The USDA’s Farm Service Agency is reminding producers, including dairy producers impacted by H5N1, that the deadline to apply for assistance through the ELAP Program is January 30. 

The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program funds are for losses due to specific adverse conditions that occurred in 2024. 

“The ELAP program provides an important financial safety net, helping our producers rebound from weather and disease impacts that are out of their control and not part of their operation’s ordinary risk profile,” says Zach Ducheneaux, FSA administrator. “These events threaten producers’ economic viability, so it’s important that USDA provide support.”

 ELAP provides relief to eligible producers to assist with losses that aren’t covered by other FSA disaster programs. Producers wanting to apply for ELAP assistance for calendar year 2024 should contact the FSA at their nearest USDA Service Center by January 30. 

To find a Service Center, visit farmers.gov.

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency is reminding producers, including dairy producers impacted by H5N1, that the deadline to apply for assistance through the ELAP Program is January 30. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program funds are for losses due to specific adverse conditions that occurred in 2024. “The ELAP program provides an important financial safety net, helping our producers rebound from weather and disease impacts that are out of their control and not part of their operation’s ordinary risk profile,” says Zach Ducheneaux, FSA administrator. “These events threaten producers’ economic viability, so it’s important that USDA provide support.” ELAP provides relief to eligible producers to assist with losses that aren’t covered by other FSA disaster programs. Producers wanting to apply for ELAP assistance for calendar year 2024 should contact the FSA at their nearest USDA Service Center by January 30. To find a Service Center, visit farmers.gov.-NAFB

Disaster assistance application deadline approaching

The USDA will begin rebuilding its bird flu vaccine stockpile to make it match the current strain of the virus running through commercial flocks and wild birds. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak started in 2022 and has killed over 130 million birds, affecting commercial, backyard, and wild birds in all 50 states.

 In a press release, USDA says the U.S. had built poultry vaccine stocks after the last major outbreak in 2014-2015. Bird flu is also affecting U.S. dairy cattle herds and infected almost 70 people. Most of the exposed humans are farm workers who’ve been directly exposed to sick cattle or poultry. 

Egg and turkey farm groups have been calling for a vaccine, citing the severe economic toll it has taken on farmers after wiping out their flocks. In December, USDA reported infected dairy herds in California and Texas.

The USDA will begin rebuilding its bird flu vaccine stockpile to make it match the current strain of the virus running through commercial flocks and wild birds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak started in 2022 and has killed over 130 million birds, affecting commercial, backyard, and wild birds in all 50 states. In a press release, USDA says the U.S. had built poultry vaccine stocks after the last major outbreak in 2014-2015. Bird flu is also affecting U.S. dairy cattle herds and infected almost 70 people. Most of the exposed humans are farm workers who’ve been directly exposed to sick cattle or poultry. Egg and turkey farm groups have been calling for a vaccine, citing the severe economic toll it has taken on farmers after wiping out their flocks. In December, USDA reported infected dairy herds in California and Texas.-NAFB

U.S. to rebuild bird flu vaccine stockpile

(Radio Iowa) - Thousands of Iowa athletes -- from toddlers to senior citizens -- will take part in the Winter Iowa Games, with some events starting next weekend. 

All ages and abilities are welcome to compete in sports including alpine ski racing, figure skating, trapshooting, hockey and snowshoeing. Games marketing director Cory Kennedy says this marks the 34th year for the annual winter sports festival, which features a range of indoor and outdoor sports. Registration is still open for most of the 16 events and as many as four-thousand athletes are expected, from three-year-olds to 90-year-olds. 

The first event is pickleball on January 18th in Dubuque, with the final event being ice hockey in Des Moines on March 16th. Other host communities include: Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Eldora, Harlan, Iowa City, Ottumwa, Peosta and Waterloo.

