The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury have announced that the first monthly payment of the expanded and newly-advanceable Child Tax Credit from the American Rescue Plan will be made on July 15. Roughly 39 million households, covering 88% of children in the United States, are slated to begin receiving monthly […]
Tag: today
Audio: Key bills passed in the final day or days of the Missouri Legislature’s session
Another session of the Missouri Legislature has come and gone. Of the 1,559 House bills and 689 Senate bills filed this time around, 69 bills will make it to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk. Here are some key bills left up to the governor to sign or veto: Missouri lawmakers vote to pump up […]
Hy-Vee pharmacies administering free COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12-15
Hy-Vee, Inc. announces today that all Hy-Vee pharmacy locations are now administering free COVID-19 vaccines to individuals ages 12 to 15, per the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for this age group. Hy-Vee has been offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to individuals 16 […]
Missouri’s Governor Parson abandons plans to implement voter-approved Medicaid expansion
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri will not expand Medicaid coverage to working-age adults on July 1 because lawmakers refused to include funding for the health care program in the state budget, Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday. In a news release, Parson said the state was withdrawing documents submitted to the federal government necessary to add the approximately 275,000 […]
Legislation to ban TikTok on government devices passes committee
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously passed U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) bill to ban TikTok on government devices. Senator Hawley’s bill is co-sponsored by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). “TikTok is an immediate security threat that no has place on government devices. This should not […]
Parson vows to veto crime bill if it includes penalties for lying under oath to Missouri legislature
(Missouri Independent) – The fate of a wide-ranging crime bill was called into question on Tuesday over a provision that would stiffen penalties for lying under oath to the legislature or obstructing a legislative investigation. During a conference committee on Tuesday morning convened to work out differences on Senate Bill 53, House members said the bill […]
Missouri State Auditor announces audits of Schuyler and Sullivan counties are underway
State Auditor Nicole Galloway said her office has begun regularly scheduled audits of Schuyler County and Sullivan County, both located in northern Missouri. Schuyler County received an overall rating of “good” in its most recent audit, issued in June 2015. The most recent audit of Sullivan County was completed in December 2016, with the county receiving an […]
Missouri Attorney General files lawsuit against St. Louis County executive over COVID-19 restrictions
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, Dr. Faisal Khan, and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health for the arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable application of COVID-19 restrictions in St. Louis County. Specifically, the suit takes issue with the restrictions on religious institutions, masking requirements for […]
Governor Parson announces Missouri to end all pandemic-related unemployment benefits
To address workforce shortages across the state, Governor Mike Parson directed the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to notify the U.S. Department of Labor that Missouri will end participation in all federal pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs effective Saturday, June 12 at 11:59 p.m. “From conversations with business owners across the state, we know […]
Central Missouri man pleads guilty to $500,000 CARES Act fraud
A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently obtaining more than $500,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Brian Ruth, Sr., 44, of Deepwater, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to federal information […]
Furious lawmakers demand answers from Missouri DSS for undercount of abuse reports
(Missouri Independent) – Lawmakers slammed the Department of Social Services on Thursday for underreporting the number of substantiated cases of abuse and neglect at youth residential facilities during a previous legislative hearing. For nearly an hour-and-a-half on Thursday, the House Special Committee on Government Oversight pressed DSS officials on why the number of findings of […]
Governor Parson announces Missouri National Guard to scale back COVID-19 vaccine support
As demand for the COVID-19 vaccine has significantly decreased in recent weeks, Governor Mike Parson announced the Missouri National Guard (MONG) has begun scaling back its involvement at mass vaccination site locations in May. The drawdown of National Guard members is set to be completed by June 1, 2021. “We are in a far different […]
University of Missouri Extension releases 2021 mental health toolkit
The University of Missouri Extension and Show-Me Farm Safety recently released a new Together We Can toolkit to help rural Missourians access mental health resources. “Missourians are strong and resilient in the face of the challenges and uncertainty that can come with farm life,” says Marshall Stewart, MU vice chancellor for extension and engagement and […]
Hy-Vee KidsFit launches free health and wellness solutions for summer
Hy-Vee, Inc. announces today that Hy-Vee KidsFit is launching free health and wellness solutions to help kids stay active and healthy at home this summer. Parents can sign up for the free Hy-Vee KidsFit Club through May 15 to receive Hy-Vee’s Summer of Fun Box. The Summer of Fun Box is filled with Hy-Vee dietitian-approved […]
Public comment period opens on Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
A draft 2022-2026 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program that focuses on taking care of the state’s existing transportation system was presented today to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. A 30-day public review and comment period began on Wednesday, May 5) Missouri Department of Transportation Planning Director Eric Curtit told commissioners the draft STIP includes 1,417 […]
Missouri hospitals lobby for changes to new Medicaid payment system
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri lawmakers must finish work on the fiscal 2022 budget by Friday. And while the biggest spending issue of the session, Medicaid expansion, is off the table, there are other big issues to resolve in the state-run health care program. One of the largest is whether to provide a cushion for hospitals that […]
Audio: Virtual job fair on tap in Missouri today
The state of Missouri is holding a virtual job fair today (Tuesday) and May 18. More than 230 Missouri businesses are set to participate in today’s job fair. A press release from the state Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development says nearly 600 Missourians are registered to be part of the fair. […]
Missouri State Auditor begins audit of Ralls County government
State Auditor Nicole Galloway said today her office has begun a regularly scheduled audit of Ralls County, located in northeast Missouri. The county received an overall 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 […]
Missouri State Auditor recommends improvements to financial practices in City of Excelsior Springs
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released a citizen-requested audit of Excelsior Springs, located in western Missouri. The audit, which received an overall rating of “fair,” recommended improvements to several of the city’s financial practices to make sure taxpayer dollars are used effectively. “Taxpayers asked for this audit to ensure the city is utilizing their […]