This article is a commentary. The views expressed in this article are those of the author, Tim Gibbons, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of KTTN/KGOZ Radio, management, or staff. (Missouri Independent) – Missouri Rural Crisis Center recently sent in comments to the Biden Administration and USDA in response to their request […]
(Missouri Independent) – With fewer than 12 hours to spare before the start of a new fiscal year, the Missouri House on Wednesday approved a bill extending medical provider taxes essential to balancing the budget, forestalling more than $700 million in cuts planned by Gov. Mike Parson. Divisions over how and whether to add provisions sought by […]
A Louisiana man pleaded guilty to possession of an animal for use in an animal fighting venture. According to court documents, beginning as early as June 22, 2017, Clay Turner, 61, of Loranger, possessed and trained dogs for the purpose of having them participate in animal fighting ventures. On telephone calls obtained via court-authorized wiretaps, […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway said today her office has begun a regularly scheduled audit of Lawrence County, located in southwest Missouri. The most recent audit of Lawrence County was completed in December 2016, with the county receiving an overall rating of “poor.” A follow-up report, released in 2017, showed county officials had made some progress addressing the issues […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has obtained a $150,000 settlement against a former Poplar Bluff Medicaid provider for falsely billing services that weren’t provided. “My Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works tirelessly to root out, investigate, and prosecute instances of Medicaid fraud across the state of Missouri,” […]
After about three hours of testimony Thursday, the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee approved two bills to extend medical provider taxes vital to funding the state’s share of Medicaid. The first bill brought up for a vote would extend the taxes for five years, limit the types of contraceptives available to women on Medicaid and block Planned Parenthood from […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released a report covering the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. The report is part of a comprehensive review of the Clay County government initiated by citizens through the petition audit process. “The taxpayers that initiated this audit of Clay County made it clear they wanted a thorough, independent review of […]
The push to expand Medicaid eligibility in Missouri was dealt another blow on Wednesday, as a Cole County judge ruled the voter-approved initiative was unconstitutional because it didn’t include a way to pay for 275,000 new enrollees. Plaintiffs, which include three people who would have been eligible for Medicaid on July 1 if the expansion […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and 21 other state attorneys general wrote to congressional leaders on Monday, urging Congress to keep the Hyde Amendment in the 2022 budget. The amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortions was not included in the Biden Administration’s budget. The Hyde Amendment has been included in federal budgets […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law legislation declaring a legal public holiday annually on June 19, the date of the end of slavery in the U.S. known as Juneteenth. “Throughout history, Juneteenth has been known by many names—Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at the […]
Legislation that declares it’s the duty of the courts and law enforcement agencies to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms has been signed into law by Missouri’s governor. GOP Governor Mike Parson signed the Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA) Saturday in Lee’s Summit, where he was joined by the bill […]
The governor is reluctant to call a special session on the Grain Belt eminent domain issue in northern Missouri. While Missouri House Agriculture Committee Chairman Don Rone of Portageville has asked for a special session, Governor Parson says he has to be responsive to taxpayers as well: To be clear, Governor Parson supports […]
(Missouri Independent) – For years after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, activists and community leaders have pushed to “re-envision public safety.” Inspired in part by the Ferguson Commission, which recommended that cities focus more resources on the root causes of crime, organizers across the state echoed these calls. But they largely fell on deaf ears. […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced today that her office has begun a regularly scheduled audit of Harrison County, located in northwest Missouri. The county received a rating of “fair” from the most recent state audit, issued in November 2015. “Audits can help local officials take steps to make government more efficient and effective for taxpayers,” Auditor […]
An audit by State Auditor Nicole Galloway gives several recommendations to the Greene County Sheriff to improve the office’s accounting controls and procedures. In his responses, the Sheriff committed to implementing the recommendations of the audit, which gave a rating of “good.” “Audits help point out ways government officials can better serve their constituents, and […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway said today her office has completed an audit of the Stone County Collector’s office. The rating given by the audit was “excellent,” the highest possible. “This audit confirms the Stone County Collector’s Office was run in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” Auditor Galloway said. “This is great news for the taxpayers […]
(Missouri Independent – The simmering division among Republicans over a bill crucial to funding Missouri’s Medicaid program boiled over this week, with the state senator at the center of the debate calling for a change in the chamber’s leadership. Sen. Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, led the charge to include language banning the use of taxpayer money […]
(Missouri Independent) – From statehouses to Congress, Republicans have launched into a fight against the teaching of “critical race theory,” which just a year ago was a niche academic term. Experts in critical race theory say it’s about acknowledging how racial disparities are embedded in U.S history and society, and the concept is being mischaracterized […]
Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick announced he has joined a coalition of 15 State Treasurers to speak out against apparent attempts by the Biden Administration to pressure banks and other large financial institutions to divest from coal, oil, and natural gas companies. “While the pursuit of more renewable sources of energy is a noble cause, […]
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) announced that he and other lawmakers are co-sponsors of legislation to prevent the Internal Revenue Service from being used as a political weapon against American citizens. “People across Missouri are rightly concerned about the kind of government overreach and political targeting we’ve seen from the IRS in the past,” said […]