(Radio Iowa) - Thousands of Iowa athletes -- from toddlers to senior citizens -- will take part in the Winter Iowa Games, with some events starting next weekend. All ages and abilities are welcome to compete in sports including alpine ski racing, figure skating, trapshooting, hockey and snowshoeing. Games marketing director Cory Kennedy says this marks the 34th year for the annual winter sports festival, which features a range of indoor and outdoor sports. Registration is still open for most of the 16 events and as many as four-thousand athletes are expected, from three-year-olds to 90-year-olds. The first event is pickleball on January 18th in Dubuque, with the final event being ice hockey in Des Moines on March 16th. Other host communities include: Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Eldora, Harlan, Iowa City, Ottumwa, Peosta and Waterloo.

Iowans go for the gold amidst the white of winter

(Radio Iowa) - The two gun seasons for deer are now over and the D-N-R's Conservation Division Administrator Pete Hildreth says the numbers are still on pace to match last year, which was 104-thousand deer. 

There are still chances for hunters yet this year with the opening of the late muzzleloader season. There are two January antlerless deer only seasons that run from January 11 through the 19th. The population management January antlerless season is available only in Allamakee, Appanoose, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, Wayne and Winneshiek counties. Hunters may use bows, muzzle loaders, handguns, shotguns, crossbows or rifles in that .223 caliber. 

The excess tag. January antlerless season is available in all counties with unsold county antlerless tags on January 11th, but license sales will only be available over the counter and not online until the quota is filled.

(Radio Iowa) - The two gun seasons for deer are now over and the D-N-R's Conservation Division Administrator Pete Hildreth says the numbers are still on pace to match last year, which was 104-thousand deer. There are still chances for hunters yet this year with the opening of the late muzzleloader season. There are two January antlerless deer only seasons that run from January 11 through the 19th. The population management January antlerless season is available only in Allamakee, Appanoose, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, Wayne and Winneshiek counties. Hunters may use bows, muzzle loaders, handguns, shotguns, crossbows or rifles in that .223 caliber. The excess tag. January antlerless season is available in all counties with unsold county antlerless tags on January 11th, but license sales will only be available over the counter and not online until the quota is filled.

Deer Season Looks To Match Last Year's Take

Farm bill work hasn’t even started, but the new Senate GOP majority already has SNAP and the related Thrifty Food Plan in its crosshairs. 

The farm bill food stamp fight that blocked a Senate deal last year is showing its teeth again, but now with unified GOP government control that could yield the first budget since 2016.

Senior Senate Republican and new budget panel member John Cornyn could play a key role in fashioning spending cuts this year, including for farm bill programs Democrats fought for last year.

“By simply reducing payment errors for SNAP payments, for example, we could save an estimated 100 billion dollars. By implementing a real work requirement for means-tested programs like Congress did back during the Clinton presidency, we could save an incredible amount of money for the American people.”

The House Ag Committee tried last Congress and earlier to tighten SNAP requirements and, in a new farm bill push, to end secretarial discretion to boost benefits. Texas conservative Cornyn touched on that.

“Or we could repeal the controversial 2021 Thrifty Food Plan that would save as much as 300 billion dollars. You know, we’re talking about real money, Mr. President.”

Republicans slammed Ag Secretary Vilsack for upping pandemic SNAP benefits under the plan by some $250 billion without Congressional approval. Democrats claimed he had that authority under the 2018 farm bill.

But the committee-passed House GOP farm bill backed by a handful of Democrats would have allowed only inflationary SNAP increases.

Farm bill work hasn’t even started, but the new Senate GOP majority already has SNAP and the related Thrifty Food Plan in its crosshairs. The farm bill food stamp fight that blocked a Senate deal last year is showing its teeth again, but now with unified GOP government control that could yield the first budget since 2016.Senior Senate Republican and new budget panel member John Cornyn could play a key role in fashioning spending cuts this year, including for farm bill programs Democrats fought for last year.“By simply reducing payment errors for SNAP payments, for example, we could save an estimated 100 billion dollars. By implementing a real work requirement for means-tested programs like Congress did back during the Clinton presidency, we could save an incredible amount of money for the American people.”The House Ag Committee tried last Congress and earlier to tighten SNAP requirements and, in a new farm bill push, to end secretarial discretion to boost benefits. Texas conservative Cornyn touched on that.“Or we could repeal the controversial 2021 Thrifty Food Plan that would save as much as 300 billion dollars. You know, we’re talking about real money, Mr. President.”Republicans slammed Ag Secretary Vilsack for upping pandemic SNAP benefits under the plan by some $250 billion without Congressional approval. Democrats claimed he had that authority under the 2018 farm bill.But the committee-passed House GOP farm bill backed by a handful of Democrats would have allowed only inflationary SNAP increases.-NAFB

GOP again targeting SNAP, thrifty food plan for savings

Early indications are that U.S. farmers will increase planted grain acres this year despite continuing low prices. 

