The Great Northwest Day steering committee has announced its priorities for the upcoming visit next month with lawmakers at the state capital. According to Micah Landes, the steering committee chairman, five priorities to be presented include: Caring for our youngest citizens Aligning to educate and advance our workforce Having rural high-speed broadband access and affordability […]
House Speaker Elijah Haahr announced today the House Committee chairmanships and his selections for Republican membership on House committees for the 100th General Assembly. “One of the greatest qualities of the Republican Caucus is the diverse experiences and talents this group of individuals brings to our legislative process,” said Speaker Haahr, R-Springfield. “We have worked […]
Hands off Amendment 1. That’s the message from supporters of the “Clean Missouri’ ballot initiative to state lawmakers, who begin the 100th General Assembly next week. The anti-gerrymandering measure passed by 62 percent of the vote in November, but Gov. Mike Parson and several legislators are already calling for major changes. Joan VonDras with the Sierra Club’s […]
Missourians are frequently subjected to aggressive collection efforts by air ambulance providers totaling tens of thousands of dollars in a practice called balance billing, according to a detailed report released today by the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration (DIFP). To assess the scope of the problem, the DIFP initiated a data call for […]
Local county officials continue to push back against any effort on the state level to transfer maintenance of roads to them. Opposition to any transfer of the “lettered roads” to local governments is reflected in unbending comments by Randolph County Commissioner Wayne Wilcox in northeast Missouri. Wilcox says handing over those roadways to […]
State Representative Jim Hansen of northeast Missouri’s Frankford plans to ask the legislature to pass a total ban on texting while driving. Missouri is one of the only states in the country without a total ban on texting while driving. Hansen hopes his proposed ban on texting while driving will get some traction […]
Missouri lawmakers could be considering a far-reaching abortion restriction in the upcoming legislative session. Republican state Representative Nick Schroer of O’Fallon pre-filed a bill this week that would prohibit doctors from performing abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The measure, which allows for exceptions in medical emergencies, would ban most abortions after […]
A southeast Missouri lawmaker who has championed prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation for years thinks it will “make it over the finish line” in 2019. Sikeston State Representative Holly Rehder tells Missourinet that she and State Senator-Elect Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville will pre-file the same bill today (Monday). Rehder notes Missouri is […]
State Senator-elect Cindy O’Laughlin thinks citizens have a mistrust of Missouri’s government because departments are poorly managed. She says it’s predictable that they would oppose propositions like the gas tax that failed in November’s election. The Shelbina Republican says lawmakers don’t have confidence that lawmakers are spending money wisely. She says […]
One of the top GOP lawmakers in the Missouri House is disappointed that voters rejected a ten-cent gasoline tax increase this month. Odessa State Representative Glen Kolkmeyer, who serves as the House Majority Caucus Chair, tells Missourinet talks are happening “behind the scenes”: Kolkmeyer says he’s “very disappointed” that voters rejected a ten-cent […]
The Missouri House Ethics Committee met yesterday (Wednesday) for the second time this month, but it’s still unclear what they discussed. Brian Hauswirth was at the Capitol for the meeting. The Missouri House Ethics Committee met Wednesday morning at the Statehouse in Jefferson City. After a roll call vote, the committee met for […]
Major farm management decisions concern capital and labor. Too little attention goes to the labor side of farming, says agricultural economist Joe Horner. To help decision-makers, he plans three University of Missouri Extension workshops across Missouri. Farm labor management isn’t like the old days when a farmer could hire neighbor boys to help. Also, present-day […]
Missouri voters passed medical marijuana use by nearly 66% this month. But federal law will prevent those who obtain a medical marijuana card from owning a gun. John Ham with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives notes pot is still considered a schedule 1 controlled substance. Ham says his agency simply […]
Republican lawmakers have been rallying around Governor Mike Parson’s appointment of GOP state Treasurer Eric Schmitt as state attorney general. Senator Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg says he’s had productive collaborations with Schmitt. Senator Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg is impressed by Schmitt’s skills as a lawyer. Hoskins of Warrensburg says Schmitt will […]
There’s strong opposition among Missouri Republican lawmakers to expanding Medicaid, even after voters in three red states passed ballot measures to do so in the recent election. Newly elected House Majority Speaker Pro-Tem John Wiemann of O’Fallon told Missourinet earlier this year that more states would be retreating from Medicaid expansion. Missouri Republican […]
There’s disagreement among farmers over the Clean Missouri ballot measure to redraw voting districts. The Missouri Farm Bureau opposes the proposal, claiming it would weaken the power of rural voters. Mid-Missouri cattle rancher Susan Williams says Cooper County where she lives is already disenfranchised because it’s divided into four legislative districts. Former Missouri […]
A Missouri appeals court has reversed a lower bench ruling and will allow a 2017 lawsuit against the state’s voter ID law to move forward. Tony Rothert with the ACLU, which brought the case, notes it’ll be unnecessary litigation if another more recent lawsuit is upheld. The ACLU’s Tony Rothert notes the court […]
Missouri U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill says she thinks she would “win in a walk” if people knew who paid for political ads against her. The Democrat is seeking re-election next month. McCaskill, who faces Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley, is considered one of the most vulnerable U.S. Senate incumbents. She has taken on […]
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley said Thursday night that he opposed cutting Social Security and Medicare to help erase the nation’s ballooning deficits and debt. Breaking with a suggestion by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Hawley said that if cuts needed to be made, lawmakers should look at taking federal dollars from the Affordable […]
The 31st annual Fall Arts and Crafts Show sponsored by Kirksville Women of Today will be held at the William Matthew Middle School located at 1515 S. Cottage Grove in Kirksville, MO on Saturday, October 27th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Booths displaying woodcrafts, fabric items, candles, soaps, floral, crochet, needlework, handmade jewelry, and […]
