Dreamer photo courtesy of Unsplash

Biden administration rolls out new rule to bolster DACA as lawsuit continues

(Missouri Independent) – The Biden administration on Monday unveiled a proposed new rule that would strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to protect undocumented people in the program from legal challenges. The proposed rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, would “preserve and fortify” the DACA program, an Obama administration-era initiative that protects […]

A gavel and a name plate with the engraving Lawsuit

Boone Construction Company files lawsuit against City of Trenton regarding replacement of 17th Street bridge

Boone Construction Company of Columbia has filed a petition against the City of Trenton related to work on the 17th Street Bridge. The petition involves five counts including breach of contract, breach of warranty ex contractu, unjust enrichment, quantum meruit, and damages and costs pursuant to the Missouri Public Prompt Payment Act. Boone requests the […]

Missouri Senate Chamber from Visitors Gallery (Photo Courtesy Missouri Senate)

‘Clown show’ vs. ‘tyranny’: Missouri Senate GOP divide on display during veto session

(Missouri Independent) –  On one side were tyrannical oligarchs. On the other, petulant children.  Or at least that was the takeaway from the Missouri Senate’s day-long rules debate Wednesday. Gathered for the legislature’s annual veto session, the demons that have haunted the upper chamber for more than a year didn’t take long to reappear.  The […]

Judge with gavel at desk

Audio: State Appeals court upholds another employee discrimination case against the Missouri Department of Corrections.

A state appeals court has upheld another employee discrimination case against the Missouri Department of Corrections.     The case could potentially cost taxpayers more than $700,000. The St. Louis Post Dispatch says it’s the latest in a series of big-ticket judgments against prison system administrators revolving around an employee’s concern about an attempt to […]

Gavel and Missouri Flag

Judge orders no change – for now – in Missouri’s prisoner health care contractor

(Missouri Independent) – Work to bring a new contractor for prisoner health care services online in Missouri can continue, but the actual transition from Corizon, the current provider, won’t occur until at least early November, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ordered Tuesday. Green issued a temporary restraining order blocking the state from canceling its […]

Audio: Two hundred plus attend vaccine mandate protest at Wright Memorial Hospital

It is estimated more than 200 people attended a rally near Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, to show support for personal choice involving whether to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Spokesperson Nathan Rorebeck said the rally was for the vaccine mandate involving employees for the Saint Luke’s Health System, which includes Wright […]

Medical Marijuana and Veterans

Veterans Administration sending mixed messages to vets about cannabis use to treat PTSD

(Missouri Independent) – Despite increasing legal access to medical and recreational cannabis in states across the U.S., veterans face unfair treatment and stigmatization because the U.S.  refuses to recognize marijuana as a viable treatment option.  While the VA has embraced the federally illegal status of the drug, agency policy does not allow discrimination against veterans […]

A gavel and a name plate with the engraving Lawsuit

Audio: Judge upholds Governor Parson’s decision to terminate pandemic-related unemployment benefits

The Cole County Circuit Court sided with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office in our defense of the Governor’s termination of federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits. “As Missouri’s economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are still struggling to hire workers for a large number of open, available jobs. Too often, businesses can’t compete with […]