While a judge is rewriting the ballot summary for a proposal to put new barriers in front of Missouri initiative campaigns, opponents are focusing on a new line of attack — the measure cuts financial penalties for accepting foreign contributions or committing petition fraud. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green on Thursday ruled that he […]
A bill that would prohibit state funds from going towards “low-earning” university degrees was discussed in the Missouri Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. The legislation would cut state funds for student financial aid and operational costs for students in programs where graduates do not earn more in their field than someone with only a high […]
The dining room table is the civic and moral hearth of our house on Constitution Street. Upon it rest a stack of utility and other bills to be sorted and paid (with cursing as necessary), issues of various magazines including “The New Yorker” and “Fortean Times,” a dog-eared paperback of a Tom Wolfe anthology, and […]
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver was the first candidate to file for office Tuesday in Missouri, showing the 11-term Democratic incumbent will run for re-election despite uncertainty about the boundaries of the district he represents. Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, became a target when Missouri Republicans, acting at the urging of President Donald Trump, redrew the […]
As the Trump administration continues to focus on the legal immigration statuses of many across the country, a revived proposal by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development could impact many families’ ability to receive rental assistance. The proposed rule would prohibit “mixed-status” families — those including U.S. citizens and people without legal immigration […]
When state Sen. Adam Schnelting and his wife ran the numbers on how much money their investments could generate for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he began to think about how Missouri’s government could utilize investing, too. “We began to realize how powerful compound interest was,” Schnelting said. “So I got to thinking, ‘Why are we […]
After years of states pushing legislation to accelerate the development of data centers and the electric grid to support them, some legislators want to limit or repeal state and local incentives that paved their way. President Donald Trump also has changed his tone. Last year he issued an executive order and other federal initiatives meant […]
WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats will spend billions of dollars and countless hours campaigning throughout the country ahead of November’s midterm elections, even though control of Congress likely will be decided by a relatively small number of toss-up races and the voters who actually turn out to cast a ballot for their preferred candidate. There […]
Each Kansas Citian has their own way of answering the tourist’s question: “Is Kansas City in Missouri or Kansas?” Some people curtly respond “Missouri,” knowing that Kansas City, Missouri, is larger in almost every way than Kansas City, Kansas. People with a bit more equanimity will explain that both states have cities with that name, […]
A bill that would make Missouri hunting and fishing permits free for military personnel and disabled veterans faced bipartisan criticism Monday. The legislation would require the conservation commission to remove costs for some service members’ hunting and fishing tags. The free permits would be given to 100% disabled veterans that are Missouri residents and any […]
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration took more steps Monday to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, announcing two additional interagency agreements with other departments that will transfer more of its responsibilities to those agencies. Under the agreements, the agency will partner with the State Department on foreign gift and contract reporting and with the […]
The Missouri House voted Monday to spend state general revenue to serve people enrolled under the Medicaid expansion program for the first time since it was passed by voters in 2020. The $76.7 million item is part of a $3.15 billion supplemental spending bill that would push total appropriations for the year ending June 30 […]
Missouri Senators raised privacy concerns Monday during a hearing on a bill that would put personal information about every registered voter on a state website. Under the legislation proposed by state Sen. Jill Carter, a Republican from Granby, the secretary of state’s office would be required to publish the full list of approximately 4.5 million […]
The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will hear a significant climate lawsuit in which oil companies are seeking to avoid being tried in state court. The fate of several dozen climate lawsuits brought against oil companies by state and local governments could hinge on the decision, which could determine whether the cases can be […]
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday to honor families whose loved ones were killed by noncitizens, but spent most of the event complaining about his approval ratings and amplifying the falsehood that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. While signed Monday, the proclamation designated the day earlier as one to honor […]
When Josh Hammann started having severe breathing problems in the spring of 2023, emergency room doctors were convinced he was having panic attacks. They gave him medication to treat anxiety, but his wife, Megan, said that only made him sicker. “Of course, that medication had alpha-gal in it,” she told The Independent. Hammann, of Cole […]
Kirsti Millar’s water broke when she was 23 weeks pregnant. Against all odds, her team of doctors at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City delayed the delivery of her son, Olson, for 11 weeks. But it required Millar to move into a hospital room until then. She hung photos and string lights across the room […]
Missouri will receive more than $216 million under a sweeping federal rural health initiative, a substantial investment aimed at stabilizing and modernizing care in rural communities. The state received the award on Dec. 29, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services required a revised budget for approval. The revised budget has been submitted, and […]
Cannabis and gambling interests had a bit of a roller-coaster week in Jefferson City, with big legislative wins in the Missouri House paired with reminders that neither business is operating in anything close to calm water. Start with a bill aimed at banning intoxicating hemp products: the seltzers and gummies sold at gas stations and smoke […]
As physicians who are proud citizens of our rural communities, we have the privilege of caring for friends, neighbors and multiple generations. But the satisfaction of providing care to our communities turned to frustration when our hospitals in Boonville and Mexico abruptly shut down in 2020 and 2022 respectively, leaving the health care of our […]
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