Wilson Group, Debbie Berry with the United States Department of Agriculture, and architect Matt Rimiller. Administrator Jerry Doerhoff reports the board discussed the contract change order submitted […]
The Chillicothe Planning and Zoning Board voted June 7 to recommend to the city council amending the zoning at 72 Hickory Street. The petition from property owner Lisa Love Manning requested changing the zoning from Industrial-1 to Residential-3. Zoning Administrator Kevin Shira reports there was a manufactured home on the property, and Industrial-1 does not allow […]
(Missouri Independent) – Even the stuffy, florid name of the procedure, “filibuster” sounds like something conceived around a table of wig-wearing Founding Fathers. While the name has its roots in the 18th Century (with pirates nonetheless), the concept and practice in the United States Senate is much younger, not being implemented in a modern form until […]
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri and Kansas residents’ utility bills may be helping to bankroll the energy sector lobbying against policies aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Federal and state rules prohibit utility companies from passing their lobbying costs on to customers through bills. But in both Kansas and Missouri, utilities like Evergy, Ameren, and Spire […]
Visiting hours at Missouri’s 20 prisons have resumed, with some rules. Prisoners who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can have visitors. Masks and on-site health screenings are required. Visits must be scheduled in advance with the prison. The Missouri Department of Corrections does not require visitors to be vaccinated, but it strongly […]
(Sioux City Journal) – A ransomware attack on the world’s largest meat processing company is disrupting production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline. JBS SA of Brazil notified the U.S. of a ransom demand from a criminal organization likely based in Russia, White House principal deputy […]
Women account for a majority of the U.S. population, but a new report shows they make up less than one-third of high-level government leadership at the local, state, and national levels. A first-of-its-kind study by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University found women hold just over 30% of positions in mayoral […]
The Attorney General’s Office is warning of a scam targeting potential clients of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. The Attorney General’s Office was notified by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri yesterday of a scam letter received by a client purporting to be from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri seeking a “retainer fee” of $3500. Legal […]
(Missouri Independent) – In the last week of April, the Linn County Health Department signaled that the COVID-19 pandemic had cooled enough that it could discontinue weekly reports on new cases. With only three active cases on April 21, the urgency for frequent updates seemed to have passed. But the coronavirus came roaring back this […]
Maryke Willis, a health information technician at Wright Memorial Hospital, was honored as the hospital’s Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter 2021. Steve Schieber, CEO, presented the award to Willis at a ceremony held in her honor on May 27. The Employee of the Quarter Award recognizes an employee who provides exemplary service, […]
(Missouri Independent) – From statehouses to Congress, Republicans have launched into a fight against the teaching of “critical race theory,” which just a year ago was a niche academic term. Experts in critical race theory say it’s about acknowledging how racial disparities are embedded in U.S history and society, and the concept is being mischaracterized […]
(Missouri Independent) – The lawsuit seeking to force Missouri to expand Medicaid coverage under a voter-approved constitutional amendment will go to trial June 18 in Cole County. On Wednesday morning, Circuit Judge Jon Beetem met in a conference call with Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office and attorneys for the three people suing for coverage. In an online notation with […]
The Grundy County Commission digitally signed a document on May 25th regarding the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Streambank Stabilization project near the Thompson River Bridge on Highway 6. Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray reports the document will allow the State Highways and Transportation Commission to allocate 12.5%, or $43,750, for the project that will then go […]
