the Missouri State Auditor’s Office filed a lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court against the Missouri State Board of Accountancy to block the Board from misapplying a state statute in a way that could bar the Auditor – current or future – from publically disclosing facts and findings of government inefficiencies, waste, fraud, and abuse. […]
Tag: statement
Judge rules against Missouri Attorney General challenge to masks in Missouri schools.
(Missouri Independent) – Face masks will stay on for students and teachers in districts requiring them, a Boone County judge ruled Tuesday, handing Attorney General Eric Schmitt a defeat in his efforts to use the courts to block mask mandates. Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs denied Schmitt’s effort to use a single case, filed against Columbia […]
Biden administration rolls out new rule to bolster DACA as lawsuit continues
(Missouri Independent) – The Biden administration on Monday unveiled a proposed new rule that would strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to protect undocumented people in the program from legal challenges. The proposed rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, would “preserve and fortify” the DACA program, an Obama administration-era initiative that protects […]
Gene Kauffman Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships to 27 high school graduates
The latest recipients of scholarships from the “Gene Kauffman Scholarship Foundation, Inc.” have been approved by the Board of Directors of the foundation. A total of 27 female graduates of North Mercer High School and Princeton High School in Mercer County, Missouri, have been awarded a combined total of $140,622.41 in scholarships for the Fall, […]
Advocates press for action in Congress on voting rights, despite grim outlook
(Missouri Independent) – Activists are ramping up the pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to move on his chamber’s version of a voting rights bill, even though there’s no sign there will be enough Republican support to advance it. Alternatively, they’re pressing for an end to the filibuster, though there’s no indication there would […]
Recommendations by Missouri State Auditor not fully implemented by City of Center, after former city clerk misappropriated $300,000
After an audit last year determined the former city clerk of Center misappropriated more than $300,000, State Auditor Nicole Galloway has issued a follow-up report measuring the progress made to implement the audit’s recommendations. While officials in the Ralls County town of 500 have taken some measures to better safeguard public funds, the follow-up report […]
Trenton Administrative Committee discusses the breed-specific dog ban
Trenton’s Administrative Committee on Tuesday night voted two to one against repealing the breed-specific dog ordinance. This recommendation will be forwarded to the Monday night meeting of the full Trenton City Council. Committee members voting to keep the current ordinance were David Mlika and Danny Brewer. Voting to repeal the ordinance was Robert Romesburg. Kevin […]
Immigration reform blocked from reconciliation bill in Congress, but Democrats vow to try again
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Senate parliamentarian has turned down a plan to include a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented people in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, a blow for Democrats and immigration advocacy groups when the decision was disclosed late Sunday. “We are deeply disappointed in this decision but the fight to […]
Struggle over tax break for inherited farmland churns below surface in reconciliation bill
(Missouri Independent) – Agricultural groups and farm-state lawmakers notched a significant win when U.S. House Democrats chose not to touch a big tax break for inherited property, avoiding, for now, a confrontation. But opponents remain wary that the idea could come back at any time as Democrats shape their massive $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, and […]
Missouri lawmakers buck national trend by establishing police “Bill of Rights”
(Missouri Independent) – On the final day of the 2021 legislative session in May, Missouri lawmakers passed a “law enforcement bill of rights” that gives officers special legal protections and closes files to police misconduct. When Gov. Mike Parson signed it into law in July, the bill of rights portion was largely overshadowed in press […]
Groups see Missouri proposals as voter-suppression attempts
As lawmakers in Congress work to expand access to voting, members of the Missouri Legislature are proposing laws their critics say would limit people’s ability to vote. State legislative committees on elections convened last week to discuss measures that would impose a stricter voter ID law, require election officials to purge voter rolls more frequently, and others. Luz […]
Missouri business owner who stole from customers, in $4 million fraud scheme, sentenced to 5 years in prison for $768,000 tax evasion
A Missouri business owner who engaged in a $4 million scheme to defraud his customers was sentenced in federal court for tax evasion after failing to pay more than $768,000 in state and federal taxes. “Not only did this defendant steal millions of dollars from his customers, but he stole from the public by evading […]
Princeton student threatens bringing weapon to school to harm multiple students
Princeton Superintendent Jerry Girdner reports a high school student made a verbal threat on Thursday, September 16, 2021, allegedly about bring a weapon to school and causing harm to multiple students. Girdner, in a letter Thursday night to Princeton patrons, wrote that students reported the incident to school administrators after school had been dismissed for […]
Revised voting rights bill rolled out in U.S. Senate, with Manchin on board
(Missouri Independent) – Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a revamped voting rights bill that would expand voter registration as well as create nonpartisan redistricting committees, but the measure is still likely to face an uphill battle in an evenly divided Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will bring the legislation to the floor […]
Hamilton man charged with murder has jury trial vacated in DeKalb County
An October jury trial has been vacated in DeKalb County for a Hamilton man charged with second-degree murder. The case for 37-year-old Frank Randall Allen Bostic was continued to November 8, 2021, for a plea or trial setting. Bostic has also been charged with felony first-degree domestic assault involving serious physical injury. In another case, […]
Newtown-Harris Board of Education approved extracurricular hires
The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education approved extracurricular hires on September 13. T The new hires are Jessica Parsons for Scholar Bowl, Megan Brown for the Honor Society, and Andrea Luper for the yearbook. The board approved after-school staff contracts and the substitute teacher list. The tuition rate was set at $13,500 per year. The […]
Bethany man charged with stalking and assault after allegedly abusing a woman on six occasions
A Bethany man has been charged with three felony counts of third-degree assault involving a special victim after he allegedly abused a female on six occasions. Thirty-one-year-old Ronald Duane Smith Junior has also been charged with first-degree stalking. Bond was set at $100,000 cash only. A bond hearing is set for September 16th. A probable […]
Charges filed against Illinois man in Harrison County after stealing vehicle and fleeing from law enforcement
An Antioch, Illinois resident faces multiple charges in Harrison County after he allegedly took a vehicle without permission and fled from law enforcement on September 11. Ninteen-year-old Elkanah Gahima has been charged with the felonies of possession of burglary tools, first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, and resisting arrest, detention, or stop by fleeing. He […]
Missouri GOP vow to push back against Biden’s announced vaccine mandate
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Republicans assailed President Joe Biden’s push to require employees of private businesses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing, vowing a legislative response and legal action. Gov. Mike Parson promised to “fight back against federal power grabs and government overreach” in a tweet Thursday afternoon, calling Biden’s plan “an […]