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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey overstepped his authority when he demanded changes to the cost estimate of an abortion-rights initiative petition, state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick argued in a legal brief filed in Cole County Court last week.  Fitzpatrick, Bailey and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, all Republicans, were sued last month by the Missouri ACLU over […]

The post Missouri AG had no authority to inflate cost of abortion amendment, auditor argues appeared first on Missouri Independent.

 As cities, states and our nation face many political, economic and social challenges, who we vote for in upcoming elections carries monumental importance. All we need to do is to look at the state of things to know that we need to change the direction and the unraveling trajectory we are on. Many state legislatures […]

The post It’s never too early for voters to get engaged appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Black motorists stopped by Missouri law enforcement are much more likely to end the encounter with a citation or in a jail cell than whites, according to the latest state report of racial data on traffic enforcement. The report also shows that Black drivers away from their home communities – or visiting the state – […]

The post Report shows Black drivers in Missouri more likely to be ticketed, arrested appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Wise parents the world over take pride in watching our late adolescents grow into adulthood, knowing the hormones, emotions, and impulses of youth will eventually give way to greater calm and steadiness as the brain matures. On June 22, 2000, 19 year old Michael Tisius was too young to drink alcohol legally. But he is […]

The post Missouri governor should halt executions of adolescent offenders appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The bipartisan debt limit bill is on its way to President Joe Biden after the U.S. Senate voted Thursday to clear the measure for his signature. The 63-36 vote followed several amendment votes, all of which were rejected. Biden is expected to quickly sign the package, preventing a default on the debt that otherwise would […]

The post U.S. Senate sends Biden debt limit legislation ahead of Monday default deadline appeared first on Missouri Independent.

From its earliest days, Route 66 has reflected the American culture of the moment. When the road connected Chicago to Los Angeles in 1926, it represented the possibility of the automobile. In the 1930s, it served as an east-to-west escape route from the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. By the 1950s, the 2,400-mile highway […]

The post Route 66, America’s ‘Mother Road,’ readies for its centennial appeared first on Missouri Independent.

More than 500,000 people across 11 states have lost their Medicaid coverage since the unwinding of a policy that allowed people to stay in the program throughout the pandemic. The data, reported by the states and tracked by health policy researcher KFF, shows that of the five states providing data on people who lost Medicaid coverage […]

The post Half a million people in less than a dozen states have lost Medicaid coverage since April appeared first on Missouri Independent.

URBANDALE, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he was confident he will continue to hold his lead in Iowa. “There’s no way I can lose Iowa,” Trump told the crowd. “We’re going to have to do some really bad things to lose at this point.” Trump spoke to a packed room at the Iowa […]

The post Former President Donald Trump comes after DeSantis on Iowa campaign trail appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is on hold due to a pending Supreme Court decision. President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution, but the 52-46 vote forced vulnerable Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2024 to take a public stance on […]

The post U.S. Senate votes to block student loan relief, White House will veto appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The federal agency that oversees Medicaid is moving to close a loophole that likely is worth billions to prescription drug middlemen. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last week proposed a new rule that it said would help ensure compliance with a requirement under federal law that Medicaid dollars be spent in “proper and […]

The post Federal authorities move to close mammoth drug-pricing loophole appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Anyone with a Missouri address can now request emergency contraception pills be shipped to them by mail, for free, under a pilot program launched Thursday by a health care nonprofit. Missouri Family Health Council Inc. launched the “Free EC” initiative using federal Title X funds for family planning programs. Missourians can request the pills through […]

The post Missouri nonprofit launches initiative to provide free emergency contraception by mail appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The decarbonized, electrified future envisioned by the Biden administration, state governments, automakers, utility companies and corporate sustainability goals depends to a huge degree on minerals and metals. Lots more lithium will be needed for car and truck batteries, as well as the big banks of batteries that are increasingly popping onto the electric grid to balance the […]

The post Decarbonization ambitions ignite debate over mining, permitting appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Ron DeSantis was railing on about illegal immigration while grilling pork chops at the annual picnic May 13 in deep-red Sioux Center, Iowa, hosted by U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra. The crowd cheered him on, knowing full well that immigrants cut the chops and work the dairy barns around Northwest Iowa. It’s an open secret that […]

The post Who cut your pork chop, Governor DeSantis? appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Since Missouri’s marijuana sales began in 2019, the state has collected nearly $100 million in revenue from taxes and program fees, according to state authorities.  Etched in the state’s constitution is a road map for where the revenue can go.  The first stop is operational costs. By law, any expense it takes to run both […]

The post Where does the revenue from Missouri marijuana sales and license fees go? appeared first on Missouri Independent.

CLIVE, Iowa — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received an energetic welcome at his first Iowa event as a 2024 candidate Tuesday, with crowds cheering as he spoke about bringing his fight against “woke” ideology to the White House. More than 500 people filled the Eternity Church auditorium Tuesday, with people standing along the edges of […]

The post Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talks Disney, book bans at Iowa campaign kickoff appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri public libraries survived a legislative fight over state aid but now face a new hurdle to obtain the money – they must certify to the Secretary of State that they have policies in place that put parents in charge of what their children read and see. The most likely response from libraries, leaders of […]

The post Missouri rule takes effect putting library funds in jeopardy over ‘obscene’ material appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The holiday weekend debt ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy preserves in part new work requirements for some food stamp recipients but now with exceptions for certain populations, including veterans. The agreement released late Saturday night showed concessions from both sides — from GOP members, who wanted […]

The post New work requirements for some SNAP recipients included in debt limit deal appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Congress began moving the bipartisan debt limit package forward Tuesday, though frustrations with provisions in the bill could make for narrow passage in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats both aired their disappointment with the agreement forged over the weekend, but only GOP lawmakers are looking to possibly remove […]

The post Debt limit deal hits turbulence in Congress as leaders prep for vote appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Iowa-based newspaper chain that owns the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges it violated customers’ privacy rights through information sharing with Facebook. Lee Enterprises is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging it has shared readers’ personal information with Facebook in violation of federal law. The lawsuit, filed last […]

The post Owner of St. Louis Post-Dispatch seeks dismissal of privacy-violation lawsuit appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri legislators this year rolled back two high-profile laws passed during tough-on-crime crusades of the 1980s and 1990s. One would end the sentencing disparity that imposes the same penalty for selling an ounce of crack cocaine as a pound of powder cocaine. The other would bar the courts from trying children aged 12 or 13 […]

The post Missouri bill ends crack penalty disparity, raises age for trying youths as adults appeared first on Missouri Independent.