That’s according to a survey done by Farm Futures magazine. In the survey conducted in December, farmers in major corn-producing states seem swayed by an ongoing corn rally. However, more than half of the responding farmers plan no change in their crop mix. 

“In light of the corn market’s rally to six-month highs in late 2024 and early 2025, it makes sense that many farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and other top-producing states plan to ramp up their corn planting this year,” says Senior Editor Bruce Blythe. 

One factor that could change those plans is the soybean future prices.

 “A key question is whether soybean acres increase or decrease, given the outlook for heavy global supplies and weak prices,” Blythe said. 

Farmers also voiced continuing concerns about getting a 2025 Farm Bill in place.

Early indications are that U.S. farmers will increase planted grain acres this year despite continuing low prices. That’s according to a survey done by Farm Futures magazine. In the survey conducted in December, farmers in major corn-producing states seem swayed by an ongoing corn rally. However, more than half of the responding farmers plan no change in their crop mix. “In light of the corn market’s rally to six-month highs in late 2024 and early 2025, it makes sense that many farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and other top-producing states plan to ramp up their corn planting this year,” says Senior Editor Bruce Blythe. One factor that could change those plans is the soybean future prices. “A key question is whether soybean acres increase or decrease, given the outlook for heavy global supplies and weak prices,” Blythe said. Farmers also voiced continuing concerns about getting a 2025 Farm Bill in place.-NAFB

Farmers may shift grain acreage in 2025

NEW YORK —During an online Teams meeting, President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his&nbsp;hush money case. The judge did not impose any prison time, probation, a fine or other conditions.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/recorded-audio-president-elect-trump-sentenced-in-hush-money-case/430047">Click here </a>to listen to the sentencing hearing

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736520956783.png" alt="File photo President-elect Trump during a meeting with Republic Governors on Thursday night -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo President-elect Trump during a meeting with Republic Governors on Thursday night -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK —During an online Teams meeting, President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his&nbsp;hush money case. The judge did not impose any prison time, probation, a fine or other conditions.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/recorded-audio-president-elect-trump-sentenced-in-hush-money-case/430047">Click here </a>to listen to the sentencing hearing

🎧Listen to Trump sentencing: No prison, probation or conditions

(Radio Iowa) - Nominations are now being taken for the 2025 Iowa Character Awards, to recognize Iowans who go above and beyond as leaders, volunteers and role models in their communities.

 Amy Smit, spokeswoman for Character Counts in Iowa, says the categories include: citizens, organizations, businesses, athletic teams, and more. Smit says they're looking for people who show the Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Good Citizenship. 

Since the program's launch, more than 100 individual Iowans and businesses have been recognized with an Iowa Character Award. Nominations can be made at Iowa Character Awards-dot-org. Winners will be announced in June.

(Radio Iowa) - Nominations are now being taken for the 2025 Iowa Character Awards, to recognize Iowans who go above and beyond as leaders, volunteers and role models in their communities. Amy Smit, spokeswoman for Character Counts in Iowa, says the categories include: citizens, organizations, businesses, athletic teams, and more. Smit says they're looking for people who show the Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Good Citizenship. Since the program's launch, more than 100 individual Iowans and businesses have been recognized with an Iowa Character Award. Nominations can be made at Iowa Character Awards-dot-org. Winners will be announced in June.

Iowans can now submit the names of their mentors and local heroes

(Radio Iowa) - Iowans who bundle up to brave the evening chill will be able to see a relatively rare event in the January night sky, what some are calling the Parade of Planets. 

