U.S. Senate Building

Coalition of lawmakers introduce SHIELD Act to preserve Title 42 expulsions of illegal immigrants

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in introducing the Securing the Homeland from International Entrants with Life-threatening Diseases (SHIELD) Act to codify the Trump administration’s public health order under Title 42 that required U.S. border officials to promptly remove illegal immigrants to stop the spread of COVID-19.  Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tom Cotton […]

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USDA announces dates for Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands signups

Agricultural producers and landowners can apply for the Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands signup from today until August 20. This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase the program’s conservation and climate benefits, including setting a minimum rental rate and identifying two national priority zones. […]

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Missouri man defrauds St. Louis residents out of $81,000

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division is seeking penalties and restitution from a Missouri man and his Chesterfield-based company after St. Louis residents were allegedly defrauded out of $81,000.    Between January 2017 and June 2018, Loy Dennis Maxey and his company, Fresh Start Credit Services, LLC, allegedly sold promissory notes and misappropriated a […]

Parson signing new legislation

Governor Parson signs SB 51 into law giving healthcare providers and others protections against COVID-19 related civil action

Governor Mike Parson signed SB 51 into law, which protects health care providers, businesses, religious organizations, and others from being held liable in COVID-19 exposure civil actions.  “When COVID-19 first struck Missouri, health care providers, manufacturers, businesses, churches, schools, and other entities quickly altered their operations to protect public health and accommodate the needs of […]

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Missouri State Auditor makes recommendations to improve spending practices at Western Cass Fire Protection District

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released a citizen-requested audit of the Western Cass Fire Protection District, which is located in western Cass County. The audit made recommendations related to spending and budgeting to ensure transparent and effective use of taxpayer dollars. “The citizens served by the Western Cass Fire Protection District requested this audit to […]

Labadie Energy Center on Missouri RIver in Franklin County Missouri

Endangered fish, leaching ash ponds: Environmental groups oppose Missouri coal plant permit

(Missouri Independent) – For years, Lisa Zerbe said she biked, rode horses, and ran near Ameren Missouri’s largest coal-fired power plant in Franklin County because she “naively believed” state environmental regulators were protecting citizens from pollution.  Now, she won’t.  “It is truly a disheartening feeling of betrayal from an agency in my younger years I […]

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Sumner couple scammed out of $60.000

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division ordered Cutting Edge Supplements, LLC, and Desmond R. Bloss to cease and desist after allegedly misusing a $60,000 investment from a Missouri couple. Between November 28, 2016, and June 30, 2017, Bloss allegedly solicited and received investment monies from a Sumner, Missouri couple to be used for his […]

Governor Parson Gives State of the State Address 2021

Despite massive surplus, Governor Parson vetoes $115 million from Missouri budget

(Missouri Independent) – Missouri will enter the new budget year with a record budget surplus and no restrictions on appropriations. The $35.6 billion budget includes rate increases for some Medicaid providers, higher funding for colleges and universities, and new mental health crisis centers. A few hours after lawmakers passed an extension of provider taxes vital to funding […]

OSHA Website

US Department of Labor cites grain facility for workplace safety failures following dust explosion that severely injured worker

Had MFA Enterprises Inc. – operating as West Central Agri Services – addressed potential dust ignition sources, an explosion that seriously injured an employee and caused the destruction of the main elevator at an Adrian grain loading facility might not have happened. OSHA cited the grain-handling facility for one willful and six serious safety violations, […]