WASHINGTON —United States Capitol Police officers prevented a man from bringing a machete and three knives past a screening checkpoint in the Capitol Visitor Center.

Just after 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, during security screening at the CVC’s north doors, USCP officers spotted a machete in a bag, which was going through the x-ray machine. Officers stopped the machine and searched the bag, which contained a machete and three knives.&nbsp;

“Our officers know they cannot let their guard down for one second,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. “It is this constant focus and attention to detail that helps keep this campus safe.”

44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., was arrested for multiple counts of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon.&nbsp;

Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center, while the USCP investigated, but the checkpoint was reopened approximately an hour later. Public viewing for the lying in state was not stopped and will continue throughout the night, into Thursday morning.&nbsp;

Horne will be interviewed by USCP investigators to determine his motive. At this time there is no on-going threat towards the Congress, the U.S. Capitol, or the public.

WASHINGTON —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident Wednesday in Washington.

Just after 2:00 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police officers stopped and arrested a man who tried to get a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center, according to a media release.

Three knives were also found in the bag, along with the machete. Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center while police investigated.

The man is being held on multiple requested charges of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon. Check the Post for more information once it is available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730837573908.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —United States Capitol Police officers prevented a man from bringing a machete and three knives past a screening checkpoint in the Capitol Visitor Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736381404606.png" alt="Photo U.S. Capitol Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Capitol Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, during security screening at the CVC’s north doors, USCP officers spotted a machete in a bag, which was going through the x-ray machine. Officers stopped the machine and searched the bag, which contained a machete and three knives.&nbsp;“Our officers know they cannot let their guard down for one second,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. “It is this constant focus and attention to detail that helps keep this campus safe.”44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., was arrested for multiple counts of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon.&nbsp;Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center, while the USCP investigated, but the checkpoint was reopened approximately an hour later. Public viewing for the lying in state was not stopped and will continue throughout the night, into Thursday morning.&nbsp;Horne will be interviewed by USCP investigators to determine his motive. At this time there is no on-going threat towards the Congress, the U.S. Capitol, or the public.-----------WASHINGTON —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident Wednesday in Washington.Just after 2:00 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police officers stopped and arrested a man who tried to get a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center, according to a media release.Three knives were also found in the bag, along with the machete. Security screening was temporarily stopped at the north side of the Capitol Visitor Center while police investigated.The man is being held on multiple requested charges of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon. Check the Post for more information once it is available.

Police: Man with Machete Attempted to Enter U.S. Capitol 

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is taking applications now for a tree planting program that's designed to benefit disadvantaged schools across the state. 

D-N-R an urban forestry specialist Chip Murrow says more than 100-thousand dollars is available through the program, with grants of five-thousand dollars per public or private school. The grant money can be used to purchase trees, mulch and supplemental watering. Murrow says schools do not need to put up matching funds for these grants, so it's a win-win, as trees provide the economic benefits of shading for cooling, and wind protection in the winter to help with heating costs. 

Murrow says studies also find kids are more at ease and test better in schools with trees.

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is taking applications now for a tree planting program that's designed to benefit disadvantaged schools across the state. D-N-R an urban forestry specialist Chip Murrow says more than 100-thousand dollars is available through the program, with grants of five-thousand dollars per public or private school. The grant money can be used to purchase trees, mulch and supplemental watering. Murrow says schools do not need to put up matching funds for these grants, so it's a win-win, as trees provide the economic benefits of shading for cooling, and wind protection in the winter to help with heating costs. Murrow says studies also find kids are more at ease and test better in schools with trees.

Many Iowa schools can apply for tree planting grants

Farmer sentiment moved lower in December as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped nine points to 136. The decline was driven by producers’ weaker perspective on current conditions in U.S. agriculture and their farms, with the Index of Current Conditions falling 13 points to 100. Although it did decline, it was still 24 points above its low in September and five points higher than in October. 

Farmer sentiment moved lower in December as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped nine points to 136. The decline was driven by producers’ weaker perspective on current conditions in U.S. agriculture and their farms, with the Index of Current Conditions falling 13 points to 100. Although it did decline, it was still 24 points above its low in September and five points higher than in October.

Farmer sentiment drifts lower in December

Despite voicing opposition to abortion, most members of the Rolla City Council worried the ordinance would do little besides inspire costly litigation

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Less than a month after a state constitutional amendment legalizing abortion went into effect, a national movement to establish pockets of resistance is dividing one Missouri town.

Rolla, a town of about 20,000 people that sits 100 miles southwest of St. Louis, is being courted by<a href="https://sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn</a>, an anti-abortion activist group out of Texas. If approved by the city council, it would be the first municipality in Missouri to adopt the title.&nbsp;

But during a public hearing Monday night, council members expressed concerns about adopting the ordinance, which uses a 150-year-old federal law to give local citizens the ability to sue any person or entity who provides abortion medication. The concern is it would do little besides put the town at the center of costly litigation and negative national press.

“Why are we doing this?” Rolla Mayor Louis Magdits IV asked during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X33Di5KfsRU" target="_blank">Monday’s meeting.&nbsp;</a>“What is out to be accomplished?”

Rolla is home to one of Missouri’s six remaining Planned Parenthood clinics. The rest are located in and around Democrat-leaning cities Columbia, Kansas City and St. Louis.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.warrencountyrecord.com/stories/wright-city-official-wont-back-local-push-to-ban-abortion,72627" target="_blank">Wright City,&nbsp;</a>a town of about 5,000 people just off Interstate 70, west of St. Louis, also considered becoming a sanctuary city for the unborn in 2023 but never made it official.&nbsp;

Missouri’s legal landscape around abortion has changed drastically since then.&nbsp;

Amendment 3, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">narrowly approved by voters in November,</a>&nbsp;made unconstitutional the state’s trigger law, which in June 2022 outlawed all abortions in the state, with exceptions only for medical emergencies.&nbsp;

Under Amendment 3, Missourians have a constitutional right to reproductive health care, including abortion up until the point of fetal viability.&nbsp;

Abortions have not yet re-started in Missouri, though. Planned Parenthood is currently suing the state in an effort to take down its existing laws regulating abortion that they say make it impossible for clinics to offer the procedure.

As the fight over Amendment 3 plays out in court, anti-abortion advocates hope to wage a separate campaign at the local level. And Rolla was their first stop.&nbsp;

Rolla City Councilman Joshua Vroman, who filed the “sanctuary city” ordinance, said it&nbsp;doesn’t question the validity of Amendment 3, but rather makes note of an 1873 federal law on the books that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.&nbsp;

He worked on the latest draft of the ordinance with Brian Westbrook, with St. Louis-based Coalition Life, and Mark Lee Dickson, founder of Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn.

<a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1461&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim" target="_blank">The Comstock Act&nbsp;</a>outlaws the mailing of “obscene or crime-inciting” materials, including&nbsp;“every article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral use.”

A number of Missouri elected officials,<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-abortion-access-planned-parenthood-lawsuit-amendment-3/">&nbsp;including U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MarkMaxwellTV/status/1853542335172546707" target="_blank">Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey,</a>&nbsp;have called on President Joe Biden to enforce the Comstock Act in regards to medication abortion. The Biden administration has refused.&nbsp;

A renewed push for enforcement is expected when Donald Trump takes office again later this month. Trump’s prior administration did not enforce the law.

“We’re pointing to the Comstock Act saying ‘here’s the law, you have to work within the confines of this law, and here is the enforcement mechanism,’” Vroman said.&nbsp;

Magdits asked who would enforce the Rolla ordinance.&nbsp;

“The citizens will enforce,”&nbsp;Vroman said, drawing several outbursts of laughter from the crowd followed by a call for decorum.

Dickson, in an interview with The Independent, said law enforcement could not apply the ordinance, nor could a woman who receives and takes the medication be found liable under this ordinance.&nbsp;

It would rely solely on citizens suing any person or organization who provides abortion medication.&nbsp;

For example, he said, if an organization mailed abortion medication to a Rolla teenager, her parents could then sue the entity that mailed the medication.&nbsp;

And if Planned Parenthood again began prescribing drugs for medication abortions, an individual could sue Planned Parenthood.&nbsp;

The FDA has approved two medications —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/information-about-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation" target="_blank">mifepristone and misoprostol&nbsp;</a>— for use in the first 10 weeks or pregnancy. The availability of both are under threat under the Comstock Act. Abortions performed after 10 weeks are done surgically.&nbsp;

In the six months after the Dobbs decision, the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/25/more-than-26000-self-managed-abortions-may-have-occurred-post-dobbs-study-shows/">self-managed medication abortions rose by more than 26,000</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2024.4266?utm_campaign=articlePDF%26utm_medium=articlePDFlink%26utm_source=articlePDF%26utm_content=jama.2024.4266" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;published in JAMA, the American Medical Association’s journal. The medication is mailed everywhere in the U.S., including Missouri.

