Minority leaders in the Missouri legislature believe they’re taking a realistic approach to the upcoming session. New House Democratic Leader Crystal Quade of Springfield says her party will focus on defending progressive ballot measures passed by voters, noting the new laws are already under threat. Senate Democratic Leader Gina Walsh of Bellefontaine Neighbors […]
A bill in the state legislature would implement Instant Runoff Voting in Missouri. It calls for voters to rank candidates in order of preference in a process of elimination until one candidate achieves a 50 percent-plus-one majority. Republican state Representative Dan Stacy of Blue Springs says his proposal would ensure a majority winner when three […]
Missouri Congress members are sharply divided along party lines over support for President Trump’s demand for a border wall to end a government shutdown. Republican Representative Vicky Hartzler says she was against a bill passed by a voice vote in the GOP controlled Senate in December to temporarily fund the government without wall funding. […]
Local county officials continue to push back against any effort on the state level to transfer maintenance of roads to them. Opposition to any transfer of the “lettered roads” to local governments is reflected in unbending comments by Randolph County Commissioner Wayne Wilcox in northeast Missouri. Wilcox says handing over those roadways to […]
Governor Parson says the Panama Canal expansion is an opportunity to make greater use of the Mississippi River for shipping agriculture products. Governor Parson says the Panama Canal expansion can give an edge to Missouri farmers shipping agriculture goods along the Mississippi River. But he says state transportation funding needs attention. […]
The Grundy County R-5 Board of Education accepted a resignation during a special meeting yesterday (Wednesday). Shontel Cross resigned from her part-time music position. The resignation is effective at the end of the first semester. In a closed session, the board voted to hire Julie Peto to replace Cross as a part-time music instructor effective […]
Grundy R-5 Board of Education members at a meeting last night approved the audit for the just-concluded school year with no discrepancies found. An evaluation of the vocational agriculture program was approved and a report was presented to the board by the special education director. The board reviewed MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) test scores for […]
The Missouri Legislature is expected to make highway funding a top issue in the upcoming session, according to Triple-A spokesman Mike Right. Right says one of the reasons November’s ballot measure failed was likely from “bait and switch” language. Proposition D would have increased the gas tax by two and a half cents […]
Almost the entire Missouri delegation to the U.S. House voted in favor of the farm bill that passed the chamber with resounding bipartisan support. Democrat Emanuel Cleaver is happy it’ll go to President Trump without the increased work requirement for SNAP recipients his Republican colleagues in the House tried to include. Republican Vicky […]
The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education accepted an easement agreement for sidewalk construction Monday evening. The agreement for $1,400 was accepted following a presentation from the Missouri Department of Transportation on sidewalk construction through Newtown. The board voted to jointly purchase a new popcorn machine with the Newtown-Harris Ball Association and the school district. The […]
The Jamesport City Council approved an ordinance regarding a use tax at its meeting Monday evening. The ordinance allows a use tax vote to be placed on the April 2019 ballot. City Clerk Shelley Page reports the use tax is in regard to internet sales tax. The council also voted to place no parking signs […]
The Trenton City Council has approved employee health insurance quotes for employees of the city and Trenton Municipal Utilities. As recommended by the finance committee, the city and TMU will continue to pay 100 percent of the monthly premium for employees with coverage for dependents borne by the employee. The city’s health insurance is provided […]
Residential trash collections will continue to be temporarily picked up by Rapid Removal Disposal after the City Council’s vote last night on a WCA contract ended in a tie and the City Council has reversed itself, re-instating the monthly charge for residential curbside recycling at Trenton. Over two dozen residents from the public crowded into […]
Governor Mike Parson’s office has been looking into ways to impose a Right to Work law at the county level. KSDK-TV in St. Louis reports the governor’s staff members, including Policy Director Kayla Hahn, started looking at options before an August Right to Work ballot measure was rejected by voters. The TV station […]
The finance committee is recommending the full Trenton City Council accept a smaller than expected increase in cost of insurance in employee health insurance for next year. Five members of the city council, plus the mayor, city administrator, city clerk, and department heads met last night with a consultant working on behalf of Missouri Intergovernmental […]
People languishing in federal prison for decades on nonviolent drug convictions may get a new chance at justice if the U.S. Senate finds the political will to pass sentencing reform in the final weeks of the lame-duck session. Groups on both left and right on the political spectrum support the First Step Act, a series of […]
Missouri U.S. Senator Roy Blunt says he’s been “very concerned” about America’s trade strategy. During the Missouri Farm Bureau Convention this week at the Lake of the Ozarks, the Republican says he’s glad the U.S. did not escalate its trade fight with China. Blunt thinks getting Congress to approve the new North American […]
Despite the failure of a Right-to-Work ballot measure this year, a bill will return to the Missouri Legislature in 2019. The state legislature will be asked next year whether to bar Missouri businesses from requiring workers to pay mandatory union fees. The bill is being sponsored by Republican Senator-Elect Eric Burlison of Springfield. […]
North Missouri Solid Waste Management District Region B Planner Ann Hamilton has written a letter urging the Trenton City Council to reconsider its recent decision concerning the city’s curbside recycling program. The city council last week voted six to one against continuing curbside recycling. Hamilton says Hope Haven Industries provided the Solid Waste Management District […]
A southeast Missouri lawmaker who has championed prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation for years thinks it will “make it over the finish line” in 2019. Sikeston State Representative Holly Rehder tells Missourinet that she and State Senator-Elect Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville will pre-file the same bill today (Monday). Rehder notes Missouri is […]
