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The two redistricting commissions created to design new district maps for the General Assembly are moving into their work phase. Each has held the constitutionally mandated three public hearings on how the maps should look for the 163-member Missouri House and the 34-member Missouri Senate. They have heard requests to protect incumbents, suggestions on where […]

The post Redistricting commissions near end of public hearings on Missouri House, Senate maps appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The 40 people chosen to draw new legislative districts for Missouri include political consultants, former candidates and political party officers. There are lawyers and union members, grass-roots activists and academics. And they have until late January to design 163 Missouri House and 34 state Senate districts that would be used for the first time next […]

The post Missouri redistricting panels feature party leaders, political pros, activists appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The company fighting in court to hold onto Missouri’s prison health care contract targets “puffery” language of little meaning to show a competitor misled the state, an assistant attorney general said Wednesday as a trial began in Jefferson City. Corizon Health, which has held the contract since 1992, zeroed in on statements about the stability […]

The post No need to start again on Missouri prison health contract, state tells judge as trial begins appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Twice last year a federal grand jury demanded the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services turn over records pertaining to the medical marijuana program.  The pair of subpoenas, issued by the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in September 2020, were redacted by the department at the request of the […]

The post Federal grand jury subpoenas sought records from Missouri medical marijuana regulators appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri and Kansas residents may be drinking unsafe amounts of arsenic, nitrates and other chemicals — even if their provider is meeting federal drinking water requirements, according to data published Wednesday by an environmental group. The Environmental Working Group released its most up to date tap water database, compiling testing information for water utilities across […]

The post Database shows Missouri residents what contaminants are in their drinking water appeared first on Missouri Independent.

As both sides of a dispute over Missouri’s $1.4 billion prison health care contract prepare to face off in court Wednesday, the current provider is being accused of bad faith in its lawsuit seeking to hold on to the contract. Long-term contractor Corizon Health is accusing the winning bidder, Centurion Health, of failing to disclose […]

The post Trial set to begin in dispute over $1.4 billion Missouri prison health care contract appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Proponents of an initiative petition that would ask voters to prohibit the state from issuing tax credits to offset the cost of private school tuition have filed a lawsuit alleging the ballot summary written by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is misleading. In a lawsuit filed Oct. 15 in Cole County Circuit Court, Sherri Talbott, […]

The post Lawsuit challenges ballot summary of Missouri petition barring private school vouchers appeared first on Missouri Independent.

After a historic cold snap depleted natural gas reserves in February, prices for heating could be as much as 30% higher this winter, prompting concerns about increasing bills for Kansas and Missouri customers. Kansas is already grappling with the $1 billion fallout from this winter’s cold snap, when natural gas prices rose by 200 times […]

The post After cold snap upended markets, natural gas could be pricey this winter appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Biden administration plans to release a comprehensive methane reduction plan as part of the president’s participation in the United Nations climate summit, administration officials said Monday. In addition to a comprehensive White House plan, several executive agencies will take action on methane, administration officials told reporters on a background call Monday. The officials said […]

The post Biden to outline major methane reduction strategy at UN climate conference appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The nostalgic smell of pan dulce, or sweet bread, hit me when I walked into Diana’s Bakery on Cherokee Street in St. Louis. It was impossible not to think of my grandmother taking me to a similar panadería (bakery) and letting me and my sisters pick out a pan dulce, while she bought her favorite […]

The post Day of the Dead reminds us to live | Opinion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Before slavery ended in 1865, large numbers of Missourians didn’t count in the population base used to allocate the seats in the General Assembly. In the 1821 Missouri Constitution, only “free white male inhabitants” counted in the distribution of Missouri House seats, leaving out white women and all Blacks, free or enslaved. A change in […]

The post Will kids count? Panels debate who to include in new Missouri House, Senate districts appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The global meat producer operating some of Missouri’s largest industrial hog operations has withdrawn requests to convert 10 of its permits to what environmental groups say would be more lenient ones. Smithfield Foods Inc., which has a history of environmental violations in Missouri, operates some of the largest concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in […]

The post Smithfield withdraws request for CAFO permits environmentalists criticized as too lax appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When you look at the behavior of many elected officials, whether at the local, state or national level, how many would you identify as positive role models for young people who are looking to go into politics? There are characteristics of a positive role model that cut across professions that can be guideposts for young […]

The post Are elected officials positive role models for aspiring future public servants? | Opinion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Frank Randle was pulling his truck into the parking lot of 9ine Ultra Lounge for his shift as a security guard at the club in January 2020 when chaos broke out. Gunshots pierced the frigid air as people ran in all directions, screaming and trampling each other. In his rearview, he saw a woman on […]

The post When Missouri repealed a key gun law, few protested. The result: more deaths than ever appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Native American tribe that gave its name to the Osage River wants to bring casino gambling to the Lake of the Ozarks, the biggest tourist draw on that river. The Osage Nation Indian Tribe on Friday announced in a news release that it will invest approximately $60 million to develop a hotel featuring gambling, […]

The post Osage Nation planning casino, hotel for Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri could start testing small drinking water systems for harmful “forever chemicals” by the end of the year as the federal government ramps up its own regulatory efforts.  Missouri Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Susan Bloomer said the agency would start sampling drinking water systems serving fewer than 3,300 under a grant from EPA and […]

The post As EPA cracks down on ‘forever chemicals,’ Missouri to start testing drinking water appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Jill McCormick shook her head and lifted her eyes to the ceiling.  “What is the hold up for getting that money directly to [tenants]?” McCormick, a tenant advocate with the nonprofit Action St. Louis, asked St. Louis’ new director of human services, Yusef Scoggin, at a community meeting Tuesday. The city has received more applications […]

The post If Missouri doesn’t spend its federal rental and utility assistance money it could lose it appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s sprawling social spending and climate package has been slimmed down into a still-massive $1.75 trillion plan that he and top congressional Democrats are attempting to wrestle through after months of negotiations. Snipped from that proposal are a number of key priorities for Democrats, including an attempt to create the first […]

The post What’s in — and out — of Biden’s $1.75 trillion social spending and climate bill appeared first on Missouri Independent.

KANSAS CITY — Evergy can retire two more coal-burning power plants within the decade without sacrificing affordability or massively increasing rates, environmental advocates say in a new report. The electric utility, which serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, is scheduled to stop burning coal at its Lawrence plant by the end of 2023. […]

The post Environmental advocates say Evergy can shutter two more coal plants within decade appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is meeting with congressional Democrats on Capitol Hill Thursday morning to pitch lawmakers on a new slimmed-down framework for what would be included in a massive social reform package, according to senior administration officials. The $1.75 trillion blueprint that Biden is presenting to Democrats includes a universal pre-K program for 3-and-4 year-olds, […]

The post Biden pitches new $1.75 trillion spending blueprint to Dems that drops paid family leave appeared first on Missouri Independent.