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After the state spent tens of millions of dollars through emergency, no-bid contracts at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers debated a pair of bills Tuesday that aim to increase transparency and ensure emergency contracts aren’t extended in perpetuity. The bills, sponsored by Republican Reps. Doug Richey of Excelsior Springs and Brad Hudson of […]

The post Missouri spent millions on pandemic no-bid contracts. Lawmakers now debating reforms appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON – Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday sharpened their criticisms of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, probing her work as a public defender on behalf of terrorism suspects, the judicial sentences she has handed down for child pornography offenses and her views of critical race theory. Jackson defended her record […]

The post Ketanji Brown Jackson defends her record under grilling from U.S. Senate Republicans appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Former Missouri First Lady Sheena Greitens said Tuesday that she stands by her allegations against her ex-husband of physically abusing her and their children and denies any insinuation that her motivations are political. Greitens released a written statement Tuesday after her ex-husband — former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens — alleged she had been working with […]

The post Sheena Greitens stands by allegations of abuse against her ex-husband appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When the Good Samaritan Care Clinic opened in 2006 in Mountain View, only about 5% of the free clinic’s clients were eligible for Medicaid. When it closed late last year, that number had risen to 70%, Dr. John Roberts, one of the clinic’s founders, told the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.  Medicaid expansion means […]

The post Republicans push work requirements for coverage under Missouri Medicaid expansion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The prospect of Eric Greitens capturing the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in Missouri was already terrifying to his party’s leaders. He had been forced out of the governor’s office in 2018, resigning to settle felony charges and avoid impeachment by a Republican legislative supermajority.  Yet despite all that, he’s consistently led in polls of […]

The post New Eric Greitens abuse allegations reignite GOP fears of losing Missouri Senate seat appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson began her four-day confirmation process to become the nation’s first Black female associate justice on Monday, listening to hours of opening statements from Senate Judiciary Committee members before giving her own. In her first public remarks since President Joe Biden nominated her last month, Jackson, who grew up […]

The post Ketanji Brown Jackson vows to decide U.S. Supreme Court cases from a ‘neutral posture’ appeared first on Missouri Independent.

There is no evidence of foul play in the death of former state lawmaker and St. Louis County official Cora Faith Walker, and there is no continuing investigation, St. Louis Director of Public Safety Daniel Isom said Monday. Walker died March 11 at age 37. News of her passing sent shockwaves through the St. Louis […]

The post St. Louis official: Inquiry finds no wrongdoing in death of Cora Faith Walker appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is facing new allegations that he physically abused his ex-wife and children, and that in the months before his resignation became so unstable that his access to firearms had to be limited.  The accusations are included in a sworn affidavit filed by former Missouri First Lady Sheena Greitens as part […]

The post Eric Greitens accused of physical abuse in affidavit filed by his ex-wife appeared first on Missouri Independent.

As a fight over who can regulate industrial hog and cattle operations awaits action by the Missouri Supreme Court, counties that sought more stringent protections against them wait in limbo.  The Missouri Supreme Court is expected to hear an appeal by county commissioners who sought to regulate concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, after a […]

The post As CAFO lawsuit heads to Missouri Supreme Court, counties weigh options appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley’s campaign will continue selling merchandise featuring a photo of him pumping his fist in support of protesters the day a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol to overturn the outcome of the presidential election. The photo in question was taken by a photographer for an energy and environment trade publication owned by […]

The post Josh Hawley refuses to stop selling mug featuring pre-riot Jan. 6 fist pump appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story was originally published by The Kansas City Beacon. After serving time in prison, Christine McDonald found herself living on the streets of Kansas City and in a pay-by-the-week motel. Robert Richardson, who also has a felony record, settled for a bug-infested apartment with an open hole in the front. They are far from […]

The post Formerly incarcerated Missourians struggle for decades to find stable housing appeared first on Missouri Independent.

As we near the end of another Women’s History Month, it is abundantly clear that one month is woefully inadequate to celebrate, let alone cover, the myriad of contributions women have made and continue to make in fostering the well-being of this nation and society. The fact that we set aside a month to recognize […]

The post Women make indispensable contributions every day in sustaining this nation and society | Opinion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

After more than two weeks of private meetings with nearly half the U.S. Senate, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, will field questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee in highly anticipated public hearings that begin Monday. Members of the panel will question Jackson for two full days, following […]

The post U.S. Senate hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson to start Monday appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When Missouri’s health department refused to turn over certain documents to ProPublica reporter Pamela Colloff in October 2020, she did what the attorney general’s office directs anyone to do if they believe a government agency is illegally withholding public records. She filed a Sunshine Law complaint with Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, whose office enforces […]

The post Loophole means Attorney General rarely enforces Missouri Sunshine Law on state agencies appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress last week includes $75 million in Help America Vote Act grants — a major reduction compared to years past. Experts say the $75 million is insufficient to fund local elections and leaves local election offices without resources to improve election infrastructure and protect the […]

The post Decline in federal grant funding for local elections criticized by advocates appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri lawmakers return to the state Capitol Monday to kick off the second half of the 2022 legislative session, facing a laundry list of unfinished business and simmering dysfunction.  The Missouri House, which passed a parade of legislative priorities during the first half of the session, will return to tackle a state budget overflowing with […]

The post Missouri legislature returns with GOP infighting hanging over a lengthy agenda appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — A top FBI official told members of a U.S. House panel on Thursday that the agency believes a single juvenile is behind most of the bomb threats made to more than 30 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Ryan Young, executive assistant director of the Intelligence Branch at the FBI, said that the bomb […]

The post Most HBCU bomb threats may be coming from one juvenile, FBI official tells Congress appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News.  Missouri state Rep. Tricia Derges is pushing a bill to give assistant physicians like herself a pathway to becoming fully licensed doctors in the state. Not that Derges — among the highest-profile holders of the assistant physician license created in 2014 to ease a doctor shortage […]

The post Missouri tried to fix its doctor shortage. Now the fix may need fixing appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine promises to be a fascinating issue for Missouri lawmakers in the session’s closing weeks. Already measures have been filed to prohibit state and local government from purchasing Russian products and ban contracts with businesses that have ongoing contracts with Russian “strategic industries.” There also are bills to suspend for six […]

The post Capitol Perspectives: Ukraine’s example for Missouri lawmakers appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday invoked the Pearl Harbor attacks ahead of World War II and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, while urging the United States to do more to stop the Russian war against his country. During the speech, delivered virtually to members of Congress in an auditorium on Capitol Hill, Zelenskyy drew a […]

The post Zelenskyy reminds Congress of Pearl Harbor and 9/11 in pleading for U.S. help for Ukraine appeared first on Missouri Independent.