Allison Jaynes, a physics and astronomy professor at the University of Iowa, says Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are all shifting into near-alignment, and two more planets will join the celestial conga line later this month. 

From January 21st through the 25th, all six planets will be visible, though you'll need binoculars or a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune. They will not be in a tight, straight line, as some graphics depict, but they will be in the same region of the sky. Jaynes suggests using a smartphone app, like Stellarium, to orient yourself among the stars.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowans who bundle up to brave the evening chill will be able to see a relatively rare event in the January night sky, what some are calling the Parade of Planets. Allison Jaynes, a physics and astronomy professor at the University of Iowa, says Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are all shifting into near-alignment, and two more planets will join the celestial conga line later this month. From January 21st through the 25th, all six planets will be visible, though you'll need binoculars or a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune. They will not be in a tight, straight line, as some graphics depict, but they will be in the same region of the sky. Jaynes suggests using a smartphone app, like Stellarium, to orient yourself among the stars.

This month, the planets really will align over Iowa, well, sort of

A 52-year-old St. Joseph man convicted by a Buchanan County
jury of child molestation has been sentenced to 64 years in prison.

Fifth Judicial Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg sentenced Timothy
Brown on four separate counts involving sexual assault against a minor. Kellogg
sentenced Brown to 50 years in prison for statutory sodomy. He also sentenced
Brown to 10 years for enticement of a child and another 10 years for child
molestation, but both sentences are to be served concurrently. Brown has also been
sentenced to 4 years for sexual misconduct of a minor.

Brown volunteered for the youth group at Frederick Boulevard
Baptist Church in St. Joseph. The jury in November found Brown guilty of
sexually molesting a 14-year-old girl.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707501170480.jpeg" alt="Timothy Brown/Buchanan County Sheriff's photo" />
 <figcaption>Timothy Brown/Buchanan County Sheriff's photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 52-year-old St. Joseph man convicted by a Buchanan County
jury of child molestation has been sentenced to 64 years in prison.Fifth Judicial Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg sentenced Timothy
Brown on four separate counts involving sexual assault against a minor. Kellogg
sentenced Brown to 50 years in prison for statutory sodomy. He also sentenced
Brown to 10 years for enticement of a child and another 10 years for child
molestation, but both sentences are to be served concurrently. Brown has also been
sentenced to 4 years for sexual misconduct of a minor.Brown volunteered for the youth group at Frederick Boulevard
Baptist Church in St. Joseph. The jury in November found Brown guilty of
sexually molesting a 14-year-old girl.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post
@StJosephPost.

St. Joseph man sentenced to 64 years in prison for child molestation

Missouri Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe has chosen a St. Joseph native
to become the next Missouri Adjutant General.

Kehoe will appoint Brigadier General Charles D. Hausman as the
next Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard, the state’s senior
military officer. 

The change of command will take place February 1st, following
the selection of Major General Levon E. Cumpton to serve as the U.S. Army
Europe and Africa’s Chief of Staff and Deputy Commanding General for the Army
National Guard.

“General Hausman’s distinguished career is underscored by his
strong character, remarkable leadership, and solid dedication to our great
state and nation,” Gov.-Elect Kehoe said in a written statement released by his
staff. “His record of excellence will be invaluable as he guides the Guard with
an unwavering commitment to ensuring the Missouri National Guard is manned,
trained, equipped and resourced for its dual state and federal missions.”

Hausman has more than 36 years of service in the Missouri
National Guard, and currently serves full time as an Army Assistant Adjutant
General.

“I am humbled and honored by Governor-Elect Kehoe’s confidence
in me, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to lead the Soldiers and
Airmen of the Missouri National Guard. It is my great privilege to serve the
people of Missouri,” Brigadier General Hausman said in a written statement. 

Hausman has commanded at every level from company to brigade
and held key staff positions such as Executive Officer of the 35th Combat
Aviation Brigade, Deputy Director of Manpower and Personnel of Joint Force
Headquarters, Deputy Commander of 70th Troop Command, and Director of Aviation
and Safety of Joint Force Headquarters.

Hausman has also served abroad including in Iraq, Kuwait, and
Afghanistan.