Vroman&nbsp;said the ordinance would only apply to elective abortions, not medically-necessary abortions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The ACLU of Missouri disagrees, saying in a written statement that the ordinance would also leave hospitals and providers vulnerable to lawsuits, including when treating miscarriages, which are medically documented as abortions and are often treated using mifepristone or misoprostol, both of which can be used to induce labor or stop hemorrhaging after childbirth.&nbsp;

At one point during Monday night’s meeting, council members called upon Dr. Jenny Pennycook, an OB-GYN in Rolla, to explain her interpretation of the ordinance. She said she was trained at a Catholic Jesuit institution and has never been an abortion provider.&nbsp;

Asked by council members if she believed the ordinance could create hurdles for miscarriage care, Pennycook said yes.

Prior to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in June 2022, Pennycook said she never had issues prescribing mifepristone or misoprostol.

Since then, Pennycook said she’s had numerous patients turned away from pharmacies, leaving her needing to call to clear up that the medication was not for abortion so her patient could access it.

“When pharmacists are scared about the Comstock Act and enforcement and whether or not they can dispense these medications, it makes it harder for patients to get these medications,” she said. “Untreated missed miscarriages can result in hemorrhage or infection and women can lose their uterus and never get pregnant again or even die.”

In a town that touts itself as “the middle of everywhere,” residents are wary of what could turn their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rollacity.org/info/cd/comp2024-Rolla%20Initial%20Economic%20Indicators.pdf" target="_blank">recent economic and population growth</a>&nbsp;against them.&nbsp;

“We did not simply pick Rolla out of a hat,” Westbrook told the council after multiple members accused him and Dickson of targeting the town. “We were invited, specifically for the things that you guys are discussing today.”

Councilman Matt Fridley said while he opposes abortion, he doesn’t think it’s the responsibility of Rolla to resolve a state issue.&nbsp;

“I understand from a philosophical or a moral compass where you’re coming from for this, but I don’t believe the city should fight for this,” he said. “ … It creates negative press. It creates problems where individuals may go, ‘I don’t want to live in this community.’”&nbsp;

A few hours earlier, the council received a letter from the ACLU of Missouri that Magdits said he interpreted to mean: “this is a shot across the bow, and we’re watching what you’re doing.”

The letter, signed by Tori Schafer, an attorney who helped steer Amendment 3 to victory, threatened “costly litigation.”&nbsp;

“Rejecting this ordinance would demonstrate the city’s commitment to upholding the law and prioritizing the health and wellbeing of its community,” Schafer wrote. “Attempting to impose such a measure would invite expensive legal challenges, divert valuable city resources, and, most importantly, cause unnecessary harm and delay to individuals in need of critical health care.”&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/01/texas-abortion-highways/" target="_blank">Some Texas towns have also expressed concerns over litigation costs</a>&nbsp;when considering similar ordinances. In Rolla, Dickson proposed a workaround: a pro-bono attorney.

Dickson said former solicitor general of Texas Jonathan Mitchel has agreed to represent the city of Rolla pro-bono if they are sued. But that’s only if the city agreed, and it would not cover the cost of additional legal representation.

Much of the council’s confusion also centered around who could bring a lawsuit and where it would be litigated.&nbsp;

Nathan Nickolaus, the city attorney, said he believes the ordinance would allow a citizen to sue anyone who they believe helped get abortion medication to a person in Rolla.

“We’re saying you can’t do this in a state that says you can do this in a country that says you can’t do this,” Nickolaus said.

&nbsp;That suit would likely end up in municipal court, he said, “which is woefully inadequate a place to hear this kind of case. No offense to anyone in the city — I used to be a municipal prosecutor — municipal court is kind of the McDonalds of the judicial system. It’s light kind of stuff.”&nbsp;

Magdits on multiple occasions said the issue wasn’t whether or not the council opposes abortion. It was about legal repercussions.

When he was called to the podium for public comments at the end of the meeting, Dickson said the issue at hand absolutely was abortion.

“This really is a pro-life issue,” he said. “ … Are we going to stand with the attorney general of Missouri, or are we going to stand with the ACLU?”

Magdits asked if the ordinance specified what kind of medication use would be subject to litigation.&nbsp;

“It’s about abortion-causing drugs that cause abortion,” Westbrook said.

“That’s a slick answer,” Magdits said, before concluding: “Go fight this somewhere else.”

Dickson has spent much of the past few years of his life driving across the south pitching Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn to receptive audiences. But on Monday, as he ventured a bit further north, he received an icy response.&nbsp;

It took him more than an hour to scrape the ice off his car. Then, he was greeted by a barrage of Rolla citizens who addressed him as a “carpetbagger.”&nbsp;

Despite an ice and winter storm passing through the town less than 24 hours earlier, the meeting happened as planned. Some residents during public comments took note of the small crowd, blaming the council for holding the meeting on the same day the public school district called off classes.

<a href="https://www.weareplannedparenthoodaction.org/a/pack-rolla-city-council" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action</a>&nbsp;called on citizens to show up wearing pink to protest the ordinance.&nbsp;

“These bills intimidate abortion seekers and their loved ones, and waste taxpayers’ time and money just to score political points,” the release said.

Rolla resident Britt Giger said she was used to the council’s “embarrassing, crazy, chaotic” meetings, but said Monday’s events could cause national embarrassment.&nbsp;

“I don’t want to scroll TikTok and see this meeting,” she said, adding: “Imagine how university growth could be impacted if women don’t want to come here anymore.”

She was followed by&nbsp;Jenny Cunningham&nbsp;who held her husband’s hand as she explained that they moved to Rolla about a year ago in the hopes of starting a family. When Amendment 3 passed, they breathed a sigh of relief. But news of this ordinance puts women back in the “crosshairs,” she said.

“This is a bounty hunter law,”&nbsp;Cunningham&nbsp;said. “This turns citizen against citizen during the most terrible and tragic times that people can face in their lives.”&nbsp;

Joe Dalton, founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/prcrolla" target="_blank">Pregnancy Resource Center of Rolla</a>, testified in support of the ordinance, emphasizing that Rolla citizens have access to abortion medication by mail despite the local Planned Parenthood currently being unable to prescribe it.&nbsp;

He was followed by a registered nurse who works in Rolla in a labor and delivery unit who also supported the ordinance.&nbsp;

“This would save the lives of countless children,” she implored the council.

Pamela Timson, a resident of Rolla for more than 40 years, urged the council to set the ordinance aside for good, sharing her own story of a medical condition that made childbirth dangerous.

She found it outrageous that Rolla would attempt to qualify a constitutional amendment so soon out of the gates.&nbsp;

“We haven’t even given our state government a chance to qualify it yet,” she said.

The council ultimately decided not to officially put the ordinance on the agenda for its next meeting. But Vroman still has the opportunity to bring his revised ordinance before the council during council comments later this month.

Vroman brought the initial ordinance forward in November before recruiting Westbrook and Dickson to help him write a revised draft.&nbsp;

At a Dec. 16 council meeting, Dominic Barceleau of the Missouri Attorney General’s office testified that state law does not prohibit Rolla from enacting such an ordinance.

“It’s the intent of the legislature to regulate abortion to the fullest extent of the law,” Barceleau said. “The attorney general’s position is that doesn’t prevent concurrent municipal regulation that’s also consistent with the legislature’s intent to regulate abortion.”

Dickson, who also drove up from Texas for that meeting, told council members the target of the ordinance was not just Planned Parenthood, but also pharmacies.&nbsp;

“So when cities do this, it really is doing as much as we possibly can to push back, to align ourselves with the attorney general’s office and to put tools in our tool belts to prevent this from getting out of hand, because what the Biden administration has done in a multitude of different categories is create mass chaos,” he said before devolving into a short rant about the border wall.

The mayor remained skeptical from the start.&nbsp;

“It’s not clear to me why Rolla needs to carry this banner when the problem, whether it’s the attorney general, the governor or whoever the hell else is up there, they need to sort this out,” Magdits said last month. “I don’t think it’s Rolla, Missouri’s responsibility to lead this charge.”

His opinion seemed to change little on Monday.&nbsp;

In fact, Dickson said after the meeting, Magdits “threatened to cut my nuts off” after he accused Magdits of siding with Planned Parenthood, even though Magdits during the meeting expressed frustration that Amendment 3 even made it on the ballot.

The Independent could not immediately reach the mayor for comment, but Rolla City Administrator John Butz confirmed he overheard part of the conversation.&nbsp;

“I was there and I heard it,” Butz said. “I think in the context the mayor wasn’t threatening him per se with that, I think it was in the side conversation the two of them were having. So I’ll leave it up to them to comment on the intent or the context of what was said.”

The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 21. Dickson said he’s not yet decided if he will be there. But he’s also not giving up.

