Audio: “Kids Win Missouri” praises Missouri House’s $76 million Increase for foster and adoptive children

A coalition that’s dedicated to improving the well-being of Missouri children is praising the Missouri House’s bipartisan approval of a 76-million dollar increase for foster and adoptive children. Kids Win Missouri policy director Craig Stevenson says the House budget includes unprecedented support for the kinship and foster families who care for the 14,000 children in […]

Medicaid Missouri

Audio: Missouri’s House Budget Committee Chairman outlines Medicaid-related budget bill

Missouri’s House Budget Committee learned details today (Tuesday) about a budget blueprint from Chairman Cody Smith to use dollars slated for Medicaid expansion for other programs instead. Funding includes 26-million dollars for adult daycare and home-delivered meals. Chairman Smith testifies the funding also includes 88-million dollars for nursing home care.     This involves a […]

Missouri Department of Corrections

Audio: Missouri House signs off on budget to include bigger pay raise for some corrections jobs

The Missouri House has passed a 34-point-one billion-dollar state operating budget that includes a big pay raise for some hard-to-fill Department of Corrections jobs. On top of the requested two-percent salary boost for all state workers, some Corrections food service workers, officers, sergeants, and lieutenants would get anywhere from a nearly six percent to an […]

Jobs for America’s Graduates-Missouri website

JAG-Missouri attracts more than $100,000 to support students

Jobs for America’s Graduates-Missouri, known as JAG-Missouri, recently received a number of contributions totaling more than $100,000 – one of the best fundraising periods in the organization’s recent history. JAG is a 40-year-old national nonprofit organization that has helped more than 1.5 million students reach their full potential by ensuring they graduate from high school […]

Immunization needle

Audio: Missouri bill would lower school immunization requirements

Missouri children attending daycares, K-12 public schools, or college might not be required to get vaccinated against certain illnesses – if they have a “conscientious belief” opposing the immunizations. Lebanon State Representative Suzie Pollock is proposing the change for vaccinations against polio, rubella, mumps, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and others. Her bill would also […]

Medicaid Missouri

Missouri House plan to reject Medicaid expansion faces uncertain fate in the Senate

(Missouri Independent) – Republicans in the Missouri House finalized their plan to block funding for voter-approved Medicaid expansion on Thursday, giving final approval to its version of the state’s budget and sending it to the Senate. What happens next remains unclear. House Democratic Leader Crystal Quade said she’s confident the Senate will restore the $1.9 […]

Budget news graphic

Audio: Jesus’ name invoked by both parties as Missouri House approves $34 billion budget, without Medicaid expansion

After a heated floor debate that included numerous biblical references, the Missouri House voted Thursday afternoon to give final approval to a $34.1 billion state operating budget. The House budget does not contain funding for Medicaid expansion. The operating budget now heads to the Missouri Senate, and Medicaid expansion supporters hope senators will include the […]

Grundy County Health Department Website

Grundy County Health Department reports almost 25% of Grundy County residents received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Twenty point four percent of Grundy County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. That is according to Missouri’s vaccination website. Two thousand thirteen first doses have been given to all age groups, and 3,363 total doses have been given. The Grundy County Health Department’s report from March 25th indicated 1,869 […]

Obituary for Gerald Howard Avery

Gerald Howard Avery, age 82, a resident of Chillicothe, Missouri, passed away on Monday, March 29, 2021, at his favorite fishing hole. Gerald was born the son of John Henry and Merle Grace (Wolford) Avery on August 12, 1938, in Gladstone, Illinois. He was a 1956 graduate of Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Illinois. Gerald served […]

Congressman Jason Smith (Photo Courtesy Wikipedia)

Audio: Southern Missouri Congressman Jason Smith considering Senate run; criticizes Biden on border wall suspension

A southern Missouri congressman who serves as the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee says he’s considering a run for the U-S Senate in 2022. Salem Congressman Jason Smith spoke to Missourinet Monday (last) evening in Jefferson City, outside the Statehouse:     Former Governor Eric Greitens and Attorney General Eric Schmitt, both Republicans, […]

Medicaid

Audio: Missouri House Budget Committee votes against funding for Medicaid expansion in next budget cycle

The Missouri House Budget Committee has voted against funding for Medicaid expansion in the next fiscal year.     The committee, made up of mostly Republicans, has voted down 1.6-billion dollars in funding for Medicaid expansion in the next state budget cycle. Last year, 53-percent of Missouri voters approved a ballot measure to expand government-funded […]