(Missouri Independent) – A constitutional amendment asking Missourians to let lawmakers decide year-to-year whether the state will offer Medicaid to working-age adults moved closer to passage on Wednesday. By an 8-5 vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee sent the House-passed proposal to the full Senate for debate. Only Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, voted with Democrats to oppose the measure, which […]
Tag: income
Audio: Missouri House leaders support one-time $500 tax credit
Leaders in the Missouri House are supporting a plan to give residents a one-time economic recovery tax credit to help with the increased cost of living. House Budget Committee Chair Cody Smith of Carthage says his bill would provide a $500 credit to anyone who filed a 2021 income tax return and couples […]
Spickard Board of Aldermen approve budget for 2022-2023
The Spickard Board of Aldermen approved the 2022-2023 budget at the Monday evening meeting. Total income for April 1st, 2022 to April 4th, 2023 is estimated to be $135,145.56. Total expenses are anticipated to be $115,514.23. The totals include American Rescue Plan Act, general sewer, and water funds. Spickard anticipates $24,516.95 in ARPA funds and […]
Hunger concerns spur calls for higher SNAP eligibility
Food insecurity is getting more attention these days, and some working families still have trouble meeting basic needs under mounting living expenses and aid eligibility being out of reach. A Minnesota plan aims to close the gap. Minnesota is one of the states not at the maximum eligibility level for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). […]
Supreme Court refuses to hear Kim Gardner appeal in Eric Greitens records case
(Missouri Independent) – It will be up to a St. Louis judge to decide how long Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has to produce records sought by a journalist considered an ally of former Gov. Eric Greitens. The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a last-ditch appeal by Gardner of an order giving her […]
Missouri business woman pleads guilty to failing to pay $2 million in payroll and employment taxes; faces 5 years in prison
A Missouri business owner has pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to pay nearly $2 million in payroll and employment taxes over four years. Sandra Eller, 59, of Napoleon, Mo., waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Thursday, April 7, to a federal […]
Coalition of 27 state treasurers and auditors call on the Biden administration to promote American energy production
Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick joined 26 other state financial officers in calling on the Biden Administration to promote American energy production. In a letter to the President, the state leaders emphasized the need to re-establish American energy independence amid the massive increase in the price of gas and diesel, which is contributing to the […]
Missouri State Treasurer kicks off Financial Literacy Month with new resources for Missourians
Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick recognized April as Financial Literacy Month, a month dedicated to promoting the importance of financial literacy and financial education. The Treasurer kicked off the month by announcing that new free resources for Missourians are now available on the Financial Literacy Portal. These engaging resources include helpful and concise articles on […]
Republicans push work requirements for coverage under Missouri Medicaid expansion
(Missouri Independent) – When the Good Samaritan Care Clinic opened in 2006 in Mountain View, only about 5% of the free clinic’s clients were eligible for Medicaid. When it closed late last year, that number had risen to 70%, Dr. John Roberts, one of the clinic’s founders, told the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. Medicaid […]
Missouri Century Farm applications are now open
If your farm has been in your family since Dec. 31, 1922, you can apply to have it recognized as a Missouri Century Farm. The University of Missouri Extension, the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and Missouri Farm Bureau sponsor the program. The application deadline to be recognized as a 2022 Missouri […]
Walsworth celebrates their 85th anniversary
Walsworth CEO Don O. Walsworth and President Don Walsworth announced that their family-owned company would be spending the rest of this year celebrating its 85th anniversary. Walsworth, one of the top book, magazine, and catalog printing companies in the U.S., unveiled plans for a series of events commemorating the company’s history, celebrating employees, and looking […]
Medicaid enrollment backlog persists as advocates say Missouri could be doing more
(Missouri Independent) – Applying for health insurance through Medicaid expansion took Raven Cole just 10 minutes. But the wait to see if she’s approved has dragged on for months. The 23-year-old legal assistant applied for coverage, “well over two to three months ago.” “And I haven’t heard anything back,” Cole said. Cole is one of […]
Missouri groups urge federal support for diaper banks
Groups in Missouri are urging Congress to pass a full-year, fully-funded appropriations bill, instead of a parade of stopgap continuing resolutions to fund support programs for low-income and working people across the state. Between 2010 and 2021, many programs serving low-income people nationwide lost ground taking inflation into account, according to the Coalition on Human Needs. Jill […]
Expanded rural broadband likely a focus of federal farm bill
(Missouri Independent) – The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the need for federal assistance to develop high-speed internet connectivity in all parts of the country, members of a U.S. House subcommittee agreed this week as they reviewed provisions that are likely to be included in the next farm bill. “I represent a largely rural district in north-central, […]
Planned Parenthood sues Missouri social services agency over restricted Medicaid funds
(Missouri Independent) – Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit Thursday against Missouri’s Department of Social Services, alleging the agency unlawfully plans to restrict Medicaid payments to the provider. A March 4 notice sent to Planned Parenthood of St. Louis Region cites a supplemental budget bill lawmakers passed last month that bars abortion providers or their affiliates from being […]
Trenton Park Board approves deficit budget
The Trenton Park Board approved a deficit budget for 2022-2023 on March 9th. The budget was approved with an amendment to the petroleum products cost. The cost of petroleum products was originally budgeted for the same price as the current year at $6,500, but it was increased by 50% to $9,750 due to the recently […]
Audio: Grudges continue among Missouri Senate Republicans as bickering breaks out on the floor
The grudges continue among Missouri Senate Republicans. The upper chamber did not vote on any bills on Thursday. A group of Republicans who continue to stall work in the chamber ate up the clock talking about abortion. That’s when Senator Karla May, a Democrat from St. Louis, interrupted to speak her mind. The […]
Green Hills Head Start to hold enrollment night
Green Hills Head Start will hold an enrollment night at its center at 301 West 18th Street in Trenton. Applications will be accepted for home-based and preschool students at the event on March 18th from 3 to 5 o’clock. Applications will be accepted for prenatal to five years old. Information needed for each applicant will […]
Missourians can now apply for mortgage assistance via federal COVID-relief funds
(Missouri Independent) – Missourians who experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to pay their mortgage can now apply for help through the State Assistance for Housing Relief (SAFHR) program. Starting March 1, the federally-funded SAFHR for Homeowners program will begin to provide nearly $140 million in assistance to homeowners to pay past-due mortgage […]