Hausman is a seasoned aviation officer and combat veteran. He
has earned multiple military awards including the Distinguished Service Medal,
Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and Master Army Aviator
Badge.

Hausman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation
Technology from the University of Central Missouri in 1991 and a Master of
Science degree in Aviation Safety at UCM in 1993. He completed a Master of Arts
degree in National Security and Strategic Studies through the United States
Naval War College in 2015. 

Hausman is a native of Saint Joseph, Missouri. He currently
resides in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, and has two adult children,
Alex and Libby.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736424110416.jpeg" alt="Brigadier General Charles D. Hausman/Photo courtesy of Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe's office" />
 <figcaption>Brigadier General Charles D. Hausman/Photo courtesy of Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe's office</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe has chosen a St. Joseph native
to become the next Missouri Adjutant General.Kehoe will appoint Brigadier General Charles D. Hausman as the
next Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard, the state’s senior
military officer. The change of command will take place February 1st, following
the selection of Major General Levon E. Cumpton to serve as the U.S. Army
Europe and Africa’s Chief of Staff and Deputy Commanding General for the Army
National Guard.“General Hausman’s distinguished career is underscored by his
strong character, remarkable leadership, and solid dedication to our great
state and nation,” Gov.-Elect Kehoe said in a written statement released by his
staff. “His record of excellence will be invaluable as he guides the Guard with
an unwavering commitment to ensuring the Missouri National Guard is manned,
trained, equipped and resourced for its dual state and federal missions.”Hausman has more than 36 years of service in the Missouri
National Guard, and currently serves full time as an Army Assistant Adjutant
General.“I am humbled and honored by Governor-Elect Kehoe’s confidence
in me, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to lead the Soldiers and
Airmen of the Missouri National Guard. It is my great privilege to serve the
people of Missouri,” Brigadier General Hausman said in a written statement. Hausman has commanded at every level from company to brigade
and held key staff positions such as Executive Officer of the 35th Combat
Aviation Brigade, Deputy Director of Manpower and Personnel of Joint Force
Headquarters, Deputy Commander of 70th Troop Command, and Director of Aviation
and Safety of Joint Force Headquarters.Hausman has also served abroad including in Iraq, Kuwait, and
Afghanistan.Hausman is a seasoned aviation officer and combat veteran. He
has earned multiple military awards including the Distinguished Service Medal,
Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and Master Army Aviator
Badge.Hausman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation
Technology from the University of Central Missouri in 1991 and a Master of
Science degree in Aviation Safety at UCM in 1993. He completed a Master of Arts
degree in National Security and Strategic Studies through the United States
Naval War College in 2015. Hausman is a native of Saint Joseph, Missouri. He currently
resides in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, and has two adult children,
Alex and Libby.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph native to become next Missouri Adjutant General

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley -- the only current member of congress who was serving when Jimmy Carter was president -- says Carter was a man of many talents. 

Grassley says he and Carter were bitten by different political bugs, but had the same foundational experience as two small town boys, anchored in their faith. Grassley, who turned 91 in September, was born in New Hartford, Iowa and his childhood home did not have electricity or indoor plumbing. Carter's family home in Plains, Georgia, did not have electricity and running water until Carter was a teenager. 

Grassley, during a speech in the U-S Senate yesterday,said there's no doubt Carter lived a life of service, even beyond the borders of the United States. Carter's funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington is scheduled to begin today at 10 a-m Iowa time.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley -- the only current member of congress who was serving when Jimmy Carter was president -- says Carter was a man of many talents. Grassley says he and Carter were bitten by different political bugs, but had the same foundational experience as two small town boys, anchored in their faith. Grassley, who turned 91 in September, was born in New Hartford, Iowa and his childhood home did not have electricity or indoor plumbing. Carter's family home in Plains, Georgia, did not have electricity and running water until Carter was a teenager. Grassley, during a speech in the U-S Senate yesterday,said there's no doubt Carter lived a life of service, even beyond the borders of the United States. Carter's funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington is scheduled to begin today at 10 a-m Iowa time.

