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In parts of the Midwest where lead mining and smelting lasted for over a century, communities are still dealing with toxic waste left behind by the industry. Lead, a dangerous neurotoxin, persists in the environment, including in water and soil, where it can pose a threat to the health of people living nearby. The risk […]

The post Kansas, Nebraska researchers use plants to limit exposure to toxic lead in soil appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Few things are more important in determining how well our government functions than each of us taking time to become informed, and to vote wisely in selecting those who will represent us. The primary elections in Missouri, and in most states, are over. The midterm elections are just around the corner on Nov. 8. Wherever […]

The post Our government only can function better if we vote wisely appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate, along party lines, passed a sweeping energy, health care, climate and tax package Sunday afternoon, following an overnight marathon of votes that resulted in just a handful of notable changes to the legislation. The 755-page bill was passed after Vice President Kamala Harris broke a 50-50 tie in the evenly divided Senate. […]

The post U.S. Senate passes major health, tax and climate bill in boost for Democrats appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The U.S. Senate voted along party lines Saturday night to advance to debate on Democrats’ sweeping energy, health and taxes bill, clearing a major hurdle to passage. The 51-50 vote, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie, cleared the chamber to debate and vote on amendments to the measure and indicated that it had enough support from […]

The post U.S. Senate Democrats’ climate, health and energy bill clears first hurdle to passage appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — A major spending bill from U.S. Senate Democrats would allow Medicare for the first time in its history to begin negotiating the prices of certain high-priced prescription drugs — a proposal that’s been around for years but has never come so close to the finish line. Under the legislation, Medicare would start negotiating the […]

The post How Medicare prescription drug coverage would change under U.S. Senate Democrats’ bill appeared first on Missouri Independent.

U.S. Senate Democrats’ wide-ranging tax, climate and health bill appears set to pass after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona struck a deal to soften the measure’s corporate tax increase and a second tax hike aimed at wealthy finance-sector workers, Schumer told reporters Friday. The revenue lost to obtain Sinema’s support […]

The post U.S. Senate preps big tax, climate and health bill after deal struck with Sinema appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri’s top Democratic lawmakers have yet to receive a formal response to letters urging governors in Kansas and Illinois to help pay for abortions for out-of-state Medicaid patients, though a Kansas lawmaker said it is highly unlikely given Republican dominance of the state’s legislature. In letters sent Wednesday and first reported by the Associated Press, […]

The post Missouri Dems hope Kansas, Illinois will help pay for out-of-state residents’ abortions appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Poisonous sand blowing in the wind.  Wells running dry.  A dark night sky ruined by constant lights.  These are the things residents in Ste. Genevieve County are worried about as they work to prevent a silica sand mine from moving into their community.  NexGen Mining Inc. plans to mine silica sand, commonly used for fracking, […]

The post Missouri law didn’t require environmental review before issuing silica mining permit appeared first on Missouri Independent.

On July 19th, I had the opportunity to testify to a Congressional committee about the challenges and opportunities facing family farmers like me. Below is a slightly condensed version of what I said. I’m Doug Doughty. We grow corn, soybeans and hay along with a cow/calf operation in north Missouri. I returned to our farm […]

The post State, federal regulations of CAFOs are weak. It will take political courage to strengthen them appeared first on Missouri Independent.

TOPEKA — For Ashley All, the effort to defeat a constitutional amendment that would have eliminated abortion rights is the most consequential campaign the Kansas political veteran has worked on. The issue is personal, All told news reporters during a conference call Wednesday morning. “I have four daughters, and this” — All paused. “I don’t […]

The post Kansas abortion-rights activists emphasized attack on personal rights to defeat amendment appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Teachers, school administrators and advocacy groups on Wednesday laid out for a state commission a long list of grueling conditions they say drive educators out of the industry.   At the third meeting of the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blue Ribbon Commission — created by the State Board of Education — testimony focused on low pay, […]

The post Missouri state commission told low pay, lack of support is fueling teacher shortage appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and legal experts at a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday outlined the need to pass legislation clarifying an archaic election law so that the peaceful transfer of presidential power is ensured. The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill being pushed by 16 senators, was proposed after the […]

The post Members of U.S. Senate committee consider bipartisan changes to Electoral Count Act appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Democrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday explored how to combat violent threats lodged against election officials, while Republicans questioned why the Department of Justice isn’t doing more to investigate threats against crisis pregnancy centers and Supreme Court justices. During a hearing on protecting election officials, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite […]

The post Election officials at U.S. Senate hearing describe threats, spread of misinformation appeared first on Missouri Independent.

In late January, a GOP strategist named Kyle Plotkin bragged on Twitter about how popular U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley was in Missouri and how valuable his endorsement would be in the state’s upcoming Republican U.S. Senate primary. Plotkin, who had previously been Hawley’s Senate chief of staff but had transitioned to working for his campaign,used […]

The post Josh Hawley help for Hartzler unable to overcome Trump attack in Missouri Senate primary appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Witnesses in a Tuesday hearing detailed to a U.S. Senate committee how investors and stagnant wages are driving an eviction and housing crisis across the U.S. The chair of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, said that families are being priced out of buying homes, and rising […]

The post Record rent increases, low wages are driving an eviction crisis, U.S. Senate panel told appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Candidates expected to align with the conservative caucus in the Missouri Senate had a good night on Tuesday, winning primaries in three open seats and knocking off one incumbent.  The victories likely mean the caucus — which has quarreled with GOP leadership and used procedural roadblocks to grind the chamber to a halt for the […]

The post Conservative caucus likely expands in Missouri Senate after GOP primary wins appeared first on Missouri Independent.

State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick easily won the Republican nomination for Missouri auditor Tuesday, defeating state Rep. David Gregory. With nearly all precincts reporting, Fitzpatrick held a nearly 30 percentage point lead over Gregory. This fall he will face Democratic state Rep. Allen Green of Florissant, who was unopposed in his party’s primary, and Libertarian John […]

The post Scott Fitzpatrick rolls to victory in GOP primary for Missouri auditor appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Trish Gunby won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District.  Gunby, a state lawmaker from Manchester, bested Reed, who conceded the race shortly after 10 p.m. The Democratic nominee faces an uphill battle against Wagner, a five-term Republican incumbent who saw her district reworked […]

The post Trish Gunby defeats Ray Reed in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary appeared first on Missouri Independent.

State Sen. Eric Burlison claimed the GOP nomination in the heavily Republican 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, beating beating out seven other contenders in the Republican primary.  He will take on Kristen Radaker-Sheafer, who emerged from the Democratic primary, and Libertarian Kevin Craig. The GOP race attracted a big field of candidates after the longtime […]

The post Eric Burlison emerges from crowded field in 7th Congressional District Republican primary appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Anheuser-Busch heiress Trudy Busch Valentine won the Democratic nomination for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat Tuesday, defeating her closest rival, former Marine Lucas Kunce. With nearly all precincts reporting, Busch had won 43% of the vote, compared to 38% for Kunce. Throughout her campaign, Valentine has said working as a nurse and experiencing immense grief […]

The post Beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine captures Missouri Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate appeared first on Missouri Independent.