MoInd 📰

Missouri lawmakers’ latest attempt to bar state and local officials from helping enforce certain federal gun laws collapsed Wednesday in a House committee, defeated not only by Democrats but by Republicans who said the bill would hurt gun dealers, invite costly litigation and ignore the concerns of law enforcement. The House General Laws Committee voted […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow gas stations to sell a blended fuel containing 15% ethanol into the summer season in an effort to lower gas prices, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday. The blend, known as E15,  is usually barred in many Midwest states over the summer to reduce smog, though the federal government […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. senators showed no movement Wednesday toward a deal to end the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, despite the problems it’s causing for the thousands of federal workers set to miss yet another paycheck and travelers waiting hours to get through airport security lines.  Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said […]

Hundreds of child care providers, parents and child advocates rallied in the Missouri Capitol Wednesday, a day after the House signed off on $51.5 million in cuts to the state’s child care subsidy program. The proposed budget, which needs another roll call vote in the House before heading to the Senate, would also derail plans […]

I was diagnosed with non‑Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2019, and ever since, I’ve lived with the understanding that my cancer is permanent and my future uncertain. After ruling out other causes and reviewing my decades of Roundup use, my medical team concluded that repeated exposure to herbicides was very likely the cause of my non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I’m grateful for the proposed $7.25 billion Roundup settlement because it offers a secure, real path to compensation for me and my family. […]

TOPEKA — Former Evergy employees suing the utility company for failing to properly oversee retirement investments in the company’s 401(k) plan settled their class action lawsuit in an as-yet undisclosed agreement. Evergy spokeswoman Gina Penzig said Monday in an emailed statement to Kansas Reflector that the settlement and proposed distribution of settlement funds will be […]

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump hailed his new Homeland Security head, former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, as “strong, professional and fair” during an Oval Office swearing-in ceremony Tuesday. Mullin, who until Monday was one of Oklahoma’s Republican senators, takes the reins at the Department of Homeland Security amid a weekslong partial shutdown in the aftermath […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday were waiting to hear back from Democrats after they sent them a new offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since mid-February.  Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the proposal would fund many of the agencies within DHS, including the Federal […]

Gas prices are climbing again across the United States — with little clarity on where prices are headed next — spurring proposals for state gas tax holidays in the hopes of offering drivers some relief. The national average hit $3.96 per gallon Monday, up from $3.72 the week before, according to the U.S. Energy Information […]

The Missouri House rejected attempts by Democrats on Tuesday to restore $51.5 million in cuts to the state’s child care subsidy program. The program helps cover the cost of child care for more than 27,000 low-income and foster children statewide, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The department started a waiting […]

The Missouri House gave first-round approval Tuesday to a state operating budget that will close an almost $2 billion deficit by using almost all the state’s remaining surplus in the general revenue fund. At the end of more than five hours of debate, there were few changes in the spending plan for fiscal 2027 approved […]

Across the country, governors and mayors are embracing a familiar pitch: high-profile development projects financed with bonds that supposedly come at “no cost to taxpayers.” This is certainly the case with huge investments in stadiums for professional sports teams, such as Kansas’ proposal to issue $1.8 billion in bonds to help finance a new domed […]

Transportation Security Administration officers are struggling to afford basic necessities as they approach their second missed full paycheck since a funding lapse began last month, union leaders said at a virtual press conference Tuesday. Officials from the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 44,000 TSA officers nationwide, urged Congress to immediately find […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed split Tuesday on whether the Trump administration should be allowed to turn away asylum-seekers who present themselves at ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. The question presented to the justices was whether migrants have to fully cross into the United States in order to have the right […]

The Missouri Supreme Court handed down three rulings Tuesday that could shape the 2026 election, saying lawmakers had the authority to pass a new congressional map last year, leaving intact the state’s photo-ID requirement for voters and striking down limits on voter-registration and absentee-ballot outreach. The decisions gave Missouri Republicans a major win in the […]

For Quinton Hayes Jr. and his classmates, social media “is where a lot of our lives happen.” The 12-year-old middle school student from Bloomington said that includes having fun, talking with friends — and bullying. “It follows you home,” he said, “onto your phone, into your head.”  Hayes described how his friend was affected when […]

A perfect storm has arrived on the ledgers of many state budgets, bearing down on the people who often need help the most. Federal and state policy decisions, the end of pandemic aid and long-term fiscal trends — such as people aging into Social Security benefits — are requiring states to take a tougher look […]

Airport security workers missed work Monday at the highest rate since a partial government shutdown began in mid-February, the Department of Homeland Security said, and the Trump administration sent immigration officials to some airports in an attempt to keep lines moving. Travelers reported hourslong security lines at major airports in Atlanta and Houston, while waits […]

A simple idea is gaining traction in Jefferson City: fund colleges based on how many students they enroll, and let the money follow the student. It sounds fair. It sounds efficient. And it is more complicated than it appears. Missouri lawmakers are right to revisit how the state funds higher education. The current approach lacks […]

Missouri residents can receive state income tax credits on donations to food pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Two bills seeking to make adjustments to those credits were discussed Monday afternoon by a Missouri House committee. One bill, introduced by Republican state Rep. John Voss of Cape Girardeau, would eliminate the Dec. 31 expiration date […]