An additional topic has been announced for Tuesday’s meeting (February 9th) of the Grundy County Commission. Commissioners at 8:30 are to discuss the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution, which involves the right to bear arms. The Camden County Commission recently adopted an ordinance intended to protect their county residents’ Second Amendment rights. The ordinance is […]
Tag: legislative
Audio: Federal gun law nullification bill passes Missouri House
A gun law bill that passed the Missouri House Wednesday would punish a police department through civil lawsuits if an officer enforces federal gun laws. A twin of the bill is also moving through the Senate. The “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” sponsored by Rep. Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, is aimed at disregarding any federal firearms actions by the […]
Audio: Missouri House Budget Committee to take up Medicaid expansion sometime after state of state
The Missouri House Budget Committee will hold its first meeting of 2021 this week in Jefferson City. Brian Hauswirth reports Medicaid expansion discussion won’t happen until after the governor’s State of the State address. The Missouri House has added a technical session on Friday, which will allow the Budget Committee to meet that […]
Great Northwest Day at the Capitol to be held as virtual event in 2021
The Great Northwest Day at the Capitol will go virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Great Northwest Live Event will advocate regional priorities with state legislators from February 1st through 3rd. Participants are encouraged to ask questions on the Great Northwest Day at the Capitol Facebook page. The schedule includes a legislative […]
Audio: Missouri Cattlemen’s Association legislative agenda includes banning companies from taking private land
The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association says one of its key legislative priorities this year is to prevent private companies from using eminent domain to get private land. Ag Policy Chairman Jimmie Long says the organization’s legislative progress was halted last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Missouri farmers and virtually all commodity groups […]
Audio: Missouri House votes to censure member for allegedly having sex with an intern
For the first time in state history, a Missouri House member has been censured. The House voted 140-3 to publicly condemn St. Louis Democratic state Representative Wiley Price, who is accused of having sex with a capitol intern. Representative Jered Taylor, a Republican from southwest Missouri’s Republic, failed to get two-thirds of members to support […]
Audio: 12th District State Senator Dan Hegeman discusses Missouri’s economy and Senate Bill 282
With the Missouri legislative session underway, State Senator Dan Hegeman believes COVID-19 will continue to be among priorities, and Senator Hegeman also discusses the economy of Missouri, as well as talks about Senate Bill 282. Republican State Senator Dan Hegeman of Cosby who represents the 12th district which includes several counties in northwest […]
Audio: New Missouri House Speaker focusing on education, foster care and adoption
The Missouri House on Wednesday elected the first Speaker in state history from eastern Missouri’s Arnold. House Speaker Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, was elected Speaker on his 44th birthday, with his wife Amanda and their five children in the chamber in Jefferson City. Education was a primary theme during Vescovo’s address to the House. He says he was […]
Missouri Farm Bureau Chief Administrative Officer retires after 24-years of service
Chief Administrative Officer Dan Cassidy has retired after serving the organization for 24 years. Cassidy made the announcement after the organization’s annual meeting on December 6. Cassidy has served as CAO since April 2003. From 1996 to 2002 he was the organization’s director of National Legislative Programs. Prior to his career at Missouri Farm Bureau, […]
GRM Networks to sponsor high school students on youth tour to Washington; will offer scholarships to area students
GRM Networks will sponsor two high school juniors on an all-expense-paid trip to the 2021 Foundation for Rural Service Youth Tour June 5-9 in Washington, D.C. Youth representing GRM Networks will join other students representing rural telecommunication providers from across the United States as they learn about legislative and government processes and the importance of […]
Five-day virtual workshop on industrial hemp begins January 11, 2021
The University of Missouri Extension offers a virtual workshop about industrial hemp from 12:30-2:00 p.m. January 11 through the 15th. Topics include a legislative summary and regulatory update, agronomic practices, and pests, uses for hemp, crop enterprise budgets, and processing and contracts. Presenters include MU Extension specialists, CBD-hemp growers, and processors, processors from the Tiger […]
Audio: People who destroy or steal political yard signs might have to pay up in Missouri
People who destroy or steal political yard signs might have to pay up in Missouri. The offense is already a class four misdemeanor. Bill sponsor, State Representative Sara Walsh wants to require a person found guilty of the offense to also pay the sign owner $500 or the actual cost of the sign, whichever amount […]
Major Lance MacLaughlin of the Missouri State Highway Patrol promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
The superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces Major Lance M. MacLaughlin is being promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel effective January 1, 2021, and will serve as the assistant superintendent. In addition to acting in the superintendent’s absence and at his request, Lieutenant Colonel MacLaughlin has direct oversight over the Professional Standards […]
Bridge on Highway 190 over Thompson River in Livingston County opens to two-way traffic
The bridge on Highway 190 over the Thompson River in Livingston County reopened to two-way traffic on December 18th. It was the 100th bridge opened through Governor Mike Parson’s Focus on Bridges Program created to repair or replace 250 of the state’s poorest bridges. It was the 21st bridge completed in the Missouri Department 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 […]
State auditor says fund transfers, budgeting process in Jackson County left taxpayers in the dark
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released a report on Jackson County government focusing on budgeting and funds transfers which found that more can be done to ensure transparency in county spending. The audit was completed at the request of the Jackson County Legislature and the recommendation of the county executive. “Jackson County taxpayers deserve […]
2020 was a bloodbath for Missouri Democrats. Will 2022 be any better?
(Missouri Independent) – There’s no point trying to spin it: While the 2020 election was a mixed verdict nationally, with Republicans gaining congressional seats and minimizing Senate losses even as Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump, the Missouri verdict was unequivocal. It started atop the ticket with Trump’s dominance. He and Gov. Mike Parson set […]
Police chokeholds, no-knock warrants spark debate in Missouri House committee
(Missouri Independent) – As state lawmakers mull the idea of restricting police use of chokeholds or no-knock warrants, they are facing pushback from law enforcement organizations who contend decisions should be made at the local level. The House Special Committee on Criminal Justice met for three hours on Monday to explore the possibility of passing […]
Missouri Republicans maintain supermajorities in House and Senate
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Democrats had another disappointing night in legislative elections Tuesday, losing in two state Senate districts crucial to their hopes of cracking the Republican supermajority in the upper chamber. Republicans held a key Senate seat by re-electing Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden of Columbia in the 19th District in central Missouri. As […]
Voters repeal Clean Missouri redistricting plan they enacted in 2018
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri voters on Tuesday repealed a constitutional amendment they enacted in 2018 that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. They replaced it with one that critics contend could forgo the use of total population to draw districts and instead exclude all non-voters, specifically children and non-citizens — tilting the political […]