The majority of the fire department sales tax revenues will be used to make annual payments on the new fire truck that was put into service last year and on forthcoming development of land and construction of a fire training tower. Combined, these expenses top $1,847,000 which include $1,200,000 for the development of a ten-acre […]
Hands off Amendment 1. That’s the message from supporters of the “Clean Missouri’ ballot initiative to state lawmakers, who begin the 100th General Assembly next week. The anti-gerrymandering measure passed by 62 percent of the vote in November, but Gov. Mike Parson and several legislators are already calling for major changes. Joan VonDras with the Sierra Club’s […]
The Missouri legislative session is underway and Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh is already feeling it. Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh says she’s tired of Republicans trying to reverse ballot measures passed by voters. Walsh opposes possible Republican plans to overturn a lobbyist gift ban, campaign donations limits and legislative redistricting.
Early applications for medical marijuana facilities in Missouri are rolling in fast. The state’s received 250 applications and more than $2 million in fees in the first four days of pre-filing that began January 5. The application fee for cultivation is $10,000 while it’ll cost $6,000 for those applying to manufacture or sell […]
Missouri Senate President Dave Schatz does not think a Right-to-work proposal will make it to the governor’s desk this year. In 2017, the legislature passed a right to work bill quickly, but voters overturned the law in a referendum last August. Senator Eric Burlison, a Republican from Springfield, has filed a Right-to-work proposal […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
