Economy
As Missouri COVID cases surge, what does it mean to be ‘safe’ in the pandemic?
Cat O’Toole says she did everything right to protect herself and others from COVID-19. “I am strict about mask wearing,” said O’Toole, who works as a server at a high-end restaurant in St. Louis. “I am constantly using hand sanitizer and thoroughly washing my hands, especially after talking with a guest or walking up to […]
Missouri lawmakers likely to consider COVID liability protection in special session
JEFFERSON CITY—The special legislative session called to provide new spending authority for federal COVID-19 relief funds will likely be extended to include a bill providing liability protections for businesses and schools, House Speaker Elijah Haahr said Tuesday. In a brief interview after the Missouri House passed a $1.3 billion spending bill on a 133-4 vote, […]
Missouri House budget committee approves $1.3 billion COVID spending bill
Missouri intends to spend every federal coronavirus relief dollar it can by the Dec. 30 deadline, and is using previously received funds to obtain more, state Budget Director Dan Haug told lawmakers Monday. Haug spent most of the first three hours of a hearing of the House Budget Committee explaining the individual items Gov. Mike […]
Mike Parson faces opportunities, challenges in new term as Missouri governor
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson made history last week. He became the first Republican in more than three decades to win a second term as governor, winning a landslide victory by nearly 500,000 votes. And just like his first go round — after he took over following Eric Greitens’ June 2018 resignation — Parson will take […]
‘Won’t be able to survive’: Childcare centers serving low-income Missourians face closure
Cortaiga Collins doesn’t know how much longer her childcare center will survive. Only about a dozen children have been attending regularly amid the pandemic. Under normal circumstances, she used to serve as many as 100. She’s already had to reduce the hours that Good Shepherd Preschool and Infant/Toddler Center in St. Louis can be open, […]
Missouri governor open to adding COVID liability to legislative special session agenda
JEFFERSON CITY— Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he would consider adding COVID-19 liability protection to a special session if legislation that can be passed quickly is brought to him. The General Assembly began the second special session of the year on Wednesday with House introduction of Parson’s $1.3 billion plan for using remaining federal coronavirus […]
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 […]
Spire Missouri program will help customers catch up on gas bills during COVID pandemic
The natural gas supplier for more than 1 million Missouri customers will create a payment assistance program and allow up to 18 months to pay bills that have accumulated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the plan approved Thursday by the Missouri Public Service Commission, Spire Missouri will help customers who have lost […]
Trump in final debate slams pandemic aid as a ‘big bailout’ for blue cities and states
WASHINGTON — Asked during Thursday’s final presidential debate about why another round of economic relief hasn’t been approved to aid unemployed Americans and struggling local governments, President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, pointed fingers at opposite ends of the U.S. Capitol. Trump blamed House Democrats for the stalemate over another coronavirus stimulus […]
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 […]
Kauffman Stadium, KC Convention Center concessions contractor laying off 577 workers
Aramark, the contractor who operates concessions and catering services at Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Convention Center, is laying off 577 employees because there is not enough business at either venue. In mass-layoff notices dated Friday to the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, Aramark reported it is also reducing the work hours […]
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 […]