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MoInd šŸ“°

Republicans rewrote the US Senate megabill in its last moments

2 hours 41 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — The final ā€œbig beautiful billā€ approved by Senate Republicans Tuesday included some last-minute changes on hot-button issues such as safety net programs and clean energy tax credits. Senate Republicans had wrangled for weeks to deliver legislative text to satisfy concerns from lawmakers who objected to cutting Medicaid, the federal-state insurance program for low-income […]
Ashley Murray

Trump administration tells states it’s freezing $6.8 billion for K-12 school programs

2 hours 46 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has put on hold $6.8 billion in federal funds for K-12 schools, according to an Education Department notice obtained by States Newsroom. The agency informed states on Monday that it would be withholding funding for several programs, including before- and after-school programs, migrant education and English-language learning, among other initiatives. […]
Shauneen Miranda

Missouri educators sue state over $51 million appropriation to private school vouchers

3 hours 44 minutes ago
The Missouri National Education Association is suing the state in an effort to block the appropriation of $51 million to MOScholars, the state’s K-12 scholarship program. In a lawsuit filed in Cole County Circuit Court Monday, MNEA argues that state funds cannot be directly given to MOScholars under the current statute. MNEA vice president Rebeka […]
Annelise Hanshaw

Judge gives administration until Tuesday to put birthright citizenship plans in writing

7 hours 13 minutes ago
A federal judge gave Justice Department lawyers until noon Tuesday to confirm, in writing, the administration’s plans for implementing an executive order on birthright citizenship after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted nationwide injunctions on the order Friday. Justice Department attorney Brad Rosenberg said at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Monday that […]
Lauren Lifke

States face hard choices as budgets expected to tighten

7 hours 49 minutes ago
Slow revenue growth continues to pinch state budgets across the country, leading governors to propose spending cuts, hiring freezes and some tax increases. In its spring survey of states, the National Association of State Budget Officers found that general fund spending will hold steady in fiscal 2026 as states expect limited revenue growth but increased […]
Kevin Hardy

Supreme Court declines to hear Iowa pork producers’ case against California law

10 hours 11 minutes ago
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear Iowa Pork Producers Association’s case against a California law that mandates the amount of space livestock animals, in particular hogs, have while being raised. The Supreme Court has ruled on a previous caseĀ in favor of upholding the California law, which opponents argue puts an unfair burden on […]
Cami Koons

If Trump wants more deportations, he’ll need to target the construction industry

10 hours 14 minutes ago
As President Donald Trump sends mixed messages about immigration enforcement, ordering new raids on farms and hotels just days after saying he wouldn’t target those industries, he has hardly mentioned the industry that employs the most immigrant laborers: construction. Nevertheless, the Trump administration is going after construction workers without legal status to meet its mass […]
Tim Henderson

Senate votes 99-1 to remove AI moratorium from megabill

10 hours 15 minutes ago
A moratorium on state-based artificial intelligence laws was struck from the ā€œBig Beautiful Billā€ Monday night in a 99-1 vote in the U.S. Senate, after getting less and less popular with state and federal lawmakers, state officials and advocacy groups since it was introduced in May. The moratorium had evolved in the seven weeks since […]
Paige Gross

US Senate narrowly passes GOP megabill after overnight session, sending it to House

11 hours 41 minutes ago
This report has been updated. WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans approved their signature tax break and spending cuts package Tuesday with a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President JD Vance, following days of tense, closed-door negotiations that went until the few last minutes of a marathon amendment voting session. The 51-50 mostly party-line vote sends […]
Jennifer Shutt, Ashley Murray, Shauneen Miranda, Ariana Figueroa

Missouri selects NY-based consulting firm to study marijuana market

13 hours 5 minutes ago
New York-based Cannabis Public Policy Consulting LLC was awarded a contract this month to study Missouri’s marijuana market for the next year. The group’s $238,700 contract to conduct an economic-impact study will help the state determine ā€œwhether or when the state will be required to issue additional cannabis facility licenses and, if so, how many, […]
Rebecca Rivas

How does Missouri’s investment in a behavioral health crisis network improve mental health care?

14 hours 5 minutes ago
For years, Missouri has sought to address a growing mental and behavioral health crisis that touches every corner of the state. In 2024, Missouri was ranked 38th nationwide when it came to prevalence of mental illness and overall access to treatment. So the state made multimillion-dollar investments to improve responses when Missourians are in moments […]
Meg Cunningham

Medicaid keeps Missouri families healthy, working, and hopeful

15 hours 15 minutes ago
As a professional in the disability field for more than 40 years, I know firsthand how much of a lifeline Medicaid is for people with disabilities and those who care for them. At Easterseals Midwest, we support people with disabilities to live independently, find meaningful employment, get support in their everyday lives, and more. The […]
Wendy Sullivan

Rural hospitals, SNAP cuts, Medicaid: Democrats force tough votes on GOP megabill

1 day ago
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans were closing in Monday on passing their version of the “big beautiful” tax break and spending cut bill that President Donald Trump wants to make law by a self-imposed July Fourth deadline. But the chamber’s Democrats first kicked off a marathon of amendment votes, forcing their GOP colleagues to go on […]
Ashley Murray, Jennifer Shutt

Missouri governor hits earmarks with veto pen as he signs state budgetĀ 

1 day 2 hours ago
Gov. Mike Kehoe made his first round of budget vetoes hurt Missouri lawmakers where it matters most, in the earmarked state funds they added to spending plans this year. Kehoe on Monday signed the package of 13 spending bills passed by lawmakers this year, but not before vetoing $300 million in general revenue items and […]
Rudi Keller

US Senate kicks off vote-a-rama on massive tax and spending cut bill

1 day 6 hours ago
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate launched a marathon amendment voting session Monday during which lawmakers will debate dozens of proposals from Republicans and Democrats that could significantly reshape the ā€œbig, beautiful billā€ even as a final vote nears. The vote-a-rama is expected to last throughout Monday and potentially into Tuesday, challenging senators who aren’t accustomed […]
Jennifer Shutt

North Carolina US Sen. Thom Tillis announces retirement after drawing Trump wrath

1 day 8 hours ago
WASHINGTON — North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced Sunday he won’t seek reelection when his term ends next year, opening up a seat that will become central to control of Congress during next year’s midterms. Tillis’ announcement came just hours after heĀ voted against moving forward with Republicans’ tax and spending cuts package, eliciting a […]
Jennifer Shutt