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A staffing crisis across state-run mental health facilities has decreased access to care for patients, with some waiting months for services, state officials told the Mental Health Commission on Thursday. Within the Department of Mental Health’s division of behavioral health, about 35% of registered nurse positions are vacant, 57% of licensed practical nurses are vacant, […]

The post Across Missouri mental health facilities, staffing shortages limit access to patient care appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A collaboration between The Missouri Independent, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and the St. Louis American has been chosen as a finalist for the 2022 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. The project, “Why Police Reform Fails,” followed a group of Ferguson activists who decided the key to transforming public safety is changing who […]

The post Report on push for police accountability in St. Louis named finalist for national journalism award appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Many private employers beginning in January will have to ensure their workers either are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or that they will undergo weekly testing and wear a face covering, under a new federal rule announced Thursday by the White House. The policy from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is set to […]

The post Federal vaccine rule for private businesses to kick in on Jan. 4 appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri GOP Senate candidate Mark McCloskey told a crowd in Osage Beach last month that vaccine mandates were an effort by the government to push “right-thinking, freethinking Americans” out of their jobs to leave only “the indoctrinated sheep.” And after that, McCloskey told the assembled crowd, those COVID vaccine resisters would get “their name on […]

The post Missouri Senate hopeful Mark McCloskey stokes fear over vaccine mandate at town hall appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court expressed skepticism Wednesday after listening to two hours of oral arguments on a New York law that imposes strict limits on carrying a gun outside the home—a case that will test how far states can go when crafting their own laws. In New York State Rifle & […]

The post Supreme Court justices skeptical about New York gun control law appeared first on Missouri Independent.

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.