Iowa Senator Grassley delivers tribute to Jimmy Carter

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The Republican from Lee’s Summit received 152 votes. His rival, state Rep. Justin Sparks, garnered only 10

The Missouri legislature made history Wednesday as Republicans elected the first Asian-American speaker of the House and the first woman to be president pro tem of the state Senate.

In the House, state Rep. Jon Patterson of Lee’s Summit won an overwhelming victory over a challenger from&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/08/house-speaker-fight-battles-over-abortion-rights-and-taxes-loom-as-missouri-lawmakers-return/">within the Republican conference</a>, state Rep. Justin Sparks, helped to the 152-10 victory by votes from minority Democrats.

State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, a Republican from Shelbina, was elected unanimously to be the upper chamber’s top job after two years as the GOP floor leader.

At a news conference after the House session, Patterson called the challenge “disappointing” and said Sparks forced the vote for personal reasons.

“This was not about Amendment 3 (which restored abortion rights) or any policy agenda,” Patterson said. “This was a person with an oceanic ego who took it upon himself to make this day about himself.”

Patterson, the majority leader in the previous General Assembly who was nominated months ago by the Republican conference. Sparks’ bid was always a longshot because he needed at least 30 votes to prevent Patterson from winning a majority on Republican votes alone.

When Democrats nominated their floor leader, state Rep. Ashley Aune of Kansas City, she withdrew and urged colleagues to support Patterson, ending any chance Sparks had of blocking the election.

In nominating Patterson, Republican state Rep. Phil Amato of Arnold told a story about meeting and playing golf with him, only later to learn he is a surgeon.

“Right then and there I knew this man had his feet firmly planted on the ground,” Amato said.

Aune, who represents the 52 Democrats in the chamber, said she was encouraged that Patterson will be a fair leader who will represent the chamber well.

“I am confident,” she said, “he will be a speaker for all 163 members.”

At a Democratic news conference after the session, Aune said she told Patterson ahead of the vote that she intended to withdraw. She received no promises but said she and Patterson have a respectful relationship and she expects that to continue.

“We work very well together, and while I haven’t been given explicit assurances,” Aune said, “what I will say is I do trust him to be fair and to listen to me and to my caucus members when we have an issue.”

Sparks based his campaign on a call for changes to the House rules and objections to the fundraising tactics of the House Republican majority. In nominating Sparks, freshman state Rep. Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve said the chamber needs reform.

“The speaker holds a level of authority that would make even a monarch blush,” Wolfin said. “The culture in this building discourages dissent and rewards obedience to leadership over the service to our constituents.”

The odds against Sparks’ bid are shown by the rarity of successful efforts to block the majority party’s nominee from becoming speaker. The last time was in 1996, when 11 Democrats voted present and four joined Republicans to prevent the election of state Rep. Sam Leake to replace outgoing Speaker Bob Griffin, who resigned midway through a term.

The defeat forced Democrats to select a new candidate, state Rep. Steve Gaw, who was able to unite his caucus.

After winning the election, Patterson told the House in a prepared speech that he wanted to address issues unfinished from last year, enact bills to help cities recruit and retain police officers and limit the availability of abortion, made legal again in Missouri by a voter-enacted constitutional amendment.

“While we respect the will of the voters, we must clarify the provisions of Amendment 3 and make Missouri the most pro-life state it can be,” Patterson said.

That does not include attempting to repeal Amendment 3, Patters said at his news conference.&nbsp;He also said he does not support efforts to roll back the provisions of Proposition A, which raised the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour and requires most employers to provide paid sick and family leave starting May 1.

“We may take a look at some of the provisions, but I have not heard serious discussions about repeal, and I don’t favor delaying implementation,” Patterson said.

The unfinished business, Patterson said, includes legislation to prevent the state from&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/bill-stopping-missouri-from-seizing-benefits-owed-to-foster-kids-advances-in-senate/">seizing Social Security benefits</a>&nbsp;from foster children who qualify for disability benefits or whose parents have died. He also called for increased funding for mental health services for children.

“We must prioritize the most vulnerable among us, especially our foster children,” Patterson said.

