(Missouri Independent) – The eyes of the nation turned to U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley over the holidays when he became the first senator to announce an objection to the certification of presidential electors. But the eyes of local politicos turned instead to his home-state colleague, Missouri’s senior senator. How would Roy Blunt — up for […]
Tag: independent
Missouri Republicans look to reinstate voter ID requirement
(Missouri Independent) – About 137,700 registered voters in Missouri did not have a state-issued identification in 2017, according to an analysis from the Secretary of State’s Office. Another 140,000 voters had expired IDs, and 2,000 more voters had forfeited their driver’s licenses. Under a bill passed Wednesday in the Missouri House, those registered voters would either have to […]
Joshlin and Addie Yoder receive Missouri Leopold Conservation Award
Joshlin and Addie Yoder of Leonard, Missouri, located in Shelby County have been selected as the recipients of the 2020 Missouri Leopold Conservation Award®. The award, named for renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, recognizes farmers, ranchers, and foresters who inspire others with their dedication to land, water, and wildlife habitat management on private land. In Missouri, the $10,000 award […]
Missouri State Auditor begins citizen requested audit of Marshall School District
State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced that her office has begun audits of two school districts in western Missouri. The Marshall School District and the Smithville R-II School District’s reviews were requested through petitions submitted by residents of those districts. “The petition audit process allows citizens to demonstrate that they want to be engaged in ensuring […]
Governor appoints Trenton resident to Coordinating Board for Higher Education
Governor Mike Parson has appointed a Trenton resident to the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. C. Phillip Hoffman’s appointment was one of five appointments Parson announced to boards and commissions on February 24th. Hoffman worked for his family’s agriculture input supply business since 1976. GFG Agriservices acquired the family business in 2014. He and his […]
Missouri cities, counties in line for millions from federal COVID relief bill
(Missouri Independent) – The plan for distributing money directly to Missouri counties in the current version of the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill is pretty simple – each gets $195.44 per person. But for cities, instead of a formula based on population, Congress divvies up the money using the method for determining Community Development Block Grant allocations. […]
Audio: Missouri Senate puts off vote on giant K-12 education package
After about twelve hours of debate, the Missouri Senate refrained from voting overnight on a contentious K-12 public education package. There was some confusion towards the end that appeared to ultimately lead to the plan getting shelved – at least for now. Several changes were made over the course of the day and night. As […]
Bill increasing penalties for protesters wins initial approval in Missouri Senate
(Missouri Independent) – Republican state Senators advanced sweeping legislation early Tuesday morning aimed at penalizing protestors who block streets, while also providing further protections for law enforcement under investigation for misconduct or excessive force. The bill also aims to prevent municipalities from decreasing the budgets for law enforcement agencies in Missouri by more than 12 percent over […]
Missouri in line for $4.5 billion from federal stimulus bill
(Missouri Independent) – Last spring, as Missouri businesses shed hundreds of thousands of jobs, Gov. Mike Parson warned that the state was headed for the worst financial crunch since the 2008 recession. Ten months later, Parson presented a budget plan that anticipates a $1.1 billion surplus on July 1, the biggest in state history. And if the $1.9 trillion pandemic […]
Made in Missouri: Batteries that power Mars rover, Perseverance, made in Joplin
The new Mars rover is powered by batteries manufactured by EaglePicher Technologies in Joplin, Missouri. There were 14 EaglePicher silver-zinc batteries on the Atlas V launch rocket. Two of the company’s thermal batteries powered the spacecraft during entry, descent, and landing stages, including igniting the pyrotechnics that opened parachutes. The rover’s main power system consists […]
North Central Missouri College earns 2021-2022 “Military Friendly School” designation
North Central Missouri College has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly ® School designation. Institutions earning the Military Friendly ® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey with 747 earning the designation. The 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools list will be […]
Biden backs reparations study, as House Democrats push for commission
(Missouri Independent) – The White House on Wednesday indicated that President Joe Biden would support studying reparations for slavery, the same day that House Democrats held a hearing on legislation that would set up a reparations commission. But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stopped short of saying Biden would sign the bill under consideration […]