2022 Judicial Redistricting Commission - (Photo by Rudi Keller - Missouri Independent)

Judges release new boundaries for Missouri Senate districts

(Missouri Independent) – A panel of Missouri judges tasked with redrawing 34 state Senate districts released a tentative plan Monday, part of a once-in-a-decade process that reconfigures political boundaries following the U.S. Census. The new map, drawn by the Judicial Redistricting Commission after a citizen commission failed to reach consensus, will be formally submitted to […]

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Missouri fines CAFO, owned by Smithfield Foods, $18,000 for polluting streams with 300,000 gallons of waste

(Missouri Independent) – Regulators ordered an industrial hog farm in northern Missouri to pay more than $18,000 for spilling 300,000 gallons of manure into miles of nearby streams.  An advocate for environmentally responsible agriculture called that “pathetic,” noting the fine amounted to less than $0.04 per gallon of waste spilled.  “You’re talking about a multi-billion […]

Sleeping Baby in dark room (Photo by Kevin Keith on Unsplash)

House grants initial approval to bill that would allow prison nurseries in Missouri

(Missouri Independent) -The House gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow newborns to remain with their incarcerated mothers for the first year and a half of the baby’s life. The bill would permit the Missouri Department of Corrections to establish nurseries within the state’s correctional facilities, allowing children born to incarcerated women to […]

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Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority opens grant opportunities for Missouri producers

The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) announces the opening of two funding opportunities, while also announcing recipients of the most recent grant cycle. MASBDA is accepting applications for two programs that add value to Missouri agricultural products and aid the economy of a rural community. The Missouri Value-Added Agriculture Grant can be used for […]