Jason Hancock

80 years later, Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech in Missouri still offers lessons • Missouri Independent Events at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri will examine the legacy of Winston Churchill's 1946 "Iron Curtain" speech.

Three days of events on Westminster College campus in Fulton commemorate the 80th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s speech that for many historians marks the beginning of the Cold War.

Missouri House sends $3.2B supplemental spending bill to governor’s desk • Missouri Independent A supplemental spending bill pushing state appropriations for the fiscal year to almost $55 billion was the first bill sent to Gov. Mike Kehoe this year.

A supplemental spending bill pushing total state appropriations for the fiscal year to almost $55 billion was the first legislation sent to Gov. Mike Kehoe in this year’s session when the Missouri House voted 137-13 for final passage. #moleg #mogov

A-F rating system for public schools clears Missouri House despite bipartisan concerns • Missouri Independent The Missouri House passes a bill to grade public schools on an 'A' through 'F' scale, saying it is superior to the Senate's legislation.

With approval and dissent on both sides of the aisle, the House voted a bill to create a new school accountability system through to the Senate 96-53 Thursday despite concerns the letter grades could be a “scarlet letter” for underperforming schools. #moleg #mogov

Missouri House moves to cut minimum school levy in property tax overhaul • Missouri Independent A property tax overhaul proposes to cut the minimum school levy, the lowest tax a district can impose to qualify for state aid, by up to 20%.

A revised property tax overhaul proposes to lower the minimum school levy — the lowest tax a district can impose and still qualify for state aid — by up to 20%, the first cut since Missouri law began mandating a minimum in 1988. #moleg #mogov

Judge revises ballot language for plan to make it harder to amend Missouri Constitution • Missouri Independent A judge ruled that a ballot measure to change how majorities are calculated in Missouri for constitutional amendments proposed by initiative must clearly alert voters that is its intent.

The decision from Circuit Judge Daniel Green is the written version of his oral ruling from Feb. 19 that provisions critics decry as “ballot candy” must be removed from the language prepared by lawmakers. #moleg #mogov

Missouri lawmakers weigh $294M price tag to carry out new federal Medicaid rules • Missouri Independent Advocates say a plan to write Medicaid work requirements into the state Constitution could hold Missouri to a stricter version of federal law.

Advocates worry that a plan to put Medicaid work requirements in the Missouri Constitution goes beyond federal law and could put the state at risk of harsh financial penalties. #moleg #mogov

Republicans push forward with proposal to replace Missouri income tax with sales tax • Missouri Independent The proposal to eliminate the Missouri income tax is moving to the House floor following a party-line committee vote.

On a party-line vote, a Missouri House committee approved the bill putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow expanded sales tax to supplant income tax. #moleg #mogov

Missouri Senate axes funds for attorney general’s new St. Louis offices • Missouri Independent The Missouri Senate on Tuesday stripped money for furnishing new space for the attorney general’s office in St. Louis.

The Missouri Senate on Tuesday stripped money for furnishing new space for the attorney general’s office and sending a tourism team to Washington, D.C., from a spending bill funding state agencies through June 30. #moleg #mogov

Missouri bill hoping to tackle fatherlessness ‘epidemic’ gets bipartisan support • Missouri Independent A bill filed by state Rep. Jamie Gragg aims to help fathers navigate the court system or a career path, for example, so they can be more present parents.

The bill would create the “Missouri Fathership Project” within Missouri’s Department of Social Services. It would help fund positions at statewide nonprofits and community organizations to support dads who want to “reestablish and strengthen relationships with their children.” #moleg #mogov

Shopping around for power: Missouri bill aims to break up electric utilities • Missouri Independent Corporate energy companies in Missouri are vertically integrated, an economic term that means they both make energy and distribute it to customers.

Currently, corporate energy companies in Missouri are vertically integrated, an economic term that means they both make energy and distribute it to customers. Under Rep. Mayhew’s plan, the companies could do one or the other. #moleg #mogov

Missouri bill targets ‘date rape’ drugs after lawmaker suspects she was drugged • Missouri Independent State Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs says she and other lawmakers experienced possible drink-spiking in Jefferson City.

In an interview with The Independent, House Minority Leader Ashley Aune said she personally knew of three instances last year involving lawmakers who believe they were drugged in Jefferson City. #moleg #mogov

Missouri bill targets ‘date rape’ drugs after lawmaker suspects she was drugged • Missouri Independent State Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs says she and other lawmakers experienced possible drink-spiking in Jefferson City.

State Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs says she and other lawmakers believed they were drugged in Jefferson City last year during the legislative session. She wants tougher penalties for the drugs often linked to sexual assault. #moleg #mogov

Missouri senator revives ‘personhood’ amendment criminalizing abortion • Missouri Independent More than 20 people testified in support of the proposed ban, driving from all corners of the state to condemn abortion exceptions in any form.

The proposal would treat embryos as people under the state constitution, potentially exposing patients and abortion providers to murder charges and eliminating rape and incest exceptions. #moleg #mogov

Missouri’s Josh Hawley defends Trump’s Iran strike, rejects war powers vote • Missouri Independent U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said President Donald Trump acted within executive powers when he launched an attack on Iran over the weekend.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said Monday that President Donald Trump acted within executive powers when he launched an attack with Israel on Iran over the weekend. #moleg #mosen

Missouri’s local news is under pressure — and still essential • Missouri Independent In rapid succession this year, the Washington Post laid off half its newsroom, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution cut 15% of its staff and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced it would close in May. Wh...

