Legislature
Handful of Missouri legislative races will determine fate of GOP super majorities
First things first, there’s one thing that’s absolutely certain: Missouri Republicans are in no danger of losing their legislative majorities. When the 101st Missouri General Assembly convenes in January, the GOP will still dominate both the House and Senate. But the outcome of Tuesday’s legislative elections around the state could still have long-lasting consequences. If […]
More than 67,000 convicted felons in Missouri can’t vote in 2020
About 67,800 convicted felons in Missouri cannot vote in the November election because they are on parole and probation, according to a new study. The Sentencing Project’s new study found that Missouri is among 16 states that don’t allow convicted felons to vote if they are on parole or probation. It estimates that about 22,900 Missourians […]
Missourians fight to keep their homes with end of eviction moratorium looming
Phone calls from families on the verge of losing their homes have jumped 300 percent at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri. “And we’re getting more and more phone calls every day across the whole southern Missouri in our offices — not just Springfield, but it’s Poplar Bluff, over in Cape Girardeau and in Joplin,” said […]
Missouri FOP revokes endorsement of Republican whose children say he abused them
The Missouri Fraternal Order of Police has rescinded its endorsement of Rick Roeber, a Republican candidate for the Missouri House accused by his two adult children of physically and sexually abusing them when they were young. In a letter from Missouri FOP President Rick Inglima to Roeber obtained by The Independent, Roeber was informed that […]
The Missouri governor who was never governor
In early October 1864, Major General Sterling Price was poised to strike at Jefferson City with a force of about 12,000 men who had marched from the Arkansas border through the state in a last-ditch attempt to turn Missouri to the Confederate side. Accompanying Price was Thomas C. Reynolds, a native of South Carolina who […]
Medical marijuana lawsuit: Missouri health department illegally concealed documents
A Missouri family that sued after being denied a medical marijuana license is alleging the state department of health and Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office illegally concealed documents and violated open records laws in order to undercut their lawsuit. The allegations — which are included in a 28-page motion seeking sanctions against the state that […]
Missouri governor calls special session as CARES Act spending deadline looms
With Missouri in its 13th consecutive week of reporting an average of more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases per day, and facing a Dec. 30 deadline for using federal relief funds, Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday called a special session to begin just after the Nov. 3 election. On Thursday morning, the Department of Health and […]
Missouri Medicaid expansion: Will it bust the budget or pay for itself?
When Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion in August, they were told by the ballot language that the price tag was unknown, with possible costs at $200 million stated alongside $1 billion in potential savings. What is known for certain is that about 250,000 Missourians will become eligible for coverage next year — and the next […]
Missouri budget bouncing back from COVID, but experts warn economic weakness remains
When a drug store customer selects a promotional package offering a free toothbrush with a new tube of toothpaste or two extra razors in a bag of shavers, there’s a good chance the sale display was assembled in a sheltered workshop. Located throughout the state, the 87 workshops employ around 5,600 people with a developmental […]