“When properly educated, the majority of council, I think, is going to want to pass this ordinance,” Dickson said. “… We’re going to keep on keeping on.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736336053027.png" alt=" Mark Lee Dickson, founder of Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn based in Texas, spoke before the Rolla City Council on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, about an ordinance that would outlaw the mailing of abortion medication in the Missouri town (Screenshot/City of Rolla Youtube page)." />
 <figcaption> Mark Lee Dickson, founder of Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn based in Texas, spoke before the Rolla City Council on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, about an ordinance that would outlaw the mailing of abortion medication in the Missouri town (Screenshot/City of Rolla Youtube page).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Despite voicing opposition to abortion, most members of the Rolla City Council worried the ordinance would do little besides inspire costly litigation</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Less than a month after a state constitutional amendment legalizing abortion went into effect, a national movement to establish pockets of resistance is dividing one Missouri town.Rolla, a town of about 20,000 people that sits 100 miles southwest of St. Louis, is being courted by<a href="https://sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn</a>, an anti-abortion activist group out of Texas. If approved by the city council, it would be the first municipality in Missouri to adopt the title.&nbsp;But during a public hearing Monday night, council members expressed concerns about adopting the ordinance, which uses a 150-year-old federal law to give local citizens the ability to sue any person or entity who provides abortion medication. The concern is it would do little besides put the town at the center of costly litigation and negative national press.“Why are we doing this?” Rolla Mayor Louis Magdits IV asked during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X33Di5KfsRU" target="_blank">Monday’s meeting.&nbsp;</a>“What is out to be accomplished?”Rolla is home to one of Missouri’s six remaining Planned Parenthood clinics. The rest are located in and around Democrat-leaning cities Columbia, Kansas City and St. Louis.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.warrencountyrecord.com/stories/wright-city-official-wont-back-local-push-to-ban-abortion,72627" target="_blank">Wright City,&nbsp;</a>a town of about 5,000 people just off Interstate 70, west of St. Louis, also considered becoming a sanctuary city for the unborn in 2023 but never made it official.&nbsp;Missouri’s legal landscape around abortion has changed drastically since then.&nbsp;Amendment 3, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">narrowly approved by voters in November,</a>&nbsp;made unconstitutional the state’s trigger law, which in June 2022 outlawed all abortions in the state, with exceptions only for medical emergencies.&nbsp;Under Amendment 3, Missourians have a constitutional right to reproductive health care, including abortion up until the point of fetal viability.&nbsp;Abortions have not yet re-started in Missouri, though. Planned Parenthood is currently suing the state in an effort to take down its existing laws regulating abortion that they say make it impossible for clinics to offer the procedure.As the fight over Amendment 3 plays out in court, anti-abortion advocates hope to wage a separate campaign at the local level. And Rolla was their first stop.&nbsp;Rolla City Councilman Joshua Vroman, who filed the “sanctuary city” ordinance, said it&nbsp;doesn’t question the validity of Amendment 3, but rather makes note of an 1873 federal law on the books that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.&nbsp;He worked on the latest draft of the ordinance with Brian Westbrook, with St. Louis-based Coalition Life, and Mark Lee Dickson, founder of Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn.<a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1461&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim" target="_blank">The Comstock Act&nbsp;</a>outlaws the mailing of “obscene or crime-inciting” materials, including&nbsp;“every article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral use.”A number of Missouri elected officials,<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-abortion-access-planned-parenthood-lawsuit-amendment-3/">&nbsp;including U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MarkMaxwellTV/status/1853542335172546707" target="_blank">Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey,</a>&nbsp;have called on President Joe Biden to enforce the Comstock Act in regards to medication abortion. The Biden administration has refused.&nbsp;A renewed push for enforcement is expected when Donald Trump takes office again later this month. Trump’s prior administration did not enforce the law.“We’re pointing to the Comstock Act saying ‘here’s the law, you have to work within the confines of this law, and here is the enforcement mechanism,’” Vroman said.&nbsp;Magdits asked who would enforce the Rolla ordinance.&nbsp;“The citizens will enforce,”&nbsp;Vroman said, drawing several outbursts of laughter from the crowd followed by a call for decorum.Dickson, in an interview with The Independent, said law enforcement could not apply the ordinance, nor could a woman who receives and takes the medication be found liable under this ordinance.&nbsp;It would rely solely on citizens suing any person or organization who provides abortion medication.&nbsp;For example, he said, if an organization mailed abortion medication to a Rolla teenager, her parents could then sue the entity that mailed the medication.&nbsp;And if Planned Parenthood again began prescribing drugs for medication abortions, an individual could sue Planned Parenthood.&nbsp;The FDA has approved two medications —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/information-about-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation" target="_blank">mifepristone and misoprostol&nbsp;</a>— for use in the first 10 weeks or pregnancy. The availability of both are under threat under the Comstock Act. Abortions performed after 10 weeks are done surgically.&nbsp;In the six months after the Dobbs decision, the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/25/more-than-26000-self-managed-abortions-may-have-occurred-post-dobbs-study-shows/">self-managed medication abortions rose by more than 26,000</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2024.4266?utm_campaign=articlePDF%26utm_medium=articlePDFlink%26utm_source=articlePDF%26utm_content=jama.2024.4266" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;published in JAMA, the American Medical Association’s journal. The medication is mailed everywhere in the U.S., including Missouri.Vroman&nbsp;said the ordinance would only apply to elective abortions, not medically-necessary abortions.&nbsp;&nbsp;The ACLU of Missouri disagrees, saying in a written statement that the ordinance would also leave hospitals and providers vulnerable to lawsuits, including when treating miscarriages, which are medically documented as abortions and are often treated using mifepristone or misoprostol, both of which can be used to induce labor or stop hemorrhaging after childbirth.&nbsp;At one point during Monday night’s meeting, council members called upon Dr. Jenny Pennycook, an OB-GYN in Rolla, to explain her interpretation of the ordinance. She said she was trained at a Catholic Jesuit institution and has never been an abortion provider.&nbsp;Asked by council members if she believed the ordinance could create hurdles for miscarriage care, Pennycook said yes.Prior to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in June 2022, Pennycook said she never had issues prescribing mifepristone or misoprostol.Since then, Pennycook said she’s had numerous patients turned away from pharmacies, leaving her needing to call to clear up that the medication was not for abortion so her patient could access it.“When pharmacists are scared about the Comstock Act and enforcement and whether or not they can dispense these medications, it makes it harder for patients to get these medications,” she said. “Untreated missed miscarriages can result in hemorrhage or infection and women can lose their uterus and never get pregnant again or even die.”<h2>Threat of ‘costly litigation’</h2>In a town that touts itself as “the middle of everywhere,” residents are wary of what could turn their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rollacity.org/info/cd/comp2024-Rolla%20Initial%20Economic%20Indicators.pdf" target="_blank">recent economic and population growth</a>&nbsp;against them.&nbsp;“We did not simply pick Rolla out of a hat,” Westbrook told the council after multiple members accused him and Dickson of targeting the town. “We were invited, specifically for the things that you guys are discussing today.”Councilman Matt Fridley said while he opposes abortion, he doesn’t think it’s the responsibility of Rolla to resolve a state issue.&nbsp;“I understand from a philosophical or a moral compass where you’re coming from for this, but I don’t believe the city should fight for this,” he said. “ … It creates negative press. It creates problems where individuals may go, ‘I don’t want to live in this community.’”&nbsp;A few hours earlier, the council received a letter from the ACLU of Missouri that Magdits said he interpreted to mean: “this is a shot across the bow, and we’re watching what you’re doing.”The letter, signed by Tori Schafer, an attorney who helped steer Amendment 3 to victory, threatened “costly litigation.”&nbsp;“Rejecting this ordinance would demonstrate the city’s commitment to upholding the law and prioritizing the health and wellbeing of its community,” Schafer wrote. “Attempting to impose such a measure would invite expensive legal challenges, divert valuable city resources, and, most importantly, cause unnecessary harm and delay to individuals in need of critical health care.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/01/texas-abortion-highways/" target="_blank">Some Texas towns have also expressed concerns over litigation costs</a>&nbsp;when considering similar ordinances. In Rolla, Dickson proposed a workaround: a pro-bono attorney.Dickson said former solicitor general of Texas Jonathan Mitchel has agreed to represent the city of Rolla pro-bono if they are sued. But that’s only if the city agreed, and it would not cover the cost of additional legal representation.Much of the council’s confusion also centered around who could bring a lawsuit and where it would be litigated.&nbsp;Nathan Nickolaus, the city attorney, said he believes the ordinance would allow a citizen to sue anyone who they believe helped get abortion medication to a person in Rolla.“We’re saying you can’t do this in a state that says you can do this in a country that says you can’t do this,” Nickolaus said.&nbsp;That suit would likely end up in municipal court, he said, “which is woefully inadequate a place to hear this kind of case. No offense to anyone in the city — I used to be a municipal prosecutor — municipal court is kind of the McDonalds of the judicial system. It’s light kind of stuff.”&nbsp;Magdits on multiple occasions said the issue wasn’t whether or not the council opposes abortion. It was about legal repercussions.When he was called to the podium for public comments at the end of the meeting, Dickson said the issue at hand absolutely was abortion.“This really is a pro-life issue,” he said. “ … Are we going to stand with the attorney general of Missouri, or are we going to stand with the ACLU?”Magdits asked if the ordinance specified what kind of medication use would be subject to litigation.&nbsp;“It’s about abortion-causing drugs that cause abortion,” Westbrook said.“That’s a slick answer,” Magdits said, before concluding: “Go fight this somewhere else.”<h2>An icy greeting</h2>Dickson has spent much of the past few years of his life driving across the south pitching Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn to receptive audiences. But on Monday, as he ventured a bit further north, he received an icy response.&nbsp;It took him more than an hour to scrape the ice off his car. Then, he was greeted by a barrage of Rolla citizens who addressed him as a “carpetbagger.”&nbsp;Despite an ice and winter storm passing through the town less than 24 hours earlier, the meeting happened as planned. Some residents during public comments took note of the small crowd, blaming the council for holding the meeting on the same day the public school district called off classes.<a href="https://www.weareplannedparenthoodaction.org/a/pack-rolla-city-council" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action</a>&nbsp;called on citizens to show up wearing pink to protest the ordinance.&nbsp;“These bills intimidate abortion seekers and their loved ones, and waste taxpayers’ time and money just to score political points,” the release said.Rolla resident Britt Giger said she was used to the council’s “embarrassing, crazy, chaotic” meetings, but said Monday’s events could cause national embarrassment.&nbsp;“I don’t want to scroll TikTok and see this meeting,” she said, adding: “Imagine how university growth could be impacted if women don’t want to come here anymore.”She was followed by&nbsp;Jenny Cunningham&nbsp;who held her husband’s hand as she explained that they moved to Rolla about a year ago in the hopes of starting a family. When Amendment 3 passed, they breathed a sigh of relief. But news of this ordinance puts women back in the “crosshairs,” she said.“This is a bounty hunter law,”&nbsp;Cunningham&nbsp;said. “This turns citizen against citizen during the most terrible and tragic times that people can face in their lives.”&nbsp;Joe Dalton, founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/prcrolla" target="_blank">Pregnancy Resource Center of Rolla</a>, testified in support of the ordinance, emphasizing that Rolla citizens have access to abortion medication by mail despite the local Planned Parenthood currently being unable to prescribe it.&nbsp;He was followed by a registered nurse who works in Rolla in a labor and delivery unit who also supported the ordinance.&nbsp;“This would save the lives of countless children,” she implored the council.Pamela Timson, a resident of Rolla for more than 40 years, urged the council to set the ordinance aside for good, sharing her own story of a medical condition that made childbirth dangerous.She found it outrageous that Rolla would attempt to qualify a constitutional amendment so soon out of the gates.&nbsp;“We haven’t even given our state government a chance to qualify it yet,” she said.<h2>Vote stalled for now</h2>The council ultimately decided not to officially put the ordinance on the agenda for its next meeting. But Vroman still has the opportunity to bring his revised ordinance before the council during council comments later this month.Vroman brought the initial ordinance forward in November before recruiting Westbrook and Dickson to help him write a revised draft.&nbsp;At a Dec. 16 council meeting, Dominic Barceleau of the Missouri Attorney General’s office testified that state law does not prohibit Rolla from enacting such an ordinance.“It’s the intent of the legislature to regulate abortion to the fullest extent of the law,” Barceleau said. “The attorney general’s position is that doesn’t prevent concurrent municipal regulation that’s also consistent with the legislature’s intent to regulate abortion.”Dickson, who also drove up from Texas for that meeting, told council members the target of the ordinance was not just Planned Parenthood, but also pharmacies.&nbsp;“So when cities do this, it really is doing as much as we possibly can to push back, to align ourselves with the attorney general’s office and to put tools in our tool belts to prevent this from getting out of hand, because what the Biden administration has done in a multitude of different categories is create mass chaos,” he said before devolving into a short rant about the border wall.The mayor remained skeptical from the start.&nbsp;“It’s not clear to me why Rolla needs to carry this banner when the problem, whether it’s the attorney general, the governor or whoever the hell else is up there, they need to sort this out,” Magdits said last month. “I don’t think it’s Rolla, Missouri’s responsibility to lead this charge.”His opinion seemed to change little on Monday.&nbsp;In fact, Dickson said after the meeting, Magdits “threatened to cut my nuts off” after he accused Magdits of siding with Planned Parenthood, even though Magdits during the meeting expressed frustration that Amendment 3 even made it on the ballot.The Independent could not immediately reach the mayor for comment, but Rolla City Administrator John Butz confirmed he overheard part of the conversation.&nbsp;“I was there and I heard it,” Butz said. “I think in the context the mayor wasn’t threatening him per se with that, I think it was in the side conversation the two of them were having. So I’ll leave it up to them to comment on the intent or the context of what was said.”The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 21. Dickson said he’s not yet decided if he will be there. But he’s also not giving up.“When properly educated, the majority of council, I think, is going to want to pass this ordinance,” Dickson said. “… We’re going to keep on keeping on.”

