(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]
Mobs of thieves have hit up retailers around the country recently by quickly raiding stores and taking off with piles of merchandise in a matter of minutes. State Representative Lane Roberts, a Republican from southwest Missouri’s Joplin, is sponsoring a bill meant to address these organized theft crime rings, such as so-called smash-and-grab crimes. A […]
(Missouri Independent) – A handful of Republican lawmakers lashed out at the state’s medical marijuana industry Thursday, lobbing accusations of corruption into a Missouri House debate over whether to make it harder to amend the state’s Constitution. On a mostly party-line 98-53 vote, the Missouri House signed off on legislation Thursday that would require a two-thirds […]
(Missouri Independent) – As a young girl, state Rep. Raychel Proudie remembers when the beads in her hair would clap together as she walked. Her teachers would call it a “distraction” — the same way they did when her hair was “too high.” “You would come home and tell your mom, or she would get […]
(Missouri Independent) – The closure of Save A Lot in Pagedale left a hole in northern St. Louis County. Beyond Housing, a community-building group that serves about two dozen cities in the area had worked through the Great Recession to bring a grocery store closer to low-income residents in a part of the St. Louis area dotted with […]
(Missouri Independent) – Cannabis dispensaries throughout the country came one step closer to using banks the way many other businesses can when the U.S. House on Friday cleared a bill with sweeping changes to banking regulations. Colorado Democrat Ed Perlmutter and Ohio Republican Dave Joyce, co-sponsors of the legislation, said Friday their proposal would allow […]
A state senator wants to keep Missouri property taxes in check by tying real estate assessments to the rate of inflation. Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, of northwest Missouri’s Parkville, says his legislation was prompted by the experience of Missouri property owners the past couple of tax cycles. Luetkemeyer says the sharp increases drive up […]
Some lawmakers in Jefferson City are pushing forward bills that would limit citizens’ ability to put constitutional amendments on the ballot. The proposed legislation would double the number of signatures required to get on the ballot and raise the thresholds to pass them from a majority to two-thirds. Benjamin Singer, CEO of the group Show-Me Integrity, noted […]
(Missouri Independent) – Congressional Democrats on Wednesday touted conservation programs for farmers and ranchers as key tools for limiting agriculture’s impact on the global climate as they took initial steps to create the next farm bill. One Republican’s response: So what? “We’ve talked primarily about climate change, and I gotta to be honest with you,” […]
Criminal penalties for shooting and killing a police dog would be enhanced under a bill working its way through the Missouri legislature. State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville says he began working on the legislation after talking with St. Joseph Officer Lucas Winder, K-9 Max’s handler. Winder asked if penalties could be enhanced […]
Legislation that would make it easier for state lawmakers to block funding for abortion clinics is moving through the Missouri House. The bill would make it illegal for any public funds, including federal dollars, from being spent on abortion clinics or any facility with ties to abortion providers. It would also bar the […]
(Missouri Independent) – A pair of Missouri counties are asking the state Supreme Court to overturn a 2019 law that stripped them of their ability to set their own rules for concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs. Under the law, county commissioners are prohibited from setting policies that are “inconsistent with or more stringent than” state […]
A bill passed by the Crime Prevention Committee in the Missouri House is in line with the governor’s call for recruiting and better training for police officers. Joplin Rep. Lane Roberts- chairman of the committee- is the sponsor of legislation to reimburse law enforcement officers who go through the state’s police officer training academy. […]
(Missouri Independent) – The push to legalize recreational marijuana use in Missouri is coming from multiple directions, with a handful of proposed initiative petitions and at least one bill, and potentially more, backed by Republican lawmakers. Each hopes to place the issue on the 2022 ballot for voter approval. And each proposal also includes a […]
(Missouri Independent) – A bipartisan group of senators is exploring legislation to overhaul how Congress counts Electoral College votes, but backers of stalled voting rights legislation are lukewarm on the effort as a substitute. The Electoral Count Act is an obscure law that has come under recent scrutiny, a year after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. […]
Missouri could ban hospitals and long-term care centers from restricting visitors, including during an emergency. A state House committee is reviewing the bill sponsored by State Representative Brian Seitz, a Republican from southwest Missouri’s Branson. State Representative Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City, says medical professionals should be making the health care […]
Congressman Sam Graves and Congressman Jared Huffman introduced the bipartisan Save America’s Rural Hospitals Act to rescue rural hospitals on the brink of bankruptcy and help put these critical care providers back on solid ground. “This isn’t a new problem. Our rural hospitals have been struggling to keep their doors open to patients for years,” said […]
(Missouri Independent) – Proposals that would bar COVID-19 vaccine mandates and provide greater exemptions for vaccinations more broadly faced a wave of opposition from Missouri business groups Wednesday. Representatives for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Associated Industries of Missouri, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and other business associations made clear to lawmakers […]
Six individuals were honored with the Missouri Farm Bureau Outstanding Service to Agriculture Award on December 6. The presentations were made by MOFB President Garrett Hawkins during the opening session of the organization’s annual meeting at the Lake of the Ozarks. The award is given annually to select individuals who have demonstrated their desire to […]
(Missouri Independent) – Faced with over a year’s delay from the state social services department on implementing extended mental health care for new moms, a bipartisan effort now aims to expand health care coverage more broadly for low-income pregnant women. Legislation filed last week by Sens. Elaine Gannon, R-De Soto, and Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, would extend […]
