The first spending bill of the year — almost $2 billion to fund state agencies through June 30 — was approved Thursday by the Missouri House Budget Committee. The supplemental appropriation bill includes money to make sure public schools receive their full allocation under the foundation formula, $103 million for federally financed summer food programs […]
Legislation that would remove the expiration date on a pair of laws affecting transgender minors passed the Missouri Senate Thursday after a fight by Senate Democrats. It now heads to the Missouri House for consideration. The bill in question, which contained a litany of provisions removing sunset dates for various programs, would make permanent a […]
A little-known quirk of Missouri’s sales tax law means that retailers charge a higher rate for a hot dog purchased off a roller than for a cold sandwich. Both are meant for immediate consumption. But the cold sandwich can be purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, better known as food stamps, while the hot […]
People with disabilities are worried about the fate of federal protections as a lawsuit involving 17 attorneys general — including Missouri’s Andrew Bailey — takes aim at a 50-year-old disability-rights law. The lawsuit, which was filed in September, targets additions to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act added under the Biden administration. Disability-rights groups began […]
While Missouri House Republicans have rallied behind a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban abortion but allow some exceptions for survivors of rape and incest, a similar proposal in the Senate received push-back Wednesday from a Republican lawmaker and anti-abortion activists. The Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee on Wednesday heard testimony on a proposed […]
The secretary whose employment at the Missouri state public defender’s office nearly derailed the agency’s entire budget has been terminated, clearing away legislative opposition during a committee hearing on Wednesday.
How much it will cost to regulate intoxicating hemp products on sale in bars and liquor stores across the state has become a key flashpoint of the debate in the Missouri legislature. Year after year, hemp business owners and distributors have asked the state to impose age restrictions and testing requirements for intoxicating hemp products […]
Lt. Gov. David Wasinger ran as a “conservative outsider” aiming to shake things up in the capital city. In his first few weeks on the job, Wasinger has worked at developing friends and supporters in the Senate while setting public safety and government efficiency as his top priorities. In the 2024 primary, Wasinger beat two […]
A direct-mail campaign targeting opponents of a bill intended to shelter Bayer from lawsuits alleging its herbicide Roundup causes cancer appears to be backfiring. Nine state senators targeted by flyers sent to their constituents held a news conference Tuesday to denounce the effort and say their opposition is growing stronger because of the attacks. “What […]
A bill to create three new child care tax credits received initial approval by the Missouri House on Tuesday. A similar measure received bipartisan support last year but fell victim to Republican infighting in the Senate. The measure would help employers foot the bill for their employees’ child care costs and encourage existing providers to […]
Proposed cuts to Medicaid being considered by the Republican-controlled Congress could create a massive budget shortfall in Missouri, the director of the state Medicaid program told lawmakers on Tuesday.
The first bill passed by the Missouri House that is headed to the Senate floor for debate would exempt long-term capital gains from the state income tax. On a 3-2 party-line vote, the Senate General Laws committee approved the bill to create the new tax deduction. The bill passed the House on Feb. 13, also […]
A bill that seeks to take school accreditation power away from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and decrease focus on statewide standardized testing was debated Tuesday by a state Senate committee. State Sen. Jill Carter, a Republican from Granby, filed the legislation for the third time. It passed the Senate’s education committee […]
In hopes of helping veterans facing mental health issues, Missouri lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would require the state to conduct a study on using psilocybin — also known as “magic mushrooms” — to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care. Similar legislation has been filed for the last three years, […]
University of Missouri faculty and staff received an email Monday morning from MU President Mun Choi announcing plans to begin reducing expenses in response to the Trump administration’s federal funding cuts. Choi explained that the university’s administration will begin cost-cutting measures for this fiscal year in the coming weeks, citing a “reduction in indirect cost […]
A dispute over whether the Missouri Gaming Commission can issue emergency rules to implement sports wagering will delay the licensing of casinos and online operators until fall, the executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission said Monday. Last week, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the gaming commission emergency rules intended to allow it […]
The Trump administration has begun dismantling the nation’s defenses against foreign interference in voting, a sweeping retreat that has alarmed state and local election officials. The administration is shuttering the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and last week cut more than 100 positions at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. President Donald Trump signed […]
A pair of state senators are laying the groundwork for Clay County to compete for a new Chiefs training facility or Royals stadium, while the top Republican in the Missouri House is imploring Jackson County leaders to come up with a new plan to keep the teams from leaving the state. Both teams publicly expressed […]
This story was commissioned by the River City Journalism Fund. After Ronald Scheer was found suffocated to death by the straps of his own wheelchair, an autopsy determined his cause of death was “hanging.” Scheer, a man with developmental disabilities and mobility issues who used a wheelchair, was living at the state-run St. Louis Developmental […]
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