Missouri town rejects initial anti-abortion push to become ‘sanctuary city for the unborn’

On Tuesday, Vice President Harris announced a final rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. This rule will reduce the burden of medical debt and ensure that patients are not denied access to credit for home mortgages, car loans, or small business loans due to unpaid medical bills.&nbsp;

Further, Vice President Harris announced that states and localities have leveraged American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support the elimination of over $1 billion in medical debt for more than 700,000 Americans. These actions build on the Vice President’s call to action for states to reduce the burden of medical debt, including by directly purchasing the debt from providers and third parties. 

"Overall, jurisdictions are on track to eliminate roughly $15 billion in medical debt for up to nearly 6 million Americans.&nbsp;“No one should be&nbsp;denied economic opportunity because they got sick or experienced a medical emergency. That is why President Biden and I cancelled over $1 billion in medical debt – part of our overall plan to forgive $7 billion by 2026 – with support from our American Rescue Plan, legislation that I advanced with my tie-breaking vote in the Senate."

We also reduced the burden of medical debt by increasing pathways to forgiveness and cracking down on predatory debt collection tactics,”&nbsp;said Vice President Harris.&nbsp;“Today, we are building on this meaningful work by announcing an unprecedented final rule that will make it so medical debt is no longer included in your credit score. This will be lifechanging for millions of families, making it easier for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan. As someone who has spent my entire career fighting to protect consumers and lower medical bills, I know that our historic rule will help more Americans save money, build wealth, and thrive.”&nbsp;More than 100 million Americans struggle with medical debt. Medical debt is the largest source of debt in collections, making up a larger proportion of debt tradelines than credit cards, utilities, and auto loans. 

However, medical debt is not like other forms of debt because it is often the result of unavoidable medical complications and medical bills often contain significant errors, such as inflated or duplicative charges and fees for services never received or already paid. Reducing the burden of medical debt has been a key priority in President Biden and Vice President Harris’s effort to lower cost for American families.&nbsp;

Removing Medical Debt from Consumer Credit Reports&nbsp;The CFPB is finalizing a rule that will remove medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, raising their credit scores by an estimated average of 20 points and leading to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional mortgages every year. 

Under the CFPB rule, there will be zero Americans with medical debt listed on their credit reports, down from 46 million in 2020.&nbsp;CFPB’s research indicates that medical bills are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-study-finds-medical-debt-overly-penalizes-consumer-credit-scores/">poor predictors</a>&nbsp;of an individual’s ability to repay a loan and that medical bills are often&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-report-spotlights-medical-billing-challenges/">confusing and erroneous</a>.

In March 2022, the CFPB released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-estimates-88-billion-in-medical-bills-on-credit-reports/">report</a>&nbsp;estimating that medical bills made up $88 billion of reported debts on credit reports. After the March 2022 report, the three largest credit reporting agencies announced that they would no longer include paid medical debts, unpaid medical debts less than a year old, and medical debt under $500 from credit reporting.&nbsp;Despite these voluntary changes,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-finds-15-million-americans-have-medical-bills-on-their-credit-reports/">15 million Americans</a>&nbsp;still have $49 billion in outstanding medical bills in collections appearing in the credit reporting system.

Today’s action will remove these outstanding $49 billion in unpaid medical bills from the credit reports of the remaining 15 million impacted Americans.&nbsp;Vice President Harris’s Call to Action, Leveraging Federal Funds to Eliminate Medical Debt&nbsp;In June 2024, Vice President Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/11/fact-sheet-vice-president-harris-announces-proposal-to-prohibit-medical-bills-from-being-included-on-credit-reports-and-calls-on-states-and-localities-to-take-further-actions-to-reduce-medical-debt/">called on states, local governments, and health care providers to take action</a>&nbsp;to reduce the burden of medical debt. States and localities have responded to this call by directly relieving debt and launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. Thanks to the President Biden and Vice President Harris’s American Rescue Plan, states, counties, and cities have already eliminated more than an estimated $1 billion in medical debt for over 750,000 Americans, including:

These and other jurisdictions are on track to eliminate an estimated up to $7 billion in medical debt for nearly 3 million Americans by the end of 2026 thanks to ARP-supported efforts.

