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President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta. Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a […]

The post Undecided voters are the prize for both Biden and Trump in Thursday presidential debate appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will pardon U.S. military veterans who were discharged or convicted under military law for consensual same-sex relations, the administration announced Wednesday. The White House could not provide an exact number of veterans who will be pardoned, but the administration estimates thousands were convicted over several decades and may be eligible. […]

The post Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A Missouri House committee began a new phase Tuesday of a years-long process to create a formula to fund the state’s higher education institutions. Led by state Rep. Brenda Shields, a Republican from St. Joseph, the Special Interim Committee on Higher Education Performance Funding is hoping to pick a performance-based formula that would determine funding […]

The post Missouri committee sets goal to enact performance funding formula for higher education appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu — a move that’s aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to […]

The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Will Scharf’s hopes of winning the GOP nomination for Missouri attorney general got a massive financial boost on Tuesday, when a group connected to influential conservative activist Leonard Leo donated $2 million to the effort.  Tuesday’s check came from the Concord Fund, an organization bankrolled by groups connected to Leo — a prolific fundraiser credited […]

The post Will Scharf gets another $2M for Missouri AG campaign from group tied to Leonard Leo appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what they’d like to see in Donald Trump’s running mate. A “little calmer” than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if […]

The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trump’s vice presidential pick appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on Monday blocked the full implementation of a student-loan forgiveness program proposed by the Biden administration that was set to launch July 1. The SAVE Plan, an acronym for Saving on a Valuable Education, has been partially rolled out. The provisions already in effect may remain, United States District […]

The post Federal rulings out of Kansas, Missouri put Biden student-loan forgiveness on hold appeared first on Missouri Independent.

It’s time for the turn card in the poker hand that is the Missouri governor’s race. Quick review for poker neophytes: in Texas Hold ‘Em, two cards are dealt face down to each player, while five “community cards” are dealt face up in three rounds – first, a group of three cards (“the flop”), then […]

The post Missouri’s GOP gubernatorial primary as a hand of Texas Hold ‘Em, part two: The turn appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Finish zero schoolwork, expect zero for a grade. Not anymore in Kansas City Public Schools. The district launched a different grading system during the most recent school year. The minimum grade on any given assignment is now 40%, even if the student didn’t do a single bit of it. The district started to discuss changes […]

The post No zeros: How a new Kanas City Public Schools grading policy is meant to improve equity appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Exactly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the battles rage among both advocates and lawmakers over the future of reproductive rights at the state and federal levels. Anti-abortion groups that have achieved considerable success in deep-red parts of the country are working to sway voters […]

The post For both sides, abortion policy 2 years after Dobbs decision hinges on November appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A constellation of political action committees tied to a Jefferson City lobbyist raked in $530,000 in contributions this month from a pair of companies. The six PACs — MO Majority PAC, Missouri Growth PAC, Missouri C PAC, Missouri Senior PAC, Missouri AG PAC and Conservative Leaders of Missouri — are connected to Steve Tilley, a […]

The post PACs connected to Missouri lobbyist take in $530K from pair of companies appeared first on Missouri Independent.

When Missouri outlawed abortion two years ago, Nicole was far more worried for her grown children than for herself.  It had been two decades since she last gave birth, when she suffered a serious stroke during labor followed by severe postpartum depression. She was outraged that the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to […]

The post 2 years after Missouri banned abortion, navigating access still involves fear, confusion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The idea that “pregnant women in Missouri can’t get divorced” and therefore can’t leave abusive husbands has gone viral.   This is a dangerous misunderstanding of law that is likely to make a pregnant Missourian think there is no use in filing for divorce when she may need to start the process and get a separation […]

The post No, Missouri law does not require a pregnant woman to stay with her husband appeared first on Missouri Independent.

For abortion rights supporters in Florida, it was a tumultuous day of highs and lows. On April 1, the Florida Supreme Court paved the way for the state to ban nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. But it also OK’d a ballot measure that would allow Florida voters to overturn the ban this […]

The post Despite GOP headwinds, citizen-led abortion measures could be on the ballot in 9 states appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday signed legislation that offers hundreds of millions of dollars to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to relocate from Missouri.  The legislation, an expansion of one of the state’s tax incentive programs, could help finance up to 70% of the cost for one or both teams to build a […]

The post Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signs bill to poach Kansas City Chiefs, Royals from Missouri appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court Friday upheld a federal law that bars people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from owning a firearm. In an 8-1 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion that “our Nation’s firearm laws have included provisions preventing individuals who threaten physical harm to others from misusing firearms.” “When an […]

The post U.S. Supreme Court upholds law that prevents domestic abusers from owning guns appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Abigail Arellano keeps her son Samuel’s medical bills in a blue folder in a cabinet above the microwave. Even now, four months after the 11-year-old was shot at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade, the bills keep coming. There’s one for $1,040 for the ambulance ride to the hospital that February afternoon. Another for […]

The post Kansas City Super Bowl parade shooting survivors await promised donations while bills pile up appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The only reason John Arthur is able to be a public school teacher is because his wife makes much more money than he does. Arthur —  the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year  — testified on Thursday at a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on the […]

The post ‘Extremely low pay’ cited at U.S. Senate hearing as prime reason for teacher shortage appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven will leave her position with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at the end of the month, ending her 19 years of work in the department. She announced her departure in October, saying it was the “right time to move on personally and professionally.” An educator since 1990, Vandeven […]

The post Missouri education commissioner discusses long-standing issues as she preps to leave job appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri’s 2024 legislative session recently concluded, and the 2025 session is seven months away. With significant turnover in both chambers, next year’s lawmakers can deliver easy and affordable wins by ensuring all who are eligible for public assistance actually enroll to receive those benefits. To narrow the gap between eligible and enrolled, incoming state lawmakers […]

The post Missouri lawmakers should make it easier to access Earned Income Tax Credit appeared first on Missouri Independent.