State Auditor Nicole Galloway released her second report on unemployment benefits received by Missourians through COVID-19 response funding from the federal government. The report shows that, through April 2021, more than 600,000 Missouri citizens received more than $4.9 billion in benefits made available under several programs. Several federal laws enacted and executive actions taken in […]
A Kansas man was sentenced in federal court for engaging in two separate fraud schemes related to millions of dollars in false payday loan debt and for tax evasion totaling more than $8 million. “After raking in millions of dollars from the victims of his fraud scheme, the defendant lied repeatedly and used every trick […]
The Princeton R-5 Board of Education approved bids July 12th. A milk bid was approved from Anderson Erickson, and a fuel bid was approved from MFA Oil of Princeton. Superintendent Jerry Girdner reports the fuel bid was tax free two cents off of retail. The board approved student and staff handbooks. The tax rate hearing […]
(Missouri Independent) – After an eight-year fight over Medicaid expansion, the arguments are over. The question of whether 275,000 people will receive state-paid health care coverage is in the hands of the Missouri Supreme Court. Oral arguments took place Tuesday in an expedited appeal. The seven judges must decide whether Medicaid eligibility will expand, as directed by the […]
The U.S. Department of Economic Development estimates that more than 400,000 Missourians do not have reliable internet access. The American Rescue Plan passed by Congress earlier this year includes giving 16.9-million dollars to Buchanan County in northwest Missouri. Presiding Commissioner Lee Sawyer says at the forefront of his and his commissioner’s minds are using the […]
Trenton’s city sales tax revenue is up more than six percent when comparing the first quarter of this fiscal year to the same period a year ago. Involved are receipts from May through July. In dollar figures, the increases are general purposes at nearly $13,000, capital projects more than $6,400, parks more than $6,200, transportation […]
A number of Missouri’s most influential business groups have filed a legal brief, in support of Medicaid expansion. Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth has the update. The Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Jefferson City in Missouri’s high-profile Medicaid expansion lawsuit case. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and several business groups in St. […]
Missouri Labor officials have announced that they’re starting a process for Missourians who received unemployment overpayments to apply for a potential waiver. The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations emphasizes that this involves non-fraud FEDERAL unemployment overpayments. St. Louis Democratic State Representative Peter Merideth has been urging DOLIR to waive the federal portion: […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released a citizen-requested audit of the Western Cass Fire Protection District, which is located in western Cass County. The audit made recommendations related to spending and budgeting to ensure transparent and effective use of taxpayer dollars. “The citizens served by the Western Cass Fire Protection District requested this audit to […]
Six Houston, Texas, residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to travel across the country breaking into bank ATMs and stealing the money inside, including at least one theft in Kansas City, Missouri. Deandre J. Gilliam, 19, Ladarious S. Thomas, 28, Jamarkus D. Bogany, 19, J’Korean K. […]
Congressman Sam Graves (R-MO), the Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, led conservatives on the floor of the United States House of Representatives today in opposing H.R. 3684. “This bill is nothing more than the Green New Deal with a little infrastructure sprinkled on top,” said Graves. “It’s completely unpaid for and it does nothing […]
(Missouri Independent) – With fewer than 12 hours to spare before the start of a new fiscal year, the Missouri House on Wednesday approved a bill extending medical provider taxes essential to balancing the budget, forestalling more than $700 million in cuts planned by Gov. Mike Parson. Divisions over how and whether to add provisions sought by […]
The owner of an aging downtown Trenton building plans to have it torn down rather than making repairs. Scott Weldon spoke Monday evening to the Trenton Building and Nuisance Board regarding the former American Legion building at 103 East 10th Street. The building board, at their meeting last month, placed it on the nuisance list […]
(Missouri Independent) – A bipartisan coalition handed anti-abortion activists a rare defeat in the Missouri Senate Friday night, rejecting a push to ban Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider as it passed a bill to secure billions for the state’s Medicaid program. And only a restatement of the state’s already existing ban on using public funds to […]
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,” […]
After about three hours of testimony Thursday, the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee approved two bills to extend medical provider taxes vital to funding the state’s share of Medicaid. The first bill brought up for a vote would extend the taxes for five years, limit the types of contraceptives available to women on Medicaid and block Planned Parenthood from […]
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci demanding answers over recent reporting that Covid gene sequences were purged from an NIH database at the direction of Chinese researchers. Senator Hawley said, […]
The Spickard R-2 Board of Education this week adopted new certified and support staff salary schedules and amended the policy on unused sick leave compensation. Superintendent Erika Eakes reports the certified base salary was raised to $28,125. Support staff hourly wages were raised based on position and years of service. The dollar amounts per day […]
Ahead of President Biden’s Wednesday address on the spiking crime throughout America, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) rolled out his own legislative agenda to hire 100,000 new police officers, boost police morale, and keep American families safe. As violent crime continues to plague the country, communities and law enforcement officers are under siege. Homicides are dramatically increasing across American cities, and violent […]
The governor has called a special legislative session to extend a key funding mechanism for Missouri’s Medicaid program, warning that failure to extend the FRA would cost Missouri 591-million dollars in the fiscal year 2022. The FRA is the state’s Federal Reimbursement Allowance. Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz says lawmakers have been working on […]