In addition to directly relieving debt, states and localities have responded to Vice President Harris’s call by launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. For instance, North Carolina&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2024/08/12/north-carolina-hospitals-sign-relieve-medical-debt">recently announced</a>&nbsp;that all of the state’s 99 eligible hospitals have committed to participate in medical debt relief program that will eliminate up to $4 billion in existing medical debt for nearly 2 million low-and middle-income North Carolinians.&nbsp; The program also ensures that hospitals have policies in place to reduce the chance individuals will end up in debt in the first place. North Carolina’s program utilizes a novel approach, where hospital systems become eligible for enhanced Medicaid reimbursements under the State Directed Payments Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program by implementing policies that:

Preventing the Accumulation of Medical Debt Through Increased Oversight

Today’s announcements build on efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce the burden of medical debt, including:

On Tuesday, Vice President Harris announced a final rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. This rule will reduce the burden of medical debt and ensure that patients are not denied access to credit for home mortgages, car loans, or small business loans due to unpaid medical bills.&nbsp;Further, Vice President Harris announced that states and localities have leveraged American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support the elimination of over $1 billion in medical debt for more than 700,000 Americans. These actions build on the Vice President’s call to action for states to reduce the burden of medical debt, including by directly purchasing the debt from providers and third parties. "Overall, jurisdictions are on track to eliminate roughly $15 billion in medical debt for up to nearly 6 million Americans.&nbsp;“No one should be&nbsp;denied economic opportunity because they got sick or experienced a medical emergency. That is why President Biden and I cancelled over $1 billion in medical debt – part of our overall plan to forgive $7 billion by 2026 – with support from our American Rescue Plan, legislation that I advanced with my tie-breaking vote in the Senate."We also reduced the burden of medical debt by increasing pathways to forgiveness and cracking down on predatory debt collection tactics,”&nbsp;said Vice President Harris.&nbsp;“Today, we are building on this meaningful work by announcing an unprecedented final rule that will make it so medical debt is no longer included in your credit score. This will be lifechanging for millions of families, making it easier for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan. As someone who has spent my entire career fighting to protect consumers and lower medical bills, I know that our historic rule will help more Americans save money, build wealth, and thrive.”&nbsp;More than 100 million Americans struggle with medical debt. Medical debt is the largest source of debt in collections, making up a larger proportion of debt tradelines than credit cards, utilities, and auto loans. However, medical debt is not like other forms of debt because it is often the result of unavoidable medical complications and medical bills often contain significant errors, such as inflated or duplicative charges and fees for services never received or already paid. Reducing the burden of medical debt has been a key priority in President Biden and Vice President Harris’s effort to lower cost for American families.&nbsp;Removing Medical Debt from Consumer Credit Reports&nbsp;The CFPB is finalizing a rule that will remove medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, raising their credit scores by an estimated average of 20 points and leading to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional mortgages every year. Under the CFPB rule, there will be zero Americans with medical debt listed on their credit reports, down from 46 million in 2020.&nbsp;CFPB’s research indicates that medical bills are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-study-finds-medical-debt-overly-penalizes-consumer-credit-scores/">poor predictors</a>&nbsp;of an individual’s ability to repay a loan and that medical bills are often&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-report-spotlights-medical-billing-challenges/">confusing and erroneous</a>. In March 2022, the CFPB released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-estimates-88-billion-in-medical-bills-on-credit-reports/">report</a>&nbsp;estimating that medical bills made up $88 billion of reported debts on credit reports. After the March 2022 report, the three largest credit reporting agencies announced that they would no longer include paid medical debts, unpaid medical debts less than a year old, and medical debt under $500 from credit reporting.&nbsp;Despite these voluntary changes,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-finds-15-million-americans-have-medical-bills-on-their-credit-reports/">15 million Americans</a>&nbsp;still have $49 billion in outstanding medical bills in collections appearing in the credit reporting system. Today’s action will remove these outstanding $49 billion in unpaid medical bills from the credit reports of the remaining 15 million impacted Americans.&nbsp;Vice President Harris’s Call to Action, Leveraging Federal Funds to Eliminate Medical Debt&nbsp;In June 2024, Vice President Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/11/fact-sheet-vice-president-harris-announces-proposal-to-prohibit-medical-bills-from-being-included-on-credit-reports-and-calls-on-states-and-localities-to-take-further-actions-to-reduce-medical-debt/">called on states, local governments, and health care providers to take action</a>&nbsp;to reduce the burden of medical debt. States and localities have responded to this call by directly relieving debt and launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. Thanks to the President Biden and Vice President Harris’s American Rescue Plan, states, counties, and cities have already eliminated more than an estimated $1 billion in medical debt for over 750,000 Americans, including:<ul>
 <li>Cook County, Illinois has eliminated over $382 million in medical debt for over 210,000 residents.</li><li>New Jersey has eliminated $220 million in medical debt for over 120,00 residents.</li><li>Cleveland, Ohio has eliminated nearly $137 million in medical debt for over 130,000 residents.</li><li>Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio partnered to eliminate over $87 million in medical debt for over 140,000 residents.</li><li>New Orleans, Louisiana has eliminated nearly $70 million in medical debt for 75,000 residents.</li><li>St. Paul, Minnesota has eliminated $40 million in medical debt for over 30,000 residents.</li><li>Washington, DC has eliminated $42 million in medical debt for over 60,000 residents.</li><li>Connecticut has eliminated $30 million in medical debt for 23,000 residents.</li><li>Wayne County, Michigan has eliminated $27 million in medical debt for more than 46,000 residents.</li><li>Oakland County, Michigan has eliminated $9 million in medical debt for more than 14,000 residents.</li>
 </ul>These and other jurisdictions are on track to eliminate an estimated up to $7 billion in medical debt for nearly 3 million Americans by the end of 2026 thanks to ARP-supported efforts.In addition to directly relieving debt, states and localities have responded to Vice President Harris’s call by launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. For instance, North Carolina&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2024/08/12/north-carolina-hospitals-sign-relieve-medical-debt">recently announced</a>&nbsp;that all of the state’s 99 eligible hospitals have committed to participate in medical debt relief program that will eliminate up to $4 billion in existing medical debt for nearly 2 million low-and middle-income North Carolinians.&nbsp; The program also ensures that hospitals have policies in place to reduce the chance individuals will end up in debt in the first place. North Carolina’s program utilizes a novel approach, where hospital systems become eligible for enhanced Medicaid reimbursements under the State Directed Payments Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program by implementing policies that:<ul>
 <li>Relieve all medical debt deemed uncollectible dating back to Jan. 1, 2014, for any individuals not enrolled in Medicaid with incomes at or below at least 350% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or for whom total debt exceeds 5% of annual income.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Relieve all unpaid medical debt dating back to Jan. 1, 2014, for individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Sets a charity care floor in the state that provides discounts on medical bills of between 50-100% for patients with incomes at or below 300% FPL, with the amount of the discount varying based on the patient’s income.</li><li>Automatically enroll people into financial assistance, known as charity care, by implementing a policy for presumptively determining individuals eligible for financial assistance through a streamlined screening and income validation approach.&nbsp;</li><li>Not sell any medical debt for consumers with incomes at or below 300% FPL to debt collectors.&nbsp;</li><li>Not report a patient’s debt covered by these policies to a credit reporting agency.</li>
 </ul>Preventing the Accumulation of Medical Debt Through Increased OversightToday’s announcements build on efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce the burden of medical debt, including:<ul>
 <li>The Internal Revenue Service&nbsp;<a href="https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/irs-plans-more-nonprofit-hospital-audits-as-scrutiny-heats-up">announced</a>&nbsp;new steps to ensure that non-profit hospitals provide free and reduced-price care for patients that need it, as is required by law. This includes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-counsel/2024-2025-priority-guidance-plan-initial-version.pdf">issuing new guidance</a>&nbsp;in the coming months to clarify the obligations of tax-exempt hospitals&nbsp; to offer and publicize financial assistance policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5313.pdf">committing to prioritizing enforcement actions</a>&nbsp;against tax-exempt hospitals that violate these responsibilities.</li><li>The CFPB issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-takes-aim-at-double-billing-and-inflated-charges-in-medical-debt-collection/">Advisory Opinion</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/consumer-advisory-pause-and-review-your-rights-when-you-hear-from-a-medical-debt-collector/">Consumer Advisory</a>&nbsp;clarifying the responsibilities of debt collectors to confirm that debts are accurate, valid, and substantiated before engaging in collection actions and explaining to consumers what actions they can take when they suspect that they have been improperly billed or if they have had improper or illegal collection actions taken against them.</li><li>The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/01/fact-sheet-supporting-veterans-experiencing-financial-hardship-and-addressing-the-harmful-effects-of-military-environmental-exposures/#:~:text=VA%20will%20streamline%20the%20request%20process%20and%20set,effect%20in%20the%20next%2090%20to%20120%20days.">a streamlined process</a>&nbsp;to make it easier and faster for lower-income veterans to get their VA medical debt forgiven, already&nbsp;providing relief to over 10,000 veterans and saved them more than $10 million in copay debt.</li><li>The Department of Defense has proposed a rule aimed at providing financial relief for civilians receiving medical care at military medical treatment facilities (MTFs). &nbsp;If finalized as proposed, this rule would implement fee reductions through a sliding scale discount program as well as catastrophic cap waivers. &nbsp;Through these measures, the DoD aims to significantly reduce the financial burden on patients while maintaining high-quality care.</li><li>The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhfa.gov/Media/PublicAffairs/Documents/CS-Fact-Sheet-2022.pdf">validated and approved</a>&nbsp;the use of VantageScore 4.0, along with FICO 10T, for the underwriting of mortgages by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, marking the first time that a credit score that excludes medical debt has been approved for mortgage underwriting of Enterprise loans.</li><li>The Small Business Administration (SBA) is taking steps to reduce the role of medical debt in the underwriting of loans&nbsp;for its flagship 7(a) guaranteed loan program, including revising its lender Standard Operating Procedures and Lender Match tool to discourage consideration of medical debt.</li><li>The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued memorandum&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/M-22-17.pdf">M-22-17</a>&nbsp;to direct agencies to reduce the impact of medical debt in the underwriting of Federal credit programs, helping to spur the actions by VA, FHFA, and SBA listed above.</li><li>The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of the Treasury&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/notice-opportunities-comment/archive-closed/request-for-information-on-medical-payment-products/">issued a joint request for information</a>&nbsp;seeking comment on the prevalence, nature, and impact of medical payment products.</li><li>CMS and CFPB issued guidance clarifying protections against inappropriate patient billing and costs for the approximately 8 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program.&nbsp;</li><li>The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury have prioritized implementing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/06/fact-sheet-president-biden-takes-new-steps-to-lower-prescription-drug-and-health-care-costs-expand-access-to-health-care-and-protect-consumers/">surprise billing protections</a>, preventing 1 million surprise medical bills every single month.</li><li>As a part of the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/02/fact-sheet-president-bidens-cap-on-the-cost-of-insulin-could-benefit-millions-of-americans-in-all-50-states/#:~:text=Eli%20Lilly%20announced%20they%20are%20lowering%20the%20cost,diabetes%20in%20all%20fifty%20states%20and%20U.S.%20territories.">capped the cost of insulin at $35</a>&nbsp;for a month’s supply of each covered insulin&nbsp;and capped out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 in 2025 for seniors and others with Medicare. Thanks to the $3500 cap, nearly 1.5 million Medicare enrollees saved nearly $1 billion on prescription drugs in just the first half of 2024. Since taking these actions, President Biden has called on Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/06/fact-sheet-president-biden-takes-new-steps-to-lower-prescription-drug-and-health-care-costs-expand-access-to-health-care-and-protect-consumers/#:~:text=Expand%20Cap%20on%20Out%2Dof%2DPocket%20Prescription%20Drug%20Costs.&amp;text=The%20President%20is%20calling%20on,putting%20food%20on%20the%20table.">to expand the cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs</a>&nbsp;to cover all Americans.</li><li>President Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/10/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-lowers-health-care-costs/">called on states</a>&nbsp;to close the Medicaid coverage gap and create new pathways to health coverage by expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.</li><li>Secretary Becerra directed HHS to evaluate how providers’ billing practices impact access and affordability of care and the accrual of medical debt. HHS, CFPB, and the Treasury Department requested information and data on medical bill collection practices, lawsuits against patients, financial assistance, financial product offerings, and 3rd party contracting or debt buying practices. HHS, for the first time, considered weighing this information in their funding decisions.</li><li>The CFPB and the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a joint letter affirming that nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid are prohibited from forcing a resident’s family or friends to assume responsibility for the cost of care as a condition of admission or continued stay in the facility.</li><li>HHS is collecting evidence and data to inform future actions by adding new questions on medical debt to Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, two of the most important sources of data on health care in the United States.</li><li>HHS released a set of&nbsp;<a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/faqs/general-questions-regarding-certain-fraud-and-abuse-authorities/#13-does-the-federal-anti-kickback-statute-or-the-beneficiary-inducements-cmp-prohibit-hospitals-from-waiving-their-patients-cost-sharing-amounts-pursuant-to-hospitals-financial-assistance-policies-also-known-as-charity-care-policies.">frequently asked questions</a>&nbsp;clarifying that hospitals have the ability to provide relief to uninsured and underinsured patients who cannot afford their hospital bills and to Medicare beneficiaries who cannot afford their Medicare cost.</li><li>The Biden-Harris Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/28/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-landmark-rule-to-protect-americans-from-junk-health-insurance/#:~:text=Under%20the%20new%20rules%2C%20new%20plans%20that%20claim,they%20in%20fact%20provided%20little%20to%20no%20coverage.">issued</a>&nbsp;a final rule that protects consumers from junk health insurance and makes sure Americans aren’t scammed into low-quality coverage that leaves consumers on the hook for thousands of dollars in medical bills.</li><li>CMS is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/10/2024-23103/patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-hhs-notice-of-benefit-and-payment-parameters-for-2026-and">soliciting comment</a>&nbsp;on how hospital-based personnel who help consumers enroll in Marketplace coverage could connect consumers to hospital financial assistance programs designed to reduce medical debt.</li><li>The White House<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/12/08/readout-of-the-white-house-state-convening-on-medical-debt/">&nbsp;convened state and local leaders</a>&nbsp;to discuss initiatives to further lower health care costs and reduce the burden of medical debt, including addressing medical payment products, unfair debt collection practices, surprise billing and facility fees, and charity care.</li>
 </ul>

