Missouri’s local election officials are projecting about a 40 percent voter turnout for Tuesday’s presidential preference primary. Polls will open Tuesday morning at 6 and will close at 7 p.m. statewide. Under Missouri law, you can only choose one political party ballot at the primary: Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, Green or Constitution. Poll workers will ask […]
Tag: Missourinet
Drag queens and supporters rally against proposed drag queen story hour ban
State Representative Ben Baker, R-Neosho, wants to ban drag queen storytime at public libraries. About 300 people, including queens dressed in full drag and LGBT supporters, rallied Saturday at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City against Baker’s bill. Missouri Capitol Police provided security and crowd control. The event included many holding signs like “Knowledge is […]
Missouri has its first case of coronavirus; testing to confirm this week
Missouri has its first likely case of COVID 19, known as the coronavirus. During a press conference on Saturday evening at St. Louis County Executive Sam Page’s office, Gov. Mike Parson says the case involves a female in her 20s from St. Louis County, who had recently traveled to Italy. “She is isolated at home […]
Missouri Health and Senior Services Director testifies that the state is well-prepared for Coronavirus
Missouri’s health director testified Monday afternoon in Jefferson City that he’s hoping for the best and preparing for the worst regarding the coronavirus. State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams appeared before the newly-created Missouri House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Williams testifies there have been no confirmed […]
Audio: Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves focusing on flooding and levees
A congressman who represents north Missouri on Capitol Hill warns that northwest Missouri is still suffering from flooding and that there’s a lot of damage to infrastructure. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves traveled from his Atchison County farm to Jefferson City this week to file for re-election to his 11th term. Graves is the longest-serving Republican […]
Missouri House passes bill that could allow private and religious schools to cut wages of hourly workers
In 2018, Missouri voters gave their blessing to incrementally raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023. The state House has passed a bill that would exempt private and religious school workers from the state’s minimum wage law. The proposal would open the door for these schools to reduce the pay of hourly […]
NCMC students participate in Missouri Governor’s Student Leadership Forum
NCMC students Katie Blanchard from Lucerne, MO Cash Miller from Warsaw, MO and were two of the 98 collegiate students that participated in the 33rd Annual Missouri Governor’s Student Leadership Forum on Faith and Values held February 14-16, 2020, in Jefferson City, Missouri. The forum challenges students’ character development by encouraging them to reflect on […]
Deaths from flu-related illness in Missouri top 700
More than 700 people have died so far this season in Missouri from getting the flu and then pneumonia. Meanwhile, state health data shows influenza has directly killed 29 people in the Show-Me State. Some 56,000 flu cases have been confirmed so far and the season is still going strong. To put it in perspective, […]
Audio: Proposed statewide prescription drug monitoring program heads to Missouri Senate floor
A Missouri Senate committee has given approval to the creation of a database designed to crack down on potential abuse of addictive painkillers. GOP Representative Holly Rehder of southeast Missouri’s Scott City, who’s sponsoring the bill, says St. Louis County’s prescription drug monitoring program covers at least 87% of Missouri. “Missouri has a PDMP,” says […]
Medicaid expansion emerging as key issue in Missouri gubernatorial race
Missouri’s GOP governor and his likely November Democratic opponent clashed over the issue of Medicaid expansion, during separate press conferences Tuesday in Jefferson City. Medicaid is a federal and state program that assists with medical costs for residents who have limited incomes. Missouri’s current Medicaid budget is about $10 billion, accounting for about one-third of […]
Task force gets some positive news on Missouri spring flooding potential
The National Weather Service says Missouri faces above-average flood risk this spring because the soil is still saturated from last spring’s flooding. About 1.2 million acres of Missouri farmland was damaged by flooding in 2019. But, Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says the Governor’s Flood Advisory Task Force has received a glimmer of good news […]
Audio: Missouri racks up $32 million in county jail bills
The state owes Missouri counties more than $32 million for housing and transporting inmates who end up going to state prison. Missouri’s tab has been a problem for years, but the amount has grown in recent years by a significant amount. In October 2017, Missourinet reported the state was about six months behind in paying its […]
Audio: Missouri lawmaker focused on Missouri gasoline tax increase
Increasing the state’s gasoline tax is the top priority for a veteran Missouri lawmaker who’s in his eighth and final year in the House. Grandview Democratic State Representative Joe Runions tells Missourinet it’s badly needed, noting the state’s 17-cent gas tax has remained the same since 1996. Runions says Missouri’s cities and towns […]
State urges Missouri parents who lost Medicaid to re-apply kids for coverage
The state wants Missouri parents who have had their Medicaid coverage canceled to fill out an application and see if their kids still qualify. The request applies to those who have lost coverage since August 2018. State Representative David Wood, R-Versailles, says about 120,000 Missourians are no longer getting Medicaid due to a federal healthcare […]
Retired priest charged with sex-related crimes in southeast Missouri
A retired Roman Catholic priest from southern Missouri is now charged with four sex-related felonies in southeast Missouri’s Stoddard County, involving alleged sexual abuse of minors. Missourinet’s Cape Girardeau television partner KFVS reports 76-year-old Frederick Joseph Lutz was arrested Wednesday morning in Springfield, where he now lives. Stoddard County Prosecutor Russell Oliver has charged Lutz […]
Audio: Missouri House committee considers lottery-related legislation allowing winners to not have names published
Legislation that would give Missouri Lottery winners the OPTION of not having their names published by the Lottery has been heard by a House committee. The bill sponsor, Florissant State Representative Jay Mosley, tells Missourinet it’s a safety issue. You would be able to keep your identity secret if you win the Missouri […]
Audio: Missouri Medicaid Director Richardson to present budget this week
The state’s Medicaid director will present his budget to the Missouri House Budget Committee Tuesday morning in Jefferson City. The hearing is set for 8:15. During his January State of the State Address, Governor Mike Parson (R) credited former House Speaker and current Medicaid director Todd Richardson for finding $84 million in savings, in the Medicaid […]
Audio: Governor Mike Parson to outline budget blueprint
Missouri’s governor will release his budget blueprint today (Wednesday) in Jefferson City. Governor Mike Parson signed a 29-point-seven billion-dollar state operating budget into law last summer, which included a three percent pay raise for state employees. State Budget Director Dan Haug will unveil the Parson administration’s budget blueprint this afternoon, before the State […]
Audio: $400 million steel plant set to open in December in Sedalia
Missouri’s top economic development official says a 400-million dollar steel plant being built in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia will open next month. State Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Rob Dixon tells Missourinet the Nucor plant is scheduled to open on December 27 or 28. The steel rebar manufacturing plant is one of the […]