(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden is poised to send a sweeping immigration reform bill to Congress Thursday that would lay out a path for nearly 11 million undocumented people to obtain citizenship within eight years. Immigration has been one of the toughest issues for Congress to tackle, and the legislation’s fate is unclear in […]
Tag: independent
Effort to stop charging 17-year-olds as adults has stalled in Missouri
(Missouri Independent) – Khadijah Wilson had a bully during her junior year at Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles. She told her principal and teachers about the name-calling, and how the other girl constantly threatened to beat her up. But no one intervened. It went on for several months. “I reported it more […]
Feds tell states to give COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 65 and older in bid to speed rollout
(Missouri Independent) – The Trump administration on Tuesday directed state officials to expand who is getting vaccinated for COVID-19, and announced that all available doses will be distributed to states instead of holding back a reserve of follow-up doses. Under the policy changes outlined by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, states should begin […]
Final Jackson County audit report highlights concerns with assessment procedures, other areas of county government
Jackson County needs to improve controls and procedures in its assessment department to ensure effective and efficient future reassessments, an audit released today by State Auditor Nicole Galloway says. Those were some of the recommendations in the final report of the Auditor’s independent review of Jackson County government finances. The county received a rating of “fair.” […]
Audio: Missouri social services workers develop plan to help more youth aging out of foster system
Four Missouri Department of Social Services workers have won a state government challenge for proposing a plan to support more foster children aging out of the system. Rene’ Brinkman, Shasta Miller, Bobbie Thomas, and Nicole Robinson head a unit in southeast Missouri helping older youth prepare to transition into independent adults. Brinkman says their plan […]
No charges to be filed against Cleveland officers over 2014 shooting of Tamir Rice
The Justice Department announced that the career prosecutors reviewing the independent federal investigation into the fatal shooting of Tamir Rice on Nov. 22, 2014, in Cleveland, Ohio, found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges against Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) Officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback. The department notified counsel for Mr. Rice’s family […]
Audio: Missouri Senator wants full report released about COVID-19 deaths within veterans homes
State Senator Jill Schupp wants the full report released about the COVID-19-related deaths within Missouri’s veterans’ homes. An independent, external investigation was launched in October into the roughly 154 veterans who have died so far from the coronavirus. Investigators from Armstrong Teasdale law firm were charged with reviewing what COVID-19 safety measures have […]
Judge tosses lawsuit challenging Missouri medical marijuana license caps
(Missouri Independent) – A Cole County judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit alleging limitations on the number of medical marijuana licenses issued by the state were unconstitutional. Cole County Circuit Judge Patricia Joyce ruled that the regulations at the heart of the lawsuit were “properly promulgated and are in compliance with Missouri’s laws and Constitution.” She […]
Audio: Unemployment benefits could end after Christmas for thousands of Missourians.
Unemployment payments for more than 70,000 Missourians will soon dry up without action from Congress before the end of the year. The latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor showed that in the last week of November, more than 35,000 people were using a federal program giving them 13 extra weeks of […]
Missouri State Auditor releases citizen-requested audit of Raytown
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released an audit of the City of Raytown, located in Jackson County. The audit was completed after citizens petitioned for a review of the city’s finances and operations. In response to the audit, the city has committed to making changes to address the findings. “Citizens requested this audit for […]
Missouri State Auditor issues audit on payroll and personnel issues in Jackson County
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released a report on the Jackson County government’s handling of payroll and personnel. The audit, part of an independent review of county government finances, found issues with the allocation of different funds to pay salaries and with the handling of vehicle allowances. The report gave a rating of “fair.” “Our […]
Audio: Senator Hawley says changes must be made at Missouri veterans homes
A Missouri senator who serves on the Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill says changes must be made at Missouri veteran’s homes, following a recent COVID outbreak. At least 138 veterans living at state veterans’ homes have died from the coronavirus since September. Senator Josh Hawley has read Armstrong Teasdale’s report, which says the Missouri […]
Audio: Missouri K-12 statewide testing to move forward, but results won’t be used for accountability purposes
The Missouri Board of Education voted Tuesday to avoid using 2021 standardized test results for state and federal accountability. Members still want the state’s K-12 public school students to take statewide tests next year, but they do not want the results to count against schools for funding and accreditation purposes. The move might lower the […]
Medical marijuana subpoena may have been connected to Independence, Missouri FBI probe
(Missouri Independent) – The head of Missouri’s medical marijuana program testified under oath that a grand jury subpoena his agency received late last year was likely connected to an FBI investigation in Independence. The revelation by Lyndall Fraker, director of medical marijuana regulation at the Missouri Department of Health and Seniors Services, is the first […]
Census survey reveals COVID-19’s devastating impact in Missouri
(Missouri Independent) – Hundreds of thousands of Missourians are struggling to get by during our coronavirus public health emergency, including children, according to the recently released U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. While 40.8 percent of Missouri households report losing income since March, families with children under 18 have been especially impacted, with 51.4 percent reporting […]
Audio: Governor Parson reacts to investigative report into recent COVID deaths at Missouri veterans homes
Missouri’s governor said Thursday in Jefferson City that he wants some answers, after reading a 53-page independent investigation into recent COVID deaths at Missouri veterans homes. Governor Mike Parson ordered the investigation, which was conducted by St. Louis-based Armstrong Teasdale. The governor emphasizes that he’s limited in what he can say because he doesn’t know […]
Audio: Independent 53-page report on Missouri Veterans Homes shows failure of leadership, response and planning
An independent investigation into the COVID-19 deaths at Missouri veterans homes has found that the Missouri Veterans Commission headquarters failed to recognize the outbreak. Armstrong Teasdale’s report says MVC should have recognized the presence of an outbreak in the Cape Girardeau veteran’s home by September 2. MVC Chairman Tim Noonan says a tremendous amount of […]
Missouri lawmaker: State employees and teachers should receive pay raises, not elected officials
A veteran state lawmaker from southeast Missouri will file a resolution this week, aimed at blocking proposed pay increases for state lawmakers and for statewide elected officials. State Rep. Andrew McDaniel, R-Deering, was first elected to the Missouri House in 2014 and will be a senior member in January during his final House term in […]
Audio: Missouri’s Senate President Pro Tem to review report recommending pay increases for lawmakers
A bipartisan committee is recommending a five percent pay increase for Missouri lawmakers AND for statewide elected officials. The Citizen’s Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials has made the recommendation. While he hasn’t seen their report yet, Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz says the commission’s work is independent. The “Springfield News-Leader” reports […]