Medical Debt Banned from Credit Reports by New Biden Admin Rule

(Radio Iowa) - At least half of the homes in Iowa have radon gas levels above the E-P-A's action level according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. 

Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that can seep in through the foundation or insulation of home. Radon is the leading cause of cancer among non-smokers and the rate of new cases of lung cancer IN IOWA is significantly higher than the national rate. 

This is National Radon Action Month and the American Lung Association is offering free radon test kits to Iowa residents -- while supplies last.

(Radio Iowa) - At least half of the homes in Iowa have radon gas levels above the E-P-A's action level according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that can seep in through the foundation or insulation of home. Radon is the leading cause of cancer among non-smokers and the rate of new cases of lung cancer IN IOWA is significantly higher than the national rate. This is National Radon Action Month and the American Lung Association is offering free radon test kits to Iowa residents -- while supplies last.

Free radon test kits for Iowa residents, while supplies last

Missouri lawmakers gather in Jefferson City this afternoon
for the start of the 2025 legislative session.

State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Republican from
Parkville who represents Buchanan and Platte Counties, will serve as Senate
Majority Floor Leader during this session.

Luetkemeyer says the Senate Republican Caucus
wants to reform the state income tax system, perhaps even eliminating the
personal income tax.

“This is something the governor-elect (Mike
Kehoe) also has talked about on the campaign trail, either reducing or entirely
eliminating the state income tax,” Luetkemeyer tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We
have other states in the Midwest, like Tennessee, who have done this and it is
a great way to boost Missouri’s economy and put more money back in the pockets
of hardworking Missouri citizens.”

Luetkemeyer says public safety is the top issue
of Senate Republicans this year, including the consideration of placing the St.
Louis Police Department under state control, similar to how police are managed
in Kansas City.

Luetkemeyer says Republicans will make an effort
to moderate Amendment Three approved by voters in November.

“Amendment Three is a very radical measure and
what I anticipate we will see is efforts by the General Assembly to bring that
measure more in line with where we think the majority of Missourians actually
are when it comes to the issue of life,” Luetkemeyer says.

Luetkemeyer sees the November vote as less a vote
for abortion rights as a vote against the highly restrictive abortion law in
Missouri.

Amendment Three barely received a majority of the
votes cast in November, which Luetkemeyer insists discloses a flaw in the
state’s process of amending the constitution.

“It is not intended to be a never-ending special interest
statute, which is really what the Missouri Constitution has turned into and we
need to fix it through the initiative petition process,” Luetkemeyer says.

The senator favors increasing the vote threshold
to change the state constitution from the current simple majority. Efforts to
do that last year fell to Republican in-fighting in the Missouri Senate, which
Luetkemeyer hopes to avoid this session.

Luetkemeyer hopes to succeed in changing the
state initiative process this year, stating that the state constitution is supposed
to be a fundamental governing document, laying out the basic framework for
government. He says it now has turned into a special interest document.

“What you will see happen is, oftentimes very
progressive groups, mostly from outside of the state of Missouri, will come in
and spend millions of dollars collecting signatures, putting something on the
ballot, running very misleading ads to convince the public to vote for something
and then they just circumvent the legislature and put it in the constitution,”
according to Luetkemeyer.

