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WASHINGTON — Oral arguments in former President Donald Trump’s historic case in New York began Monday in a Manhattan courtroom where jurors will be tasked with deciding whether deceptive hush money payments to hide an affair amount to a criminal conviction. The first-ever criminal trial of an ex-U.S. president centers on Trump’s alleged falsified business records to […]

The post NY prosecutor ties Trump hush money payments to campaign as criminal trial kicks off appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Last year, the Missouri General Assembly scrambled to act on an issue popular with voters who turn out in large numbers: property tax cuts for seniors in the form of a tax freeze. Lawmakers passed a vague directive letting counties freeze property tax bills for seniors, without defining what “senior” meant, who was going to […]

The post Missouri’s senior property tax freeze still dogged by unanswered questions appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The embattled speaker of the Missouri House had little to say over the weekend in his first public comments since being accused of threatening potential witnesses and other stall tactics aimed at obstructing an ethics committee inquiry into his alleged misconduct. Speaker Dean Plocher sat down for an interview released on Sunday with Scott Faughn, […]

The post Dean Plocher mum on allegations he obstructed ethics probe, pressured witnesses appeared first on Missouri Independent.

On Jan. 18, the ninth day of the 2024 legislative session, a bill essential to balancing the state budget was placed first in line on the Senate’s calendar for debate. On the same day, a bill expanding an education scholarship program was also put on the calendar, second in line. Last week, the education bill […]

The post Senate battle over taxes that fund Missouri Medicaid leaves state budget in limbo appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Last week was Black Maternal Health Week, and Mother’s Day is just around the corner — a prefect time to focus on the fact that the critical health care an expectant mother needs remains unavailable for many. That’s especially true for Black mothers and their unborn babies. The detrimental and deadly impact of systemic racism […]

The post Systemic racism, politics prevent Black expectant mothers from getting needed health care appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an investigation into four companies Wednesday as part of an effort to crack down on intoxicating hemp products. The problem, according to Bailey, is the products in question — such Delta-8 edibles and vape pens — are not clearly labeled to indicate that they’ll get you high. “When purchasing […]

The post Missouri attorney general launches investigation of intoxicating hemp products appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The New York state court trying former President Donald Trump on criminal charges empaneled a full 12-person jury on the third day of the trial Thursday, according to reports. The trial approached the end of its first phase Thursday afternoon as one of six alternate jurors was also selected. Selection of more alternates will continue Friday. […]

The post Full jury selected in Trump’s criminal trial on hush-money charges appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education on Friday announced a final rule that will update Title IX regulations governing how schools respond to sexual misconduct, undoing changes made under the Trump administration and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. “For more than 50 years, Title IX has promised an equal opportunity to learn and thrive […]

The post Biden administration to roll back the Betsy DeVos Title IX rules appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A bill winding its way through the legislature seeks to ease backlogs in child abuse and neglect investigations by allowing Missouri’s social services agency to outsource some work involving child abuse and neglect investigations to private contractors. Sponsored by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, the bill was voted out of committee unanimously […]

The post Missouri bill would let private contractors assist in child abuse investigations appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Missouri House gave initial approval this week to a bill that could protect pesticide manufacturers from some cancer lawsuits. The debate on the House floor wasn’t split along party lines however, as several Republicans cautioned against the risk of cancers caused by pesticides. Legislation sponsored by Rep. Dane Diehl, a Republican from Butler, would […]

The post Missouri House gives initial OK to bill protecting pesticide-makers appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats on Thursday began coalescing behind Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to provide assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan through a series of three bills, though far-right members of his own party grew increasingly frustrated with the Louisianan’s bipartisan streak. Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is leading an effort […]

The post U.S. House speaker gains Dem backing for foreign aid plan, as far-right Republicans seethe appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Legislation pivotal to killing a proposed landfill project in south Kansas City took a huge step forward this week in the Missouri Senate and is now just one step away from the governor’s desk.  Missouri senators passed the legislation, which would prohibit a landfill from being built in Kansas City within a mile of its […]

The post Legislation designed to kill Kansas City landfill clears hurdle in Senate, nears final passage appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A massive education bill that expands a private school scholarship program and opens up Boone County to charter schools squeaked out of the Missouri House and to the governor’s desk on Thursday, winning the bare minimum number of votes needed for passage.  The 153-page bill, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester, is […]

The post Missouri House narrowly sends private-school tax credit, charter expansion to governor’s desk appeared first on Missouri Independent.

With one seat in Congress up for grabs, an incumbent facing a serious challenge and a former publisher and media personality taking on a long-time officeholder, this year’s federal elections in Missouri promise an interesting summer and fall. Add to that  the U.S. Senate race, where both likely fall contenders have more money already than […]

The post Challengers outraise incumbents in Missouri races for Senate, 1st Congressional District appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House members tasked with addressing what happens to loads of user data collected by big tech companies see a “long overdue” opportunity for a national privacy standard, particularly for children and teens. Lawmakers on a subpanel of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce met Wednesday to hear from advocates and online […]

The post National privacy standard eyed by Congress for data harvested by big tech companies appeared first on Missouri Independent.

On April 22, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case that could radically change how cities respond to the growing problem of homelessness. It also could significantly worsen the nation’s racial justice gap. City of Grants Pass v. Johnson began when a small city in Oregon with just one homeless shelter began enforcing a […]

The post SCOTUS to consider whether local governments can make it a crime to sleep outside appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Missouri Senate voted Wednesday night to ensure homeschool families are allowed to own firearms. On a 27-4 vote, lawmakers approved legislation that originally was focused on cleaning up issues with Missouri’s virtual school program.  But over the course of a five-hour recess in the Senate Wednesday, Republicans turned that legislation into a catch-all measure […]

The post Missouri Senate amends House bill to ease passage of K-12 tax credit expansion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday dismissed two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Democrat-controlled chamber voted, 51-49 along party lines, to adjourn the impeachment trial after finding that the impeachment articles accusing Mayorkas of not complying with federal immigration law and breaching the public trust did not rise to […]

The post Senate rejects two impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Mayorkas appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans unveiled three bills Wednesday that would provide $95 billion overall in assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, instead of voting on a similar bipartisan Senate-approved package that’s been waiting around for months. The Ukraine bill would provide $60.84 billion, the Israel bill would appropriate $26.38 billion and the Indo-Pacific bill […]

The post U.S. House GOP rolls out aid for Ukraine, Israel; votes planned on TikTok, border security appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A bill dedicating $2.2 million to support deployment of Missouri National Guard soldiers and State Highway Patrol troopers to Texas for border security on Wednesday became the first bill sent this year to Gov. MIke Parson. In February, Parson announced he would send 200 soldiers and 11 troopers to work with Texas law enforcement at […]

The post Missouri Senate sends bill for Texas border deployment to Gov. Parson appeared first on Missouri Independent.