Missouri’s Senate leader says the state’s operating budget has grown from 21-billion dollars a decade ago to 34-billion dollars today. Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz tells Sullivan affiliate KTUI that Medicaid expansion is too expensive. He says the state Department of Social Services’ budget continues to grow. The Missouri Senate and House […]
Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick today announced that MOST, Missouri’s 529 Education Plan, has reached more than $4 billion in assets under management, a major milestone for the state’s 529 plan. “As Treasurer, one of my most important jobs is helping Missourians prepare for their financial future,” Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. “Reaching $4 billion in […]
Bipartisan legislation increasing penalties for people who knowingly release feral hogs into the wild has received initial approval from the Missouri House. The bill, which is sponsored by Portageville State Representative Don Rone, increases the criminal penalty from a class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. The Missouri Department of Conservation, the […]
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office and Chillicothe Police Department have announced plans to operate out of the same building. Sheriff Steve Cox and Police Chief Jon Maples brought the plans to the city administrator and county commission, and the plans are moving forward. The goal date for moving is May 10th. The Chillicothe Police Department […]
Missouri farmers can submit two free tests to beat the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) by contacting their county University of Missouri Extension center or the SCN Diagnostics laboratory. Testing soil before planting soybean is vital, says MU Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette. SCN is the No. 1 soybean disease in the U.S. and Canada, with […]
Apprenticeship programs at community colleges are poised for a big investment under President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan. The plan includes $12 billion dollars for community colleges. At a recent congressional hearing, members from both parties expressed support for targeting some of those funds at apprenticeship programs within community colleges. Shalee Hodgson, associate dean for technology, applied […]
The Missouri House and the Senate Appropriations Committee have voted against Governor Parson’s request to fund Medicaid expansion. Parson, a Republican, asked for more than 100-million dollars to fund the voter-approved measure that would allow other 275-thousand low-income adults to become eligible for government-funded healthcare. During a press conference at the Missouri Capitol, Governor Parson […]
On a tie vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee has rejected a compromise proposal that would have funded Medicaid expansion on a smaller scale. The effort, led by Springfield Republican Lincoln Hough, would have designated 60-million dollars in state funding to the expansion. Republican Governor Parson requested more than 100-million dollars and the House chose not […]
The Jamesport City Council on April 19th approved purchasing fireworks and set the time for the city’s sesquicentennial celebration. Five hundred dollars worth of fireworks will be purchased for an Independence Day celebration scheduled to be at the city park on July 5th. The city council agreed the best time to hold the sesquicentennial celebration […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced that her office has begun a regularly scheduled audit of Caldwell County, located in northwest Missouri. The most recent audit of Caldwell County was issued in December 2016, with the county receiving an overall rating of good. “Audits can help government agencies be more efficient and effective with taxpayer dollars,” Auditor Galloway […]
(Missouri Independent) – As bills expanding charter schools and creating new scholarship accounts for private school tuition make their way through the process, one piece of legislation is trying to give students more options within the public schools that already exist. House Bill 543, sponsored by Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, would establish the “Public School […]
The Grundy County R-5 Board of Education April 14th approved increases in pay for 2021-2022. Six hundred dollars was added to the base, which raises the base to $31,200. The increase for certified and non-certified staff is 2.4%. The high school principal base salary was raised to $65,600, elementary school principal to $66,400, and superintendent […]
The state Board of Education has signed off on permanently allowing an accelerated substitute teacher training option. Aspiring substitutes will be able to fulfill the standard 60 college credit hours or they can complete an online training program of at least 20 hours. Last fall, the board temporarily allowed the online course to help close […]
The U.S. Department of Education says Missouri’s K-12 schools will get nearly two billion total dollars in federal aid from the latest coronavirus plan. State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokeswoman Mallory McGowin says health experts suggest spending some of the virus funding on the basics instead of the pricey items and services. […]
The chairman of a Missouri House oversight committee says the case of a bus driver who won his appeal with the state Department of Labor over unemployment overpayments will have large implications. Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight Chair Jered Taylor of Nixa tells the state labor director there are hundreds of cases just […]
The Grundy County Commission on April 13th went over election results and terminated the county’s emergency declaration in regard to the pandemic. Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray reports the county will follow state statutes on the ordinance involving enforcement of brush control adjacent to county roads. Landowners will be allowed 30 days from the delivery of […]
U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) announced that they have introduced the bipartisan Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act. The legislation would make breast cancer diagnostic tests more accessible and affordable. “Early breast cancer detection saves lives,” said Blunt. “Unfortunately, many Americans had to postpone preventive care – including breast cancer screenings […]
With the requested $300,000 in asphalt sales added to budgeted revenues, the Trenton City Council Monday night approved the amended city budget for the fiscal year beginning May 1. The additional sales of asphalt raise the expected total sales to $1,300,000. Sales from Trenton’s new asphalt plant last year generated nearly $1,800,000 with expectations for […]
The U.S. Department of Education says Missouri’s K-12 schools will get 1.95-billion total dollars in federal aid from the latest coronavirus plan. Linda Neumann, with the Missouri Association of School Nurses, hopes the state’s school districts will consider using some of the federal funding to hire school nurses. Neumann tells Missourinet a 2020 state Education […]
A northern Missouri state lawmaker is chairing a brand-new House subcommittee on federal stimulus spending. Excelsior Springs GOP State Representative Doug Richey is humbled by the appointment. The subcommittee will hold its first meeting in Jefferson City today (Monday) and will hear public testimony on capital improvement needs that could be eligible for […]