Journalism is the immune system of democracy. When it weakens, corruption lasts longer. Abuse of power goes unchecked. Public money disappears more easily. #moleg #mogov

Missouri lawmakers told cost is unknown to fix problem-plagued financial system  • Missouri Independent A Missouri state accounting system that was supposed to integrate all state financial operations on one platform is late and over budget.

A Missouri state accounting system that was supposed to integrate all state financial operations on one platform is late and over budget — and the program’s top executive can’t say when it will be working or how much more it will cost. #moleg #mogov

Missouri’s local news is under pressure — and still essential • Missouri Independent In rapid succession this year, the Washington Post laid off half its newsroom, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution cut 15% of its staff and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced it would close in May. Wh...

Missouri’s local news is under pressure — and still essential missouriindependent.com/2026/03/02/m...

Community-driven pilot program seeks solution to child care scarcity, affordability crisis • Missouri Independent Child Care Works splits costs between employers, families and the state, drawing on yearslong community planning efforts.

78 of Missouri’s 114 counties are child care deserts, where there are more than three times as many children ages 5 and under as there are licensed child care slots. #moleg #mogov

Missouri cannabis regulators target rule-breakers, delays in ownership approval • Missouri Independent Draft rules for Missouri cannabis companies would impose a fine of up to $100,000, or license revocation, for violations.

Missouri cannabis regulators want more power to penalize bad actors in the marijuana industry, according to drafts of proposed rules released last week. #moleg #mogov

Proposal targeting Missouri initiatives lowers penalties for fraud, foreign donations • Missouri Independent A measure making it harder to pass Missouri initiatives actually cuts financial penalties for petition fraud.

While a judge is rewriting the ballot summary for a proposal to put new barriers in front of Missouri initiative campaigns, opponents are focusing on a new line of attack — the measure cuts financial penalties for accepting foreign contributions or committing petition fraud. #moleg #mogov

Federal prosecutors seek 2-year prison sentence for former Missouri House Speaker John Diehl • Missouri Independent Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence former Missouri House Speaker John Diehl to two years in prison in his COVID fraud case.

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence former Missouri House Speaker John Diehl to two years in prison in his federal COVID relief fraud case, arguing his admitted misuse of nearly $380,000 in pandemic aid “should merit a significant punishment.” #moleg #mogov

Missouri Senate committee debates whether to provide livestream video of proceedings • Missouri Independent The Missouri Senate is one of only two legislative chambers in the country that does not provide a video livestream of its proceedings.

The Missouri Senate is one of only two legislative chambers in the country that does not provide a video livestream of its proceedings.

A Senate committee debated a resolution Wednesday that would change that, though its prospects remain uncertain. #moleg #mogov

Emanuel Cleaver, four Republicans file for Missouri’s gerrymandered 5th District • Missouri Independent More than 350 candidates filed for Missouri's national and state races, including four Republicans vying to unseat U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver was the first candidate to file for office Tuesday in Missouri, showing the 11-term Democratic incumbent will run for re-election despite uncertainty about the boundaries of the district he represents. #moleg #mogov

Missouri House passes supplemental spending bill that pushes state budget to $55 billion  • Missouri Independent The Missouri House passed a $3.15 billion supplemental budget bill that would push total appropriations for the year ending June 30 to $55 billion.

The Missouri House approved a $3B supplemental budget for the current fiscal year Monday night.

Hours earlier, the chair of the committee overseeing the health, mental health and social services dept. budgets told colleagues they need to come up w/$500M in cuts by noon tomorrow. #moleg #mogov

Bill to publish Missouri voter list online raises bipartisan privacy questions • Missouri Independent Missouri Senators raised privacy concerns during a hearing on a bill that would put personal information about registered voters on a state website.

Missouri Senators raised privacy concerns Monday during a hearing on a bill that would put personal information about every registered voter on a state website. #moleg #mogov

Cannabis and gambling scored wins in Missouri House, but scrutiny still shadows both • Missouri Independent Cannabis and gambling interests had a bit of a roller-coaster week in Jefferson City, with big legislative wins in the Missouri House.

Dozens of lobbyists and nearly $3 million in campaign contributions helped fuel big wins last week in the Missouri House for the cannabis and gambling industries.

But both wins came with asterisks — audits, investigations, legal pressure — and both face steep odds in the Senate. #moleg #mogov

‘Shockingly unique’: Why St. Louis program for antepartum moms is getting national attention • Missouri Independent A longtime antepartum arts and crafts program at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis acts as group therapy for expectant moms.

In 2024, more than 7,400 babies born in Missouri — or 11% — were preterm, before 37 weeks gestation. #moleg #mogov

Missouri bill would require reporting, tracking of alpha-gal syndrome • Missouri Independent The tick-borne allergy causes people to have sometimes severe immune responses to mammal products and appears to be spreading in Missouri.

Lawmakers agreed the tick-borne allergy to red meat and dairy is a "huge" problem but questioned state capacity to track cases. #moleg #mogov

‘We’re not done’: Missouri GOP pushes penalties, fetal personhood in renewed abortion fight • Missouri Independent Missouri's latest anti-abortion legislation is being debated ahead of another statewide vote on abortion set for the November ballot.

GOP lawmakers have introduced dozens of new restrictions as courts weigh remaining abortion laws and the issue heads back to Missouri voters in November. #moleg #mogov

Judge strips ‘ballot candy’ from plan to make it harder to amend Missouri Constitution  • Missouri Independent A Republican judge ordered changes to the ballot summary for a proposed constitutional amendment targeting initiative petitions.

Judge Daniel Green ordered the first three bullet points of the summary voters will see on the ballot to be removed, saying they were misleading because they tout provisions already in state law — such as a ban on foreign campaign contributions and penalties for signature fraud. #moleg #mogov