Other unfinished business, Patterson said, is legislation to encourage businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/03/tax-credits-to-expand-child-care-among-hundreds-of-bills-filed-for-2025-missouri-legislature/">to provide on-site child care</a>&nbsp;and expansion of existing child care centers.

“Missouri’s families continue to be burdened with trying to find childcare spots that are too hard to find and too expensive,” he said.

In the Senate, O’Laughlin set an agenda focused on issues affecting children, including the foster care system, education and health.&nbsp;

“When families and communities are strong, when children are well nourished and well educated and when our streets are safe, Missouri thrives,” she said.

O’Laughlin said the state needs to address the “root causes of poverty and addiction” in child welfare cases.

“If you take a hard look at our child welfare system, you will see a system that is failing,” she said. “Failing to meet families where they are, failing to understand their struggles and failing to provide meaningful assistance in their time of need.”

O’Laughlin also advocated for a “refocus on results that matter” in education, pointing to the state’s low rate of children being about to read at grade level, and for a tough-on-crime approach that doesn’t “release[] dangerous individuals back onto the streets to reoffend.”&nbsp;

She emphasized her role as the first woman elected president pro tem of the state Senate.&nbsp;

“And as a woman, I’ve seen firsthand how the role of the family has been transformed and sadly, too often, trivialized,” she said. “Mothers have been undervalued. Fathers have been dismissed. And the institution of marriage has been diminished.”

Several women who previously served in the Senate attended in celebration.&nbsp;

