Governor Mike Parson has announced that 10 percent of Missouri’s 50,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be sent to the state’s two biggest urban centers. 5,000 doses will be sent to targeted vaccination sites in St. Louis and Kansas City, and 10,000 will be allocated to regional mass vaccination events. The remaining vaccines […]
Tag: St. Louis
Audio: Missouri state lawmaker calling for investigation of potential price-fixing in the cattle market
A Missouri state lawmaker is calling for a state investigation of potential price-fixing in the cattle market. Representative David Gregory, a Republican from St. Louis, is chair of the House Special Committee on Government Accountability, “There’s some pretty strong circumstantial evidence that the meatpackers are coordinating efforts to suppress the price of fed cattle. And […]
Audio: Missouri lawmakers are looking into foreign ownership of Missouri farmland.
A Democratic state lawmaker from St. Louis County wants to ban foreign companies from buying more farmland in Missouri. Democratic Senator Doug Beck, of Affton who is sponsoring the proposal, told members of a Senate panel Monday it is a national security issue, as well as a food security issue. Under current law, […]
Audio: Missouri Supreme Court issues opinion in high-profile Lamar Johnson case
The Missouri Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from convicted murderer Lamar Johnson of St. Louis, a case that has received national media attention. It’s also a case that has attracted attention from elected prosecutors from across the nation and Missouri. The 47-year-old Johnson has been incarcerated since 1995, serving a life sentence without parole […]
After outrage over unused vaccines at rural clinics, Parson vows more KC, STL events
(Missouri Independent) – Last week, multiple mass vaccination events in rural areas neared the end of the day with hundreds of doses still on hand — prompting health departments to take to social media and encourage anyone to come for fear doses would be wasted. “We have ample vaccine still available that needs to be […]
Audio: Missouri resolution would let voters decide who sits on the state board of education
Missouri voters could decide who sits on the state board of education – not the governor. Eureka Republican Representative Dottie Bailey is proposing to let voters choose board members during each general election of a presidential election year. A House committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the measure. St. Louis Democrat Ian […]
Audio: A Bill in the Missouri House would ban some gun free zones
People with concealed carry permits could be allowed to take firearms into Missouri places like government buildings, polling places, churches, public hospitals, and public colleges. During a Missouri House committee hearing Monday, Representative Jered Taylor of Nixa says he is proposing eliminating some gun-free zones. Taylor says permit holders could help protect the […]
North Central Missouri College Foundation announces honorees for the Distinguished Alumni Class of 2020
North Central Missouri College Foundation announces the Distinguished Alumni Class for 2020 honorees: Dr. Jamie Hooyman, Mr. John Sturdevant, and Mr. Donovan Thompson. Distinguished Alumni honorees will be recognized during the Pirates Ball on March 13, 2021, at the Ketcham Community Center on the campus of North Central Missouri College along with Voyage Fund donors, […]
Lawmakers propose permanent tax credit to stimulate development in nation’s underserved areas
U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Ben Cardin (Md.) have introduced a measure to permanently extend the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), which has created jobs and driven investment in neighborhoods with high poverty and unemployment rates. The New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act (S.456) will permanently authorize a 39 percent federal tax credit for […]
Audio: Missouri U.S. House of Representatives respond to stimulus package passed on Saturday
A one-point-nine-trillion-dollar pandemic relief package heads to the U-S Senate after approval by the Democratic-controlled U.S. House. The plan featuring $1,400 stimulus checks passed early Saturday with no Republican support. Missouri GOP Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler says it’s “serving as an excuse to spend our tax money on unnecessary things completely unrelated to the […]
Missouri Republicans look to reinstate voter ID requirement
(Missouri Independent) – About 137,700 registered voters in Missouri did not have a state-issued identification in 2017, according to an analysis from the Secretary of State’s Office. Another 140,000 voters had expired IDs, and 2,000 more voters had forfeited their driver’s licenses. Under a bill passed Wednesday in the Missouri House, those registered voters would either have to […]
Audio: Next phase of COVID-19 plan, beginning March 15, includes teachers, faculty and staff in Missouri schools
The next tier of Missouri’s coronavirus vaccination plan will be activated on March 15. That means all teachers, faculty, and staff in public, private, and nonprofit pre-K-12 will become eligible. So will state-licensed childcare center workers, some food production employees, as well as grocery and convenience stores workers. Missouri is currently vaccinating residents in Phase […]
Audio: Honduran facing deportation under Trump, leaves sanctuary church in St. Louis without fear under Biden
A man who has lived near St. Louis in a Maplewood church to avoid deportation has been able to finally leave the church. Alex Garcia returned home on Wednesday after being protected by the church for more than 3 years. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports the Honduran immigrant and father of five […]
Governor Parson announces timeline for activation of Phase 1B -Tier 3 of COVID-19 vaccine plan
Governor Mike Parson announced that Phase 1B – Tier 3 of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan will be activated on Monday, March 15, 2021. “Missouri has had a vaccine plan since October, and this has not changed. We have been very disciplined in following our plan,” Governor Parson said. “With vaccine supply steadily increasing, we […]
Missouri cities, counties in line for millions from federal COVID relief bill
(Missouri Independent) – The plan for distributing money directly to Missouri counties in the current version of the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill is pretty simple – each gets $195.44 per person. But for cities, instead of a formula based on population, Congress divvies up the money using the method for determining Community Development Block Grant allocations. […]
Audio: Missouri Senate puts off vote on giant K-12 education package
After about twelve hours of debate, the Missouri Senate refrained from voting overnight on a contentious K-12 public education package. There was some confusion towards the end that appeared to ultimately lead to the plan getting shelved – at least for now. Several changes were made over the course of the day and night. As […]
Bill increasing penalties for protesters wins initial approval in Missouri Senate
(Missouri Independent) – Republican state Senators advanced sweeping legislation early Tuesday morning aimed at penalizing protestors who block streets, while also providing further protections for law enforcement under investigation for misconduct or excessive force. The bill also aims to prevent municipalities from decreasing the budgets for law enforcement agencies in Missouri by more than 12 percent over […]
Audio: Missouri’s St. Louis County makes Juneteenth a holiday
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. St. Louis County has made Juneteenth a holiday. The observance on June 19th marks […]
Audio: Missouri could soon catch up on its jail reimbursement debt
Missouri could catch up by the end of the next state budget year on its outstanding debt owed to counties for jail reimbursements. For years, the state has been behind in paying counties and the city of St. Louis for a portion of a defendant’s entire local jail stay if the individual ends up going […]
Audio: Missouri’s COVID activity declines for fifth straight week; Governor receives first COVID injection
Missouri’s governor says he and First Lady Teresa Parson have received their first COVID vaccination shot. Governor Parson tells Capitol reporters the shots were administered in Jefferson City. The governor praised the dedication of Cole County health employees, saying they are doing an outstanding job. He says he’s had a sore arm, but […]