by Kavahn Mansouri, Missouri Independent February 17, 2022 A controversial Missouri gun law that penalizes police for enforcing federal gun laws is facing a new legal challenge from the U.S. Justice Department(DOJ). On Wednesday, the department filed suit to prevent Missouri from enforcing its Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA), a …
Read More »Missouri Prosecutor Dubs Republican Bill “Make Murder Legal Act”
A bill that is making its way through the Missouri state legislature has sparked outrage for its possible consequences, which, critics say, would all but make murder legal in the state. Missouri Senate Bill 666 is being described by its Republican sponsor as an effort to loosen gun laws in …
Read More »Dozens Dead, Injured After Historic Tornado Outbreak
Dozens of people are dead, and search efforts are ongoing after a historic tornado outbreak and rounds of severe weather ripped through several states Friday and Saturday. Bodies were pulled from a candle factory destroyed in Kentucky, and deaths were confirmed at an Amazon facility that was ripped apart in …
Read More »After Lawsuits, Medicaid Expansion Finally Underway In Missouri
Residents eligible for expanded Medicaid in Missouri can now sign up for coverage more than a month after a federal judge demanded the state implement it. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Monday that 275,000 residents in the state are eligible for coverage under the expansion. Missouri becomes …
Read More »Department of Justice Says Missouri Gun Law Is Unconstitutional
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a thirty-seven-page “statement of interest” supporting a legal challenge by the city of St. Louis against the state of Missouri over its new gun law. The Second Amendment Preservation Act (H.B. 85) prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from enforcing federal gun laws. …
Read More »Gun-Waving St. Louis Couple Pardoned by Missouri Governor
On Tuesday, the couple who pointed guns at social justice demonstrators as they passed their luxury St Louis home last year was pardoned by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson as promised. The governor pardoned Mark McCloskey, who had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in the fourth degree and had been fined …
Read More »U.S. Administered More Than 864,000 Vaccinations In 24 Hour Period
The White House announced on Thursday that the US has administered more than 864,000 vaccinations in recent days. This is the highest daily rate since July 3. The Biden Administration is pushing Americans to get vaccinated as the rate of COVID-19 infections rises and different variants of the virus form. …
Read More »Congresswoman Cori Bush Introduces the Unhoused Bill of Rights, Affirming the Rights of the Unhoused
Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush has introduced the Unhoused Bill of Rights, a federal resolution calling on Congress to permanently end the unhoused crisis by 2025. The resolution calls on the federal government to declare the crisis a life-threatening public health emergency, and provides a comprehensive list of more than 30 …
Read More »Missouri Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Medicaid Expansion
The Missouri Supreme Court Thursday unanimously reversed a lower court decision that found the state’s Medicaid expansion unconstitutional. The high court overruled Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem’s decision that upended the long-running push to add as many as 275,000 low-income Missourians to the government-run health insurance program. In doing …
Read More »Florida, Missouri, Texas account for 40% of all COVID-19 cases this week
Amid a nationwide rise in infections and hospitalizations from the surging delta variant of COVID-19, just three states with lower vaccination rates — Florida, Texas, and Missouri — accounted for 40 percent of all cases. One in five cases occurred in Florida alone. An analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows …
Read More »Gig Workers In 20 GOP-Led States To Lose All Unemployment Benefits
Republican states that are withdrawing early from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program are stirring up trouble for gig workers. Selina Smedly, who owns a clean business in Dallas, says she will be cut off from the jobless aid without being prepared. She believes that she will have a hard time …
Read More »House Narrowly Passes $1.9 Billion Capitol Security Bill
In a 213-212 vote with three voting present, the House of Representatives passed a $1.9 billion bill on Thursday to increase security at the United States Capitol. The bill will fund security across the Capitol grounds, bolster protections, and increase preparedness for lawmakers, district offices, and the Capitol Police force. …
Read More »Increased Unemployment Benefits To End In Republican-Led States
Republican-led states are ending increased unemployment benefits. West Virginia and Alaska are the latest states to end the supplemental unemployment benefits provided by the federal government. Officials in GOP-led states claim the $300 increased benefits are a disincentive for people to return to work, leading to workforce shortages as businesses …
Read More »Tishaura Jones Wins Election; First Black Woman To Be St. Louis Mayor
St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones will be the first Black woman to serve as mayor of St. Louis after defeating Alderwoman Cara Spencer in Tuesday’s general election. Jones defeated Spencer with 51.68% of the vote. Jones and Spencer, both Democrats, advanced to the general election after St. Louis’ first nonpartisan …
Read More »Missouri GOP Blocks Medicaid Expansion Approved By Voters
Republican legislators in Missouri have blocked a bill that would fund a voter-approved expansion of Medicaid. State voters approved the expansion in August by a margin of 53.2 to 46.7 percent. The vote added an amendment to the state constitution making Medicaid available to people between the ages of 19 …
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