“We must support strong, healthy families, expand access to quality education, ensure safe neighborhoods and set high expectations for the next generation,” O’Laughlin said. “This is the foundation for success and prosperity.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736422668072.png" alt=" House Speaker Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, speaks to reporters Wednesday after defeating Republican rival Justin Sparks. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)" />
 <figcaption> House Speaker Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, speaks to reporters Wednesday after defeating Republican rival Justin Sparks. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a> <h2>The Republican from Lee’s Summit received 152 votes. His rival, state Rep. Justin Sparks, garnered only 10</h2>The Missouri legislature made history Wednesday as Republicans elected the first Asian-American speaker of the House and the first woman to be president pro tem of the state Senate.In the House, state Rep. Jon Patterson of Lee’s Summit won an overwhelming victory over a challenger from&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/08/house-speaker-fight-battles-over-abortion-rights-and-taxes-loom-as-missouri-lawmakers-return/">within the Republican conference</a>, state Rep. Justin Sparks, helped to the 152-10 victory by votes from minority Democrats.State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, a Republican from Shelbina, was elected unanimously to be the upper chamber’s top job after two years as the GOP floor leader.At a news conference after the House session, Patterson called the challenge “disappointing” and said Sparks forced the vote for personal reasons.“This was not about Amendment 3 (which restored abortion rights) or any policy agenda,” Patterson said. “This was a person with an oceanic ego who took it upon himself to make this day about himself.”Patterson, the majority leader in the previous General Assembly who was nominated months ago by the Republican conference. Sparks’ bid was always a longshot because he needed at least 30 votes to prevent Patterson from winning a majority on Republican votes alone.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736422623955.png" alt=" House Minority Leader Ashley Aune of Kansas City, surrounded by members of the Democratic caucus, speaks Wednesday at news conference after the 2025 legislative session opened. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> House Minority Leader Ashley Aune of Kansas City, surrounded by members of the Democratic caucus, speaks Wednesday at news conference after the 2025 legislative session opened. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure>When Democrats nominated their floor leader, state Rep. Ashley Aune of Kansas City, she withdrew and urged colleagues to support Patterson, ending any chance Sparks had of blocking the election.In nominating Patterson, Republican state Rep. Phil Amato of Arnold told a story about meeting and playing golf with him, only later to learn he is a surgeon.“Right then and there I knew this man had his feet firmly planted on the ground,” Amato said.Aune, who represents the 52 Democrats in the chamber, said she was encouraged that Patterson will be a fair leader who will represent the chamber well.“I am confident,” she said, “he will be a speaker for all 163 members.”At a Democratic news conference after the session, Aune said she told Patterson ahead of the vote that she intended to withdraw. She received no promises but said she and Patterson have a respectful relationship and she expects that to continue.“We work very well together, and while I haven’t been given explicit assurances,” Aune said, “what I will say is I do trust him to be fair and to listen to me and to my caucus members when we have an issue.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736422582767.png" alt=" State Rep. Justin Sparks, R-Wildwood, greets a supporter following a rally of supporters backing his bid to be Missouri House Speaker. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> State Rep. Justin Sparks, R-Wildwood, greets a supporter following a rally of supporters backing his bid to be Missouri House Speaker. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure>Sparks based his campaign on a call for changes to the House rules and objections to the fundraising tactics of the House Republican majority. In nominating Sparks, freshman state Rep. Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve said the chamber needs reform.“The speaker holds a level of authority that would make even a monarch blush,” Wolfin said. “The culture in this building discourages dissent and rewards obedience to leadership over the service to our constituents.”The odds against Sparks’ bid are shown by the rarity of successful efforts to block the majority party’s nominee from becoming speaker. The last time was in 1996, when 11 Democrats voted present and four joined Republicans to prevent the election of state Rep. Sam Leake to replace outgoing Speaker Bob Griffin, who resigned midway through a term.The defeat forced Democrats to select a new candidate, state Rep. Steve Gaw, who was able to unite his caucus.After winning the election, Patterson told the House in a prepared speech that he wanted to address issues unfinished from last year, enact bills to help cities recruit and retain police officers and limit the availability of abortion, made legal again in Missouri by a voter-enacted constitutional amendment.“While we respect the will of the voters, we must clarify the provisions of Amendment 3 and make Missouri the most pro-life state it can be,” Patterson said.That does not include attempting to repeal Amendment 3, Patters said at his news conference.&nbsp;He also said he does not support efforts to roll back the provisions of Proposition A, which raised the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour and requires most employers to provide paid sick and family leave starting May 1.“We may take a look at some of the provisions, but I have not heard serious discussions about repeal, and I don’t favor delaying implementation,” Patterson said.The unfinished business, Patterson said, includes legislation to prevent the state from&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/bill-stopping-missouri-from-seizing-benefits-owed-to-foster-kids-advances-in-senate/">seizing Social Security benefits</a>&nbsp;from foster children who qualify for disability benefits or whose parents have died. He also called for increased funding for mental health services for children.“We must prioritize the most vulnerable among us, especially our foster children,” Patterson said.Other unfinished business, Patterson said, is legislation to encourage businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/03/tax-credits-to-expand-child-care-among-hundreds-of-bills-filed-for-2025-missouri-legislature/">to provide on-site child care</a>&nbsp;and expansion of existing child care centers.“Missouri’s families continue to be burdened with trying to find childcare spots that are too hard to find and too expensive,” he said.In the Senate, O’Laughlin set an agenda focused on issues affecting children, including the foster care system, education and health.&nbsp;“When families and communities are strong, when children are well nourished and well educated and when our streets are safe, Missouri thrives,” she said.O’Laughlin said the state needs to address the “root causes of poverty and addiction” in child welfare cases.“If you take a hard look at our child welfare system, you will see a system that is failing,” she said. “Failing to meet families where they are, failing to understand their struggles and failing to provide meaningful assistance in their time of need.”O’Laughlin also advocated for a “refocus on results that matter” in education, pointing to the state’s low rate of children being about to read at grade level, and for a tough-on-crime approach that doesn’t “release[] dangerous individuals back onto the streets to reoffend.”&nbsp;She emphasized her role as the first woman elected president pro tem of the state Senate.&nbsp;“And as a woman, I’ve seen firsthand how the role of the family has been transformed and sadly, too often, trivialized,” she said. “Mothers have been undervalued. Fathers have been dismissed. And the institution of marriage has been diminished.”Several women who previously served in the Senate attended in celebration.&nbsp;“We must support strong, healthy families, expand access to quality education, ensure safe neighborhoods and set high expectations for the next generation,” O’Laughlin said. “This is the foundation for success and prosperity.”

Jon Patterson easily wins race for Missouri House speaker over right-wing challenger

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;

<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.”

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