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Missourians to vote on paid sick leave and minimum wage hike next month
A measure that would guarantee paid sick leave for over 700,000 Missouri workers who currently lack it, as well as gradually raise the minimum wage to $15, will appear on voters’ ballots next month.
Disabled Missourians and seniors could lose at-home care under new eligibility algorithm
Nearly 8,000 seniors and Missourians with disabilities could lose their at-home care over the next year after a new eligibility algorithm went into effect this week, a spokesperson for the state health department told The Independent.
Missouri pledges to disperse summer food aid by end of year
Missouri has begun distributing summer food benefits for children and aims to finish by the end of the year, a spokesperson for the Department of Social Services told The Independent this week. The aid was intended to be distributed during summer break, to help vulnerable kids avoid a drop-off in nutrition while they were out […]
Missouri judge rules social services department ‘knowingly’ violated Sunshine Law
The Department of Social Services “knowingly and purposefully” subverted the state’s open records law to gain the upper hand in litigation, a Missouri judge ruled Monday. Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem determined the department violated the Sunshine Law by wrongfully denying a records request because of the identity of requester and not the contents […]
Half of Missourians have faced recent medical debt, survey finds
Two of every five Missouri adults owe money to medical providers, according to a survey published Tuesday by the nonprofit Missouri Foundation for Health. Those debts include unpaid fees for services ranging from lab tests and doctors’ visits to emergency treatment and dental care. Often, the bills are from one-time or short-term medical expenses, the […]
Democrats fall short in push to override Missouri governor veto of nursing home funds
House Democrats on Wednesday made an unsuccessful push to override Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s veto of $2.5 million in funding for oversight of the state’s nursing homes, with all but eight Republicans voting to sustain the governor’s action.
Backlog of Missouri child abuse and neglect cases down more than 80% this year
Missouri’s backlog of unresolved child abuse and neglect cases has fallen by more than 80%since January, with officials anticipating it will be eliminated by the end of the year.
Missouri legislative leaders call for hearings over child care subsidy ‘crisis’
Missouri lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are calling for emergency interim committees to investigate the state’s monthslong child care subsidy backlog.
Planned Parenthood challenges new Missouri law blocking Medicaid payments to its clinics
Missouri's Planned Parenthood affiliates are asking the state administrative hearing commission to block a new law that prohibits the organization from being reimbursed for serving Medicaid patients.
Calls from Missouri to new 988 crisis hotline up 136% since 2022
Missouri has seen one of the nation’s largest increases in calls to the revamped national hotline that aids people facing mental health crises.
Missourians average 1 year in jail waiting for court-ordered mental health treatment
The number of people languishing in Missouri jails in need of court-ordered mental health treatment currently stands at 344 — and the wait time for a hospital bed averages one year. That’s up from 254 people this time last year, according to Missouri Department of Mental Health data provided to The Independent. A spokeswoman for the […]
Missouri set to start distributing new summer food aid for children
Missouri’s social services agency announced Monday that it is officially launching a federal food program that could provide aid to over 400,000 kids in the state. Each eligible child will receive a one-time benefit of $120, loaded onto a card that can be used like a debit card to buy groceries. It’s part of a […]