(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 […]
Second District State Representative J. Eggleston of Maysville has announced his intention to run for the State Senate in 2022. Other media outlets report Republican Eggleston is seeking the seat currently held by 12th District State Senator Dan Hegeman of Cosby, who is also a Republican. Hegeman cannot run again due to term limits. Senate […]
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri lawmakers appear to be headed into a special session next week to renew medical provider taxes vital to sustaining the state’s Medicaid program. Gov. Mike Parson met Tuesday with the state Senate Republican caucus. The group discussed language that would bar the state from paying for some contraceptive medications and devices and extend […]
The governor will sign prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation into law Monday (today) in Jefferson City, making Missouri the 50th and final state to have the PDMP program. Governor Mike Parson (R) plans to sign bipartisan PDMP legislation from State Sen. Holly Rehder (R-Scott City) and State Rep. Travis Smith (R-Dora) Monday afternoon, on the Missouri Capitol lawn […]
Governor Mike Parson announced fifteen appointments to various boards and commissions. Bryan Atkins, of Rea, was appointed to the Board of Probation and Parole. Mr. Atkins served as the Sheriff of Andrew County from 2009 until his retirement in 2020. Prior to being elected sheriff, he served as a Deputy Sheriff for Andrew County. He also formerly […]
(Missouri Independent) – Republicans in the Missouri Senate should move to shut off debate if a filibuster blocks anti-abortion lawmakers from putting their stamp on provider taxes that fund Medicaid, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in an interview with The Independent this week. The advice was not, however, well received by the Senate’s Republican or […]
The state legislature voted Friday, May 7, to give final approval to a $34 billion state operating budget; however, the budget has not been signed by the governor. North Central Missouri College President Doctor Lenny Klaver says he is pleased where the college is in the process. He explains that, in the budget, community colleges […]
Advocates for public schools are urging the Missouri Legislature to bolster funding for public education rather than shift resources towards charter schools and school voucher programs. A bill pending in the House would provide tax credits for paying for private school tuition. Another would change school funding formulas to give more resources to charter schools, specifically […]
As the state Senate debates Missouri’s budget for next year, groups are urging lawmakers to learn from the 38 states that have expanded their Medicaid programs. The budget passed by the Missouri House leaves out the $130 million needed to fund expansion. The remainder of the costs would be covered by the federal government. Joan Alker, executive director […]
The fight to expand Medicaid coverage is not over yet in Missouri. The state Senate is expected to work Wednesday and Thursday on the 34-billion dollar state budget, which could include an effort to fund expansion. Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected a compromise proposal that would have funded expansion on a smaller scale. […]
(Missouri Independent) – A third attempt to get a bill that funds one-quarter of Missouri’s Medicaid program through the state Senate failed Tuesday night when a new anti-abortion issue was injected into the legislation. Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, brought the bill that has been in limbo since late March to the floor just a few […]
Voters in Missouri approved a ballot initiative expanding Medicaid. If the state funds it, Missouri will be on track to receive more than $1 billion in federal incentives. As lawmakers continue their debate on whether to fund voter-approved Medicaid expansion in Missouri, pediatricians say lack of access to high-quality health care can lead to long-lasting […]
President Biden has signed six executive orders aimed at reducing gun violence. They include tightening buyer restrictions for often untraceable homemade firearms. Another one would make it easier for states to adopt laws that could let the police take weapons from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. During a press conference, State Senate […]
The state Senate has passed a transportation package that would ban entities in Missouri from requiring a vaccine passport to access transportation services. Companies are developing vaccine passports to encourage travel. Springfield-area state Senator Lincoln Hough is sponsoring the legislation that would also waive safety inspection requirements for new vehicles immediately before the vehicle is […]
(Missouri Independent) – The biggest item in a $1 billion supplemental spending bill would set aside money for a new method of making Medicaid payments, but exactly how it would work or how much it would cost is unknown. The House Budget Committee on Tuesday held a public hearing on the bill that would also […]
Some state agencies are working with the oldest computer operating systems- and still using them, mainly because of the costs associated with upgrading and replacing these outdated programs. That’s according to State Senate Budget Chairman Dan Hegeman. As Missourians well know- one of those is the Missouri Department of Revenue. Some of the systems […]
The governor’s choice to serve on the University of Missouri System Board of Curators is having an uphill battle in the state Senate. Senators on both sides of the aisle blocked an attempt last week to consider the nomination of Todd Graves to the University of Missouri System Board of Curators. Graves, a former state […]
The Missouri Veterans Commission welcomed three new Commissioners and elected a Commission Chair and Vice-Chair during the March 26, 2021 meeting. Randy Alewel, Kelly McClelland, and Steve Maples were appointed to the Commission by Governor Mike Parson on February 4, 2021, and recently confirmed by the Missouri State Senate. During the March 26 meeting, Kelly […]
Missouri is another step closer to getting a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. The state Senate has given initial approval to Senator Holly Rehder’s nine-year quest to require a centralized database to help the medical community look for cases of suspected misuse of painkillers. Lake St. Louis Senator Bob Onder, a fellow Republican, […]
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt officially jumped into the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, making him the second major Republican hopeful seeking to replace Roy Blunt. Schmitt’s decision comes after former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens jumped into the race earlier this week. Both made their announcements on Fox News. “Washington, D.C., needs more […]
