State Senator Greg Razer says minds are shifting about changing the Missouri Non-Discrimination Act. The Kansas City Democrat has filed legislation that would ban discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity for things like housing, financial help, employment, or the use of public restrooms. Razer, who is openly gay, says he has talked to […]
U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.), Mazie K. Hirono (Hawaii), Susan Collins (Maine), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) announced that they have introduced the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2021. The bipartisan bill would close a loophole in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA), which has prevented internationally-adopted children, who are […]
Legislation that requires a photo ID and the use of a paper ballot was given final approval by the Missouri House in Jefferson City on Thursday. The vote, primarily along party lines, was 109-48. House Bill 738 is sponsored by veteran State Rep. Don Rone (R-Portageville), who represents the Bootheel. Rone was unable to make it to the […]
Repairs to Missouri River levees damaged by the 2019 flood in northwest Missouri are nearly completed, but some stubborn problems won’t be fixed until after summer. KFEQ’s Brent Martin has details from St. Joseph. Repairs from the extensive damage done by the 2019 flood are continuing in northwest Missouri, with both the levee […]
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) could be required to report annually about the number of K-12 students with limited or no access to high-speed internet at home. During a House committee hearing, Representative Louis Riggs, R-Hannibal, said he is proposing to require the department to include the total number of students […]
U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Mark Warner (Va.) introduced legislation to prevent further financial instability for rural health clinics and safeguard the care they provide to underserved communities. The bipartisan Strengthening Rural Health Clinics Act of 2021 would make a technical fix to protect existing rural health clinics from a sudden and unexpected Medicare […]
The Gallatin Board of Aldermen approved an amendment to an agreement for phone service and accepted a bid for cemetery mowing on March 22nd. The amendment to the City of Gallatin’s Windstream agreement for phone service at the city hall includes upgrading the phone service. City Administrator Lance Rains reported monthly recurring charges will be […]
The head of the Missouri Department of Social Services is scheduled to appear before a panel of lawmakers Wednesday about the agency’s handling of abuse investigations within boarding schools. The Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight has called a Wednesday afternoon hearing to question the department’s acting director, Jennifer Tidball. The Kansas City Star has […]
(Missouri Independent) – The House Budget Committee will submit its revisions to Gov. Mike Parson’s $34.1 billion state operating budget to the full House this week without the benefit of clear guidelines for spending new infusions of federal cash. The committee must also decide whether and how it will use a record general revenue surplus. The fund’s cash balance […]
One question posed to the five Trenton R-9 Board of Education candidates at March 18th’s forum was what their plans were to address recruiting, and retention in the district and not let Trenton be a stepping stone. Michael Voorhies said teachers coming and going each year was a major issue, and any business does not […]
Chillicothe Police School Resource Officer Eric Menconi says he has talked with law enforcement officers, school officials, and health professionals about everyday issues children face. About 70% of the conversations occurred because of incidents in which a student was found using alcohol, tobacco products, or other illicit drugs. He notes the most common problem is […]
(Missouri Independent) – Legislation creating a path to citizenship for undocumented people brought to the U.S. as children face a new border crisis and old partisan objections, diminishing the chances it will become law despite full Democratic control of Congress and the White House. On Thursday, the U.S. House is poised to pass the American […]
Trenton’s Utility Committee heard details Tuesday evening on the preliminary financial impact for TMU regarding substantially-increased prices for natural gas and the electric market due to the prolonged extreme cold weather last month. Trenton Municipal Utility Comptroller Rosetta Marsh says having a large reserve in the electric department will help Trenton withstand the higher costs […]
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it has a lot more money to fix emerging navigation problems in the lower Missouri River this year. Colonel William Hannan, with the Kansas City district, says it has 74-million dollars to work on the lower 730 miles of the channel which puts them in a much better […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s massive pandemic stimulus law pumps a welcome infusion of federal aid into state and local government coffers — but one brief section is raising questions about whether states are barred from cutting their own taxes if they accept the federal help. The Senate added language to the COVID-19 relief package […]
(Missouri Independent) – Roy Blunt’s announcement that he won’t seek a third term certainly shook up Republican politics in Missouri, sparking nearly every GOP elected official in the state to publicly mull jumping into the campaign. Democrats aren’t immune from the speculation. While any Democrat would face an uphill fight, the chance of a messy […]
All but 25 of Missouri’s more than 550 public school districts and charter schools are learning at least partially in-person. During a board meeting this week, State Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven says the American Enterprise for Institutes ranks Missouri as having one of the lowest numbers of K-12 students learning remotely. Of the […]
U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) introduced the Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act, legislation that would subject certain foreign criminal organizations like drug cartels to sanctions, including immigration, financial, and criminal penalties. The process would be similar to the system used for designating entities as […]
The Missouri K-12 Education Department has been reviewing whether federal coronavirus aid can be used to give teachers a bonus next school year if they stick around. The state already has a persistent teacher shortage and COVID-19 has made the problem even worse. During a Missouri Board of Education meeting, Deputy Finance Commissioner Kari Monsees […]
Carroll County Memorial Hospital hosted a Virtual Open House and Ribbon Cutting Friday, March 5, at the new Jefferson Medical Group’s Brunswick Medical Clinic. “We are sorry that we couldn’t host the Open House in person to the entire community due to COVID-19 precautions, but we were excited technology allowed us to include everyone virtually,” […]
