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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s budget vetoes weren’t necessary to protect state finances and could lead to overrides when lawmakers meet in September, Republican legislative budget leaders said Wednesday. While overrides, both for budget items and other legislation, became common when Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon was in office, a governor has only been overridden twice in […]

The post GOP legislative leaders won’t rule out overriding Missouri governor budget vetoes appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Millions of Americans have already been sweltering through heat waves this summer, and forecasters warn of hot months ahead. July 3 and 4, 2023, were two of the hottest days, and possibly the hottest, on satellite record globally. For people who struggle to afford air conditioning, the rising need for cooling is a growing crisis. […]

The post A power disconnection crisis: In 31 states, utilities can shut off electricity in a heat wave appeared first on Missouri Independent.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For years, Charlene Redrick worked double shifts to make sure she made rent each month. The 64-year-old nursing home aide always paid on time — even at the height of the pandemic. But in 2022, Redrick’s landlord moved to evict her from the three-bedroom apartment she shared with her granddaughter and infant […]

The post Some states to landlords: You can’t evict tenants without a good reason appeared first on Missouri Independent.

States that have tried to enroll more Black and Hispanic students in universities without using race-based admissions policies have seen the numbers of those students slip — especially at elite institutions. Nine states had affirmative action bans before last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking it down nationwide. Those states and others have tried various […]

The post Campus diversity will be a struggle without race-based admissions, history shows appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A study from the University of Washington released Monday shows maternal mortality rates more than doubled in some states between 1999 and 2019, with sharp increases for some racial and ethnic groups. Researchers touted it as the first study to provide such maternal mortality calculations for every state. Previous reports have not included rates for states with […]

The post Study shows sharp increases in maternal deaths over two decades appeared first on Missouri Independent.

For two years, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has pushed unsuccessfully to allow government agencies to withhold more information from the public and charge more for any records that are turned over. And according to a 2021 memo obtained by The Independent, one of the architects of Parson’s plan to weaken government transparency laws was Andrew […]

The post Memo shows Missouri AG helped craft governor’s plan to weaken open records laws appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A proposal to help working Missourians with disabilities access affordable health care is among the bills now awaiting action by Gov. Mike Parson. The legislature this year approved a pair of bills that include tweaks to eligibility for the Ticket to Work Health Assurance Program, which provides health insurance through Medicaid to employed adults with […]

The post Push to help Missourians with disabilities avoid Medicaid loss awaits governor’s action appeared first on Missouri Independent.

As we celebrate the nation’s 247th birthday amid what appears to be intransigent partisan political divides on many fronts, it seems a good time to ponder what patriotism and nationalism means in America today. Are you feeling patriotic or nationalistic as we pause to celebrate this Fourth of July? Which? And if neither, why not? […]

The post What does being a patriot or nationalist mean to you? appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Thousands of miles of carbon dioxide pipelines planned in the Midwest have been spurred, in part, by a major expansion of federal tax credits in Democrats’ 2022 climate law. That could lead to billions of dollars per year in federal tax credits benefiting the powerful Midwest ethanol industry, even as the proposals create intense conflicts between […]

The post Thanks to federal tax credits, it’s boom time in the Midwest for carbon dioxide pipelines appeared first on Missouri Independent.

About five years ago, most of Minneapolis’ Subway, Little Caesars and McDonald’s franchise restaurants did not comply with city wage standards. Now workers at each of the locations that violated the law receive the required minimum wage and time off when they’re sick. This is all thanks to a co-enforcement program, where the city’s labor […]

The post States, cities turn to community organizations to battle wage theft appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Polls show that most Americans, even in red states, oppose the strict abortion bans Republican state lawmakers have enacted in the year since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. Emboldened by that fact, abortion rights advocates in multiple states might propose ballot initiatives for voters to consider in next year’s election, if […]

The post Positive polling, past successes don’t guarantee victory for abortion rights at the ballot box appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Following the end of the federal public health emergency, around 26,000 Missourians receiving food assistance are once again subject to work requirements to maintain their benefits. If the state does not receive the proper paperwork from participants, many could lose benefits beginning in October for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. […]

The post Time limits resume for federal food assistance, potentially impacting 26,000 Missourians appeared first on Missouri Independent.

In this uncertain economic landscape, we are all feeling a strain on our wallets. It is understandable, then, that the government is looking for ways to lower costs and ease financial stress for Americans. However, short-term cost-saving measures should never come at the expense of our long-term financial security, especially when it may place the […]

The post Fannie Mae program could put Missouri homeowners at risk appeared first on Missouri Independent.

From the $8,000 set aside so the Lone Jack Police Department could buy rifles to $46 million for an allied health building at St. Louis Community College, Gov. Mike Parson’s veto ax fell heavily on earmarked spending as he finished work on the coming year’s Missouri budget. Parson announced his actions late Friday on the […]

The post Despite $8 billion surplus, Missouri governor vetoes $550 million in state spending appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Colorado cannot compel a website designer to create custom sites for same-sex couples, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an opinion released Friday. The 6-3 ruling, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, came in 303 Creative v. Elenis. Plaintiff Lorie Smith argued the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, violates her constitutional right to free […]

The post Colorado designer does not have to make websites for same-sex couples, Supreme Court rules appeared first on Missouri Independent.

At the center of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program on Friday was a little-known Missouri nonprofit that goes by MOHELA. Based in St. Louis, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority is a quasi-governmental entity created by state lawmakers in 1981 to service student loans. And when former […]

The post Missouri company plays central role in downfall of Biden loan forgiveness program appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Biden administration does not have the legal authority to enact a one-time student debt relief program, dealing a blow to the 40 million Americans who would have qualified. Last year, the Biden Administration rolled out a debt forgiveness plan for borrowers with federal student […]

The post U.S. Supreme Court rules against Biden administration student loan debt relief plan appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri will enter the new fiscal year Saturday in its best financial shape ever. But there are unmistakable signs that the massive surplus, now approaching $8 billion, has likely peaked. Revenues have fallen by double-digit amounts during the last three months, and the state will meet the general revenue projection made in December only because […]

The post Missouri surplus peaking at $8 billion as governor prepares to act on state budget appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Despite voters’ attempts to tighten Missouri’s campaign finance laws, many former state legislators keep control of tens of thousands of campaign dollars without running for public office again. A review of hundreds of former Missouri legislators’ campaign finance reports shows that some of them drew from their candidate committees to spend on campaigns that never […]

The post Former Missouri legislators keep control of leftover campaign funds appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that effectively scrambles the role affirmative action plays in the college admissions process cannot let the country slide “backwards,” President Joe Biden said just hours after the majority justices released their opinion. Meanwhile, Republicans seeking to challenge him in 2024 praised the decision. Issues of race and higher education will […]

The post ‘This is not a normal court,’ says Biden as GOP opponents praise affirmative action ruling appeared first on Missouri Independent.