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Editor’s note: The following is a condensed excerpt from “Using My Word Power” by columnist Janice Ellis. The book is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books and other major online booksellers. It’s also available at the author’s website, Real Advocacy Journalism. I have been an advocate journalist for nearly four decades, which is nothing […]

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The Missouri Independent won 14 awards Saturday — including five first place honors — in the annual Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.  The awards were presented at the association’s annual convention in Lake Ozark. The Independent competed in the Dailies Class 2 category. A months-long, multi-story collaboration between The Independent and The Documenting COVID-19 […]

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LAKE OZARK ‐‐ The Republican trying to get the only statewide office currently held by Democrats pledged Friday he would show no partisan favoritism, while his opponents said only they could provide the independence needed in the office. State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, former state Rep. Alan Green and accountant John Hartwig Jr. met in their […]

The post Missouri auditor candidates spar over independence from partisan influence appeared first on Missouri Independent.

LAKE OZARK– Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who last week accused Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine of dodging debates, refused to show up for the first debate of Missouri’s U.S. Senate campaign on Friday.  Organized by the Missouri Press Association as part of its annual convention in Lake Ozark, Valentine, Libertarian Party candidate Jonathan Dine and Constitution […]

The post Schmitt no-shows Missouri Senate debate, Valentine slams Chinese ownership of farmland appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story was originally published by the Kansas City Beacon.  The Kansas City Council in late August passed a climate plan intended to drive the city toward a more sustainable future, with goals of becoming “climate neutral” by 2040. Stakeholders from the community worked Kansas City’s 133-page Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan for two years, but it […]

The post Missouri law loomed over Kansas City’s work to design a climate plan appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When my dad, Lawrence, had cataract surgery in 1994, my sister and I took the day off work. The white supervisor at the bank where I toiled frowned at my request for time off. It was a routine surgery for older people and not worthy of my level of concern, she explained. I pushed back […]

The post What white people get wrong about Black dads appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate won’t vote on legislation to secure marriage equality for millions of Americans until after the midterm elections, bipartisan negotiators announced Thursday. The move follows weeks of behind-the-scenes discussions among five U.S. senators from both political parties who have been drafting an amendment to the House-passed legislation that they hoped would […]

The post U.S. Senate delays same-sex marriage vote until after midterm elections appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Hospitals across Missouri are facing a “crisis” caring for patients in acute care settings who can’t find long-term care through the Department of Mental Health due to the agency’s chronic shortage of workers. Patty Morrow, vice president of behavioral health services for Mercy Health, testified during a legislative hearing Wednesday that “the problem is pervasive […]

The post Hospitals in ‘crisis’ as staff shortages persist at Missouri mental health facilities appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The first time Maureen Loyacono voted was in 1960, when she cast a ballot for John F. Kennedy. “And I’ve never missed an election since,” said Loyacono, 84, a Kansas City resident who also served as a poll worker for 40 years.   But she’s worried this might be the first election where her vote won’t […]

The post Voters, local election officials working to navigate Missouri’s new voting law appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The special legislative session called by Gov. Mike Parson to cut income taxes began Wednesday, and by the time lawmakers adjourned for the day, one thing was clear — there is no agreement on a plan. And that could upend the governor’s hopes of a quick session. In the state Senate, expected to act first […]

The post Multiple plans emerge as Missouri lawmakers begin governor’s tax cut special session appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Farmers and academics at a Wednesday hearing stressed the need for members of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee to support regenerative agriculture farming practices in the upcoming farm bill in order to protect topsoil. U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chair David Scott said he held the hearing to discuss ways policymakers and the Department […]

The post Topsoil protection should be stressed in the next farm bill, U.S. House Ag panel told appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON – Public relations firms aligned with oil and gas companies have tested the limits of their industry ethics and caused major slowdowns to federal climate change policy, Democrats on a U.S. House panel said at a Wednesday hearing. The firms’ conduct went beyond the bounds of ethical public relations work, Democrats on the House […]

The post PR work for ‘Big Oil’ helped stymie climate action, U.S. House Democrats say appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri officials said Wednesday Medicaid applications are now being processed within the federally-mandated timeline of 45 days, a step towards bringing the state into compliance with a mitigation plan to address a backlog of applications. Robert Knodell, the acting director of the Department of Social Services, broke the news to lawmakers Wednesday during a hearing […]

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The Biden administration plans to distribute more than $3 billion to fund projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon in agriculture and forestry — a tripling of its initial commitment in February. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was set to publicly announce the expansion of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program on […]

The post USDA more than triples funding for ‘climate smart’ agriculture appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans are skeptical about a 15-week nationwide abortion ban that GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced Tuesday, with some saying they want to leave the issue to state lawmakers instead of taking it up in Congress. “I think most of the members of my conference prefer that this be dealt with at […]

The post U.S. Senate Republicans shy away from proposed 15-week national abortion ban appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Five counties and health centers will not be permitted to intervene and appeal a ruling that struck down state regulations on the control of infectious diseases, a panel of judges on the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. A three-judge panel affirmed a lower court’s ruling that St. Louis County, Jackson County, the […]

The post Counties can’t intervene in case that struck COVID regulations, appeals court rules appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Democratic Senate candidate Trudy Bush Valentine this week is rolling out a package of ethical standards she wants members of Congress to follow, including bans on individual stock trades and corporate political action committees. The point, she said in an interview Monday afternoon, is to increase transparency in government while blocking lawmakers from profiting personally […]

The post Democratic Senate candidate Valentine seeks ban on stock trades, corporate PAC donations appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When lawmakers return this week for a special session, most of the attention will be on Gov. Mike Parson’s proposal to cut income taxes by $700 million a year. But Parson also wants the bill to include several tax credits intended to benefit rural Missouri by increasing the demand for crop-based fuels, encouraging small meat […]

The post Rural incentives in Missouri tax cut proposal target biofuels, small producers for help appeared first on Missouri Independent.

An initiative petition to legalize recreational marijuana in Missouri will remain on the ballot after a panel of judges on the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals affirmed that the steps Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft took to certify the petition were proper. A three-judge panel heard arguments Monday afternoon in Kansas City and ruled […]

The post Appeals court leaves marijuana on Missouri ballot. Supreme Court refuses to take case appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A Cedar County judge Monday morning delayed a decision on the closure of Agape Boarding School, the Stockton-based reform school facing mounting abuse allegations from former students. Judge David Munton initially ordered Agape be shut down last week at the request of the state Attorney General and Department of Social Services. The state’s petition for […]

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