As Senate Majority Floor Leader this session,
Luetkemeyer will be in charge of the Missouri Senate calendar, controlling what
legislation makes it to the floor for debate and how much time the Senate will
consider each measure.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri lawmakers gather in Jefferson City this afternoon
for the start of the 2025 legislative session.State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Republican from
Parkville who represents Buchanan and Platte Counties, will serve as Senate
Majority Floor Leader during this session.Luetkemeyer says the Senate Republican Caucus
wants to reform the state income tax system, perhaps even eliminating the
personal income tax.“This is something the governor-elect (Mike
Kehoe) also has talked about on the campaign trail, either reducing or entirely
eliminating the state income tax,” Luetkemeyer tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We
have other states in the Midwest, like Tennessee, who have done this and it is
a great way to boost Missouri’s economy and put more money back in the pockets
of hardworking Missouri citizens.”Luetkemeyer says public safety is the top issue
of Senate Republicans this year, including the consideration of placing the St.
Louis Police Department under state control, similar to how police are managed
in Kansas City.Luetkemeyer says Republicans will make an effort
to moderate Amendment Three approved by voters in November.“Amendment Three is a very radical measure and
what I anticipate we will see is efforts by the General Assembly to bring that
measure more in line with where we think the majority of Missourians actually
are when it comes to the issue of life,” Luetkemeyer says.Luetkemeyer sees the November vote as less a vote
for abortion rights as a vote against the highly restrictive abortion law in
Missouri.Amendment Three barely received a majority of the
votes cast in November, which Luetkemeyer insists discloses a flaw in the
state’s process of amending the constitution.“It is not intended to be a never-ending special interest
statute, which is really what the Missouri Constitution has turned into and we
need to fix it through the initiative petition process,” Luetkemeyer says.The senator favors increasing the vote threshold
to change the state constitution from the current simple majority. Efforts to
do that last year fell to Republican in-fighting in the Missouri Senate, which
Luetkemeyer hopes to avoid this session.Luetkemeyer hopes to succeed in changing the
state initiative process this year, stating that the state constitution is supposed
to be a fundamental governing document, laying out the basic framework for
government. He says it now has turned into a special interest document.“What you will see happen is, oftentimes very
progressive groups, mostly from outside of the state of Missouri, will come in
and spend millions of dollars collecting signatures, putting something on the
ballot, running very misleading ads to convince the public to vote for something
and then they just circumvent the legislature and put it in the constitution,”
according to Luetkemeyer.As Senate Majority Floor Leader this session,
Luetkemeyer will be in charge of the Missouri Senate calendar, controlling what
legislation makes it to the floor for debate and how much time the Senate will
consider each measure.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Missouri lawmakers gather in Jefferson City for start of 2025 session

TOPEKA —Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab has announced he is a candidate for governor. He posted a video on his social media page Wednesday.

Schwab was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2002. As Chairman of the House Elections Committee, Schwab championed several bills to safeguard Kansas elections and the voting process, according to his bio on the Kansas Secretary of State web site.

 Schwab also served as Chairman of the House Financial Institutions Committee, and Vice Chair of the Taxation Committee and the Committee on Commerce and Labor. Schwab was also elected to serve as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Kansas House of Representatives.

In 2018, Schwab was elected to his first term as Kansas Secretary of State and was re-elected in 2022.

He is the first candidate to announce plans to run for the 2026 GOP nomination to replace Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.&nbsp;

TOPEKA —Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab has announced he is a candidate for governor. He posted a video on his social media page Wednesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kansas has a decision to make: Which path will we take? We need to cut property taxes, ban China from buying land near our military bases, restore conservative values in Topeka, and so much more. That’s why I’m running for Governor.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/vpKIKeveV1">pic.twitter.com/vpKIKeveV1</a>&mdash; Scott Schwab (@ScottSchwabKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottSchwabKS/status/1876974001836134483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Schwab was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2002. As Chairman of the House Elections Committee, Schwab championed several bills to safeguard Kansas elections and the voting process, according to his bio on the Kansas Secretary of State web site. Schwab also served as Chairman of the House Financial Institutions Committee, and Vice Chair of the Taxation Committee and the Committee on Commerce and Labor. Schwab was also elected to serve as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Kansas House of Representatives.In 2018, Schwab was elected to his first term as Kansas Secretary of State and was re-elected in 2022.He is the first candidate to announce plans to run for the 2026 GOP nomination to replace Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.&nbsp;

Kansas Secretary of State announces he is a candidate for governor

President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;held a news conference at his Palm Beach, Florida resort on Tuesday.&nbsp; He discussed a variety of topics including the Panama Canal, Greenland, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and pardons for the January 6th defendants.

President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;held a news conference at his Palm Beach, Florida resort on Tuesday.&nbsp; He discussed a variety of topics including the Panama Canal, Greenland, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and pardons for the January 6th defendants.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Question on Greenland and Panama Canal: &quot;Can you assure the world that as you try to get control of these areas you are not going to use military or economic coercion? President-Elect Trump: &quot;No...I can&#39;t assure you on either of those two. We need them for economic security...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/zJ8Fb67ZrX">pic.twitter.com/zJ8Fb67ZrX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876678479053259091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-elect Trump: &quot;We&#39;re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America...what a beautiful name. It&#39;s appropriate.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZspLXgkgcZ">pic.twitter.com/ZspLXgkgcZ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876674752741314677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-Elect Trump pardoning January 6th defendants: &quot;We&#39;re be looking at the whole thing, but yes I&#39;ll be making major pardons, yes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/arHvANly7j">pic.twitter.com/arHvANly7j</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876679962188468655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-Elect Trump: &quot;If those hostages aren&#39;t back...If they&#39;re not back by the time I get into office all hell will break out in the Middle East. It will no be good for Hamas. It will not be good frankly for anyone.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/iz5yiATPA2">pic.twitter.com/iz5yiATPA2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1876681429322445012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump on Panama Canal, renaming Gulf of Mexico and pardons

(Radio Iowa) - With Republicans holding the majority in the U-S Senate, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is again serving as senate president pro tem -- making the 91-year-old senator third in the line of succession to become the nation's commander-in-chief. 

When the subject comes up, Grassley says it makes him smile, not because he doesn't take his job seriously, but because of the unlikely circumstances. Grassley says he understands his responsibilities if something drastic were to happen, saying he'd "be ready to serve," adding, "it doesn't weigh on me a whole lot." Something would have to happen to the president, vice president and speaker of the house for Grassley to end up in the Oval Office. 

The title of senate president pro tem goes to the longest-serving senator from the party that has a majority of seats. Grassley's been in the role before, in 2019 and 2020.

(Radio Iowa) - With Republicans holding the majority in the U-S Senate, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is again serving as senate president pro tem -- making the 91-year-old senator third in the line of succession to become the nation's commander-in-chief. When the subject comes up, Grassley says it makes him smile, not because he doesn't take his job seriously, but because of the unlikely circumstances. Grassley says he understands his responsibilities if something drastic were to happen, saying he'd "be ready to serve," adding, "it doesn't weigh on me a whole lot." Something would have to happen to the president, vice president and speaker of the house for Grassley to end up in the Oval Office. The title of senate president pro tem goes to the longest-serving senator from the party that has a majority of seats. Grassley's been in the role before, in 2019 and 2020.

Grassley is 'ready to serve' as president in the unlikely event he's called

(Radio Iowa) - John Deere has notified state officials it will lay off 75 workers from its Ottumwa plant next month. 

Last year, Deere offered early retirement to over 100 employees at the Ottumwa facility and, in November, Deere announced it would temporarily close the plant in December, due to reduced customer demand for its products. Hay balers and mowers have been produced in Ottumwa. Deere is moving mower production from Ottumwa to Mexico. 

Monday was the last day of work for 80 employees at Deere's Davenport facility and for 112 workers at Deere's Waterloo factory where tractors are produced.

(Radio Iowa) - John Deere has notified state officials it will lay off 75 workers from its Ottumwa plant next month. Last year, Deere offered early retirement to over 100 employees at the Ottumwa facility and, in November, Deere announced it would temporarily close the plant in December, due to reduced customer demand for its products. Hay balers and mowers have been produced in Ottumwa. Deere is moving mower production from Ottumwa to Mexico. Monday was the last day of work for 80 employees at Deere's Davenport facility and for 112 workers at Deere's Waterloo factory where tractors are produced.

John Deere announces more layoffs at Ottumwa plant

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced the release of its updated Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) National Manual, which serves as a resource for science-based cattle production information and is free to all. 

"BQA empowers beef producers to maximize their potential to make the most efficient and responsible use of natural resources for effectively producing the world’s most nutritious and flavorful sources of protein,” says Dr. Clay Mathis of Texas A&amp;M University and the BQA Advisory Group Chair. “This manual helps drive the improvement process across the supply chain through adherence to best management practices.” 

The publication’s goal is to provide technical information to help producers raise high-quality cattle resulting in the wholesome beef that consumers demand. It was developed to set production standards for beef quality and safety that are appropriate to an operation and that producers can realistically meet or exceed. 

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced the release of its updated Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) National Manual, which serves as a resource for science-based cattle production information and is free to all. "BQA empowers beef producers to maximize their potential to make the most efficient and responsible use of natural resources for effectively producing the world’s most nutritious and flavorful sources of protein,” says Dr. Clay Mathis of Texas A&amp;M University and the BQA Advisory Group Chair. “This manual helps drive the improvement process across the supply chain through adherence to best management practices.” The publication’s goal is to provide technical information to help producers raise high-quality cattle resulting in the wholesome beef that consumers demand. It was developed to set production standards for beef quality and safety that are appropriate to an operation and that producers can realistically meet or exceed. For more information, go to bqa.org.-NAFB

Updated BQA national manual now available

The National Corn Growers Association gathered its leadership on Capitol Hill to welcome members of the new Congress as they were sworn into office. 

“We’re here to congratulate our friends and allies who were re-elected to Congress and introduce ourselves to those being sworn in for the first time,” says NCGA President Kenneth Hartman, Jr., who was in attendance. “We look forward to continuing our work with members on both sides of the aisle as we advocate for legislation that’s important to corn growers.” 

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association congratulated Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) for his successful reelection campaign in the 119th Congress. 

