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WASHINGTON — States and local organizations that aid victims of sexual assault and other crimes are raising the alarm about a multi-year plunge in funds, a major problem they say Congress must fix soon or programs will be forced to set up wait lists or turn victims away altogether. Affected are rape crisis centers, domestic […]

The post Plummeting balance in federal crime victims fund sparks alarm among states, advocates appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A new political party will appear on Missouri’s ballot this year, the brainchild of a candidate hoping to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in November. Jared Young, an attorney and businessman from Webb City, last year announced he would run as an independent candidate in the Senate race. In April, he decided to instead […]

The post Petition drive succeeds in placing new party on Missouri’s November ballot appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A judge in St. Louis ruled Thursday that local municipalities can stack sales taxes on marijuana dispensaries, the first court ruling on a much-debated issue playing out around the state.  The lawsuit was filed by Robust Missouri 3 LLC. The company saw its Florissant dispensary’s tax rate on cannabis products rise to 14.988% after both […]

The post Missouri judge rules local governments can stack sales tax on marijuana appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A campaign to enshrine abortion rights in Missouri’s constitution said Friday that it collected more than 380,000 signatures in just three months, more than twice the likely total needed to qualify for this year’s statewide ballot.  The coalition, called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, is hoping to put on the November ballot a measure that would […]

The post More than 380,000 Missourians sign initiative petition to put abortion on the ballot appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will publish a final rule Friday that will allow about 100,000 uninsured people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in state-run or private health insurance plans provided under the Affordable Care Act, administration officials said. The new rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human […]

The post Biden administration to issue rule expanding DACA health care access appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Doctors on Thursday urged Congress to pass legislation addressing the disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality throughout the country and to lower barriers that have hindered people of color from becoming medical professionals. During a hearing in the U.S. Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, a panel of five medical professionals detailed […]

The post Doctors plead with Congress to help improve U.S. maternal mortality rates appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A coalition of Missouri professional sports franchises submitted more than 340,000 petition signatures to the secretary of state’s office Thursday morning to try to put the legalization of sports gambling on the November ballot. The teams, which established a committee called Winning for Missouri Education, have turned to the initiative petition process after years of […]

The post Pro sports teams submit petition signatures to legalize sports gambling in Missouri appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Republican state senators facing a federal defamation lawsuit over social media posts incorrectly identifying a Kansas man as the shooter at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade will be represented by the Missouri attorney general’s office.  Jeremiah Morgan, a deputy attorney general, is listed in court documents as the attorney for state Sen. Rick Brattin, who […]

The post Missouri AG will defend senators sued for defamation over posts about Chiefs parade shooting appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Days after ending an investigation into Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, the Republican who led that inquiry has recused herself from the committee as it prepares to discuss a new complaint.  According to a letter to legislative staff from House Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson, a member of Plocher’s leadership team, state Rep. Hannah Kelly […]

The post Republican who led inquiry of Dean Plocher may be subject of new ethics complaint appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A former Democratic lawmaker filed a lawsuit Wednesday over a $22,000 penalty he incurred as part of his 2021 censure for allegedly lying about a sexual encounter with an intern and retaliating against the House employee who reported it. Wiley Price, a St. Louis Democrat who lost his bid for re-election in 2022, is demanding […]

The post Former legislator sues Missouri House over punishment doled out as part of his censure appeared first on Missouri Independent.

With two weeks left in the Missouri General Assembly’s session, lawmakers are weighing multiple bills that would bar developers from seizing land to build wind and solar farms.  One such bill, sponsored by state Rep. Mike Haffner, a Republican from Pleasant Hill, passed the House Thursday by an overwhelming 115-27 vote. It now heads to […]

The post Missouri House approves bill prohibiting eminent domain for solar, wind energy projects appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday grilled UnitedHealth Group’s CEO over the largest-ever cyberattack on the U.S. health care industry, which has crippled payments to providers and pharmacies and left millions of patients clueless about whether their information is now on the dark web. A Russia-linked cybercrime organization dubbed “BlackCat” infiltrated a vulnerable […]

The post UnitedHealth CEO savaged for failings in massive cyberattack that’s crippled health care appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Wednesday’s Midwest March for Life at the Missouri Capitol had a different tone this year. It was about fighting.  Nearly two years ago, the crowd celebrated Missouri becoming the first state to ban abortion after Roe V. Wade was overturned. But on Wednesday, a new worry loomed over the annual event: Abortion could soon be […]

The post Anti-abortion groups say more aggressive approach necessary to stop Missouri amendment appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Leading U.S. Senate Democrats reintroduced a bill Wednesday to remove marijuana from the list of federal controlled substances, following the Biden administration’s move a day earlier to significantly ease regulations on the drug. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, […]

The post U.S. Senate Dems launch renewed push for full marijuana legalization appeared first on Missouri Independent.

None of the demands Missouri Freedom Caucus members said must be met before they would drop a filibuster against legislation renewing taxes that fund Medicaid were achieved when the group decided to end its resistance a little before 3:30 a.m. Thursday. After a 41-hour-filibuster, the Senate gave initial approval Thursday morning to a bill renewing […]

The post Freedom Caucus ends filibuster in Missouri Senate without action on its demands appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Four gubernatorial nominations to state boards have been withdrawn by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson because of opposition by state Sen. Steve Roberts, the governor’s spokesperson said in an email Wednesday. The email said Roberts, a St. Louis Democrat, had advocated for a paid position for himself on the Public Service Commission and for his father […]

The post Missouri governor says Democrat senator blocked appointments after seeking one for himself appeared first on Missouri Independent.

An initiative petition campaign that seeks to raise Missouri’s minimum wage delivered over 210,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office Wednesday afternoon — nearly double the amount needed to make the statewide ballot.  It is the first of five initiative petitions the Secretary of State’s office expects to deliver signatures this week. Petitioners need […]

The post Group turns in signatures to put minimum wage hike, paid sick leave on Missouri ballot appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A filibuster blocking renewal of taxes essential to funding Medicaid passed 39 hours early this morning as a small group of Republicans held the Missouri Senate floor demanding action on other bills. Five members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus have tried four times to amend the bill, failing each time when their proposals were tabled […]

The post Senate filibuster of taxes that fund Missouri Medicaid approaches record at 39-hour mark appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. House Republicans, aggrieved by Speaker Mike Johnson’s bipartisanship amid divided government, said Wednesday they plan to force a vote next week on removing him from the leadership office — despite the extremely long odds of success. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie held a press conference just […]

The post Marjorie Taylor Greene to force vote next week on ousting U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Internal Revenue Service saw a successful tax filing season, providing high levels of customer service, enforcing collection from the wealthy and launching a free filing option for taxpayers, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told tax writers on Capitol Hill Tuesday. The agency “met or exceeded” goals for the filing season and “successfully” […]

The post Yellen touts success of IRS pilot program that allowed direct free filing of tax returns appeared first on Missouri Independent.