"Speaker Johnson has always been a strong supporter of U.S. cattle producers, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in the new Congress,” says Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs at NCBA. “There’s a lot of work to do this year.”

The National Corn Growers Association gathered its leadership on Capitol Hill to welcome members of the new Congress as they were sworn into office. “We’re here to congratulate our friends and allies who were re-elected to Congress and introduce ourselves to those being sworn in for the first time,” says NCGA President Kenneth Hartman, Jr., who was in attendance. “We look forward to continuing our work with members on both sides of the aisle as we advocate for legislation that’s important to corn growers.” The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association congratulated Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) for his successful reelection campaign in the 119th Congress. "Speaker Johnson has always been a strong supporter of U.S. cattle producers, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in the new Congress,” says Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs at NCBA. “There’s a lot of work to do this year.”-NAFB

Ag groups welcome new congress and leadership

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Kansas legislator renewed attempts to rid the state of daylight saving time under a bill filed ahead of the state’s 2025 legislative session, which begins later this month.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb1/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 1</a>, which was prefiled Friday, seeks to exempt Kansas from participating in the national practice of switching clocks back an hour every November and forward again every March.

Sen. Kenny Titus, a Wamego Republican who was elected to the Senate in November after serving a term in the House, is sponsoring the bill that would create year-round standard time beginning November 2025.

“Every year I get asked by constituents why the state doesn’t do something about switching clocks back and forth,” Titus said. “Most often I hear from folks that they don’t really care if we are on daylight saving or standard time, they just want to keep it consistent throughout the year.”

Recent attempts to put an end to the time changes at state and federal levels have failed. The last attempt in Kansas was in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/14/clock-is-ticking-ditch-the-switch-for-year-round-standard-or-daylight-saving-time/">2021</a>&nbsp;when Rep. Shannon Francis, a Republican from Liberal, drafted a resolution asking Congress to eradicate standard time and stick with daylight time year-round.

Only Arizona, Hawaii and the U.S.’s unincorporated territories are exempt from the switch.

In 2022, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/15/u-s-senate-backs-shift-to-permanent-daylight-saving-time/">Senate</a>&nbsp;passed a bill that would’ve made daylight saving time permanent, but the U.S. House declined to take it up.&nbsp;

Despite the U.S. House’s resistance, Titus said, “it shows there is popular support to at least talk about making a change.”

A 2021 AP-NORC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/projects/dislike-for-changing-the-clocks-persists/" target="_blank">poll</a>&nbsp;found that 75% of Americans want to stop switching their clocks, and studies have shown switching clocks can be detrimental to sleep habits and overall&nbsp;<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7954020/" target="_blank">health</a>.&nbsp;

“When I compared the arguments for daylight saving time and standard time, the primary benefit of daylight saving time was increased consumer spending (because there is more daylight in the evening for shopping and activities) compared to the increased health benefits of standard time with more daylight in the morning

In comparing year-round daylight saving time to standard time, Titus found increased consumer spending was the primary benefit because of more daylight in the evening for shopping and activities. More daylight in the morning with year-round standard time, on the other hand, can lead to health benefits, he said.

“For me, it was a no-brainer to prioritize the health of Kansans,” Titus said.

President-elect Donald Trump vowed last month in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1867686000711155989" target="_blank">post</a>&nbsp;to social media platform X that the Republican Party would attempt to eliminate daylight saving time, calling it “inconvenient” and “costly.” Titus’ bill provides for the possibility of Congress taking its own action.

His is the only Senate bill to be prefiled so far.&nbsp;

“The primary issue is fairly straightforward, so I thought it was best to get the conversation started before committee calendars are filled up with other topics,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736271143458.jpeg" alt=" Sen. Kenny Titus, a Wamego Republican, prefiled a bill that would eradicate daylight saving time in Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Sen. Kenny Titus, a Wamego Republican, prefiled a bill that would eradicate daylight saving time in Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Kansas legislator renewed attempts to rid the state of daylight saving time under a bill filed ahead of the state’s 2025 legislative session, which begins later this month.<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb1/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 1</a>, which was prefiled Friday, seeks to exempt Kansas from participating in the national practice of switching clocks back an hour every November and forward again every March.Sen. Kenny Titus, a Wamego Republican who was elected to the Senate in November after serving a term in the House, is sponsoring the bill that would create year-round standard time beginning November 2025.“Every year I get asked by constituents why the state doesn’t do something about switching clocks back and forth,” Titus said. “Most often I hear from folks that they don’t really care if we are on daylight saving or standard time, they just want to keep it consistent throughout the year.”Recent attempts to put an end to the time changes at state and federal levels have failed. The last attempt in Kansas was in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/14/clock-is-ticking-ditch-the-switch-for-year-round-standard-or-daylight-saving-time/">2021</a>&nbsp;when Rep. Shannon Francis, a Republican from Liberal, drafted a resolution asking Congress to eradicate standard time and stick with daylight time year-round.Only Arizona, Hawaii and the U.S.’s unincorporated territories are exempt from the switch.In 2022, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/15/u-s-senate-backs-shift-to-permanent-daylight-saving-time/">Senate</a>&nbsp;passed a bill that would’ve made daylight saving time permanent, but the U.S. House declined to take it up.&nbsp;Despite the U.S. House’s resistance, Titus said, “it shows there is popular support to at least talk about making a change.”A 2021 AP-NORC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/projects/dislike-for-changing-the-clocks-persists/" target="_blank">poll</a>&nbsp;found that 75% of Americans want to stop switching their clocks, and studies have shown switching clocks can be detrimental to sleep habits and overall&nbsp;<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7954020/" target="_blank">health</a>.&nbsp;“When I compared the arguments for daylight saving time and standard time, the primary benefit of daylight saving time was increased consumer spending (because there is more daylight in the evening for shopping and activities) compared to the increased health benefits of standard time with more daylight in the morningIn comparing year-round daylight saving time to standard time, Titus found increased consumer spending was the primary benefit because of more daylight in the evening for shopping and activities. More daylight in the morning with year-round standard time, on the other hand, can lead to health benefits, he said.“For me, it was a no-brainer to prioritize the health of Kansans,” Titus said.President-elect Donald Trump vowed last month in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1867686000711155989" target="_blank">post</a>&nbsp;to social media platform X that the Republican Party would attempt to eliminate daylight saving time, calling it “inconvenient” and “costly.” Titus’ bill provides for the possibility of Congress taking its own action.His is the only Senate bill to be prefiled so far.&nbsp;“The primary issue is fairly straightforward, so I thought it was best to get the conversation started before committee calendars are filled up with other topics,” he said.

Daylight saving time would end in Kansas under senator’s prefiled bill

The USDA reminds specialty crop producers to apply for assistance for marketing and food safety certification expenses. 

The Farm Service Agency is providing an additional $650 million in funding for the new Market Assistance for Specialty Crops Program and extending the MASC application deadline to this Friday, January 10. Meanwhile, FSA also reminds specialty crop producers of the January 31, 2025, deadline to apply for the Food Safety Certification and Specialty Crops Program for 2024 expenses. 

With a total of $2.65 billion available, MASC helps specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs. FSA is also increasing the MASC payment limit from $125,000 to $900,000.

 “Specialty crop producers should act quickly to make an appointment to apply for both marketing and food safety certification assistance,” says FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Specialty crop producers have been impacted by higher marketing and handling costs due to the perishability of their products.”

The USDA reminds specialty crop producers to apply for assistance for marketing and food safety certification expenses. The Farm Service Agency is providing an additional $650 million in funding for the new Market Assistance for Specialty Crops Program and extending the MASC application deadline to this Friday, January 10. Meanwhile, FSA also reminds specialty crop producers of the January 31, 2025, deadline to apply for the Food Safety Certification and Specialty Crops Program for 2024 expenses. With a total of $2.65 billion available, MASC helps specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs. FSA is also increasing the MASC payment limit from $125,000 to $900,000. “Specialty crop producers should act quickly to make an appointment to apply for both marketing and food safety certification assistance,” says FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Specialty crop producers have been impacted by higher marketing and handling costs due to the perishability of their products.”-NAFB

Specialty crop marketing assistance deadline extended

(Radio Iowa) - A statewide network of over 20 clinics that had operated under the name "Mission Cancer plus Blood" is now part of University of Iowa Health Care. 

Mission Cancer Plus Blood operated cancer clinics at UnityPoint and MercyOne hospitals in Des Moines and at 19 community hospitals around the state. The dean of the University of Iowa's College of Medicine says adding Mission's clinics to the U-I Health Care system is a turning point in the fight against cancer in Iowa. 

For the past two years, Iowa has been one of just two states with rising rates of cancer.

(Radio Iowa) - A statewide network of over 20 clinics that had operated under the name "Mission Cancer plus Blood" is now part of University of Iowa Health Care. Mission Cancer Plus Blood operated cancer clinics at UnityPoint and MercyOne hospitals in Des Moines and at 19 community hospitals around the state. The dean of the University of Iowa's College of Medicine says adding Mission's clinics to the U-I Health Care system is a turning point in the fight against cancer in Iowa. For the past two years, Iowa has been one of just two states with rising rates of cancer.

Kbct