By CLARA BATES&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Lawmakers trying to ban child marriage in Missouri hope a last-minute push in the legislative session’s final days can overcome opposition from some Republicans that put the bill’s chances in doubt.&nbsp;

A bill outlawing 16 and 17 years old from getting married stalled in a House committee when a handful of Republicans voiced opposition. There are five days left before lawmakers adjourn for the year.

Republican state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City told The Independent last week that a last-ditch effort to save the legislation could take place as early as Monday, when she expects it to be added as an amendment to another bill.&nbsp;

“There’s more opposition than I thought there would be,” she said. “But you know, I think that overall, it’s generational, and I haven’t had any women opposed come and talk to me about this.”

Under current Missouri law, anyone under 16 is prohibited from getting married. But 16 and 17 year olds can get married with parental consent to anyone under 21.

Those in favor of the ban argue child marriage is coercive and can transform into forced marriage, especially because children&nbsp;lack the legal rights of adulthood. Almost all minors married to adults are girls, data shows, and child marriage is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/">associated with</a>&nbsp;higher rates of dropping out of high school and later poverty.

But while Rehder’s bill, which she co-sponsored with Democratic state Sen. Lauren Arthur of Kansas City, sailed through the Senate nearly unanimously, it is stuck in a House committee due to critics who say a ban constitutes government overreach and would clash with parental rights.&nbsp;

Fraidy Reiss, an activist who founded the nonprofit against forced marriage Unchained at Last and has been active in testifying in support of the bill in Missouri, called the opposition “horrifying.”

“How can anybody be opposed to legislation that costs nothing, harms no one and ends a human rights abuse?” Fraidy said in an interview with The Independent. “It is shameful it has not already passed and shameful that we’re coming up against the end of the legislative session. And we still don’t know for sure whether legislators are going to do this.”

Proponents hope to tack on the child marriage ban as an amendment to another of Rehder’s bills that deals with children. Rehder said she wants a roll call vote on the amendment, rather than a voice vote, which would show exactly how many and which legislators are opposed.

Republican state Rep. Jim Murphy of St. Louis chairs the House committee where the child marriage ban is stuck. He told The Independent that he supports ending child marriage but doesn’t have the votes to advance the bill to the full House.&nbsp;

Murphy said he was “surprised” that changing the minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18 got as much pushback as it did.&nbsp;

State Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, Republican of Savannah and the vice chair of the committee, was one of the voices in opposition.

“It’s government intrusion in people’s lives,” he said in an interview with The Independent on Friday.&nbsp;

Asked what would be lost if 16 and 17 year olds couldn’t get marriage permits anymore, Van Schoiack replied, “Liberties that people currently have.”

“After what’s been through the press and what people are doing, I’m not changing my position now,” he said. “I don’t typically change my mind very easily.”

Other lawmakers who voiced concerns about the bill in committee include GOP state Reps. Ben Baker of Neosho and Mitch Boggs of LaRussell.

Rehder said the concerns about government overreach are “ridiculous” because the state government already sets a minimum age, “so why not set it at the age of when you’re an adult?”

“To me, a parent should not be signing their child into a lifetime commitment. That’s a decision you make for yourself as an adult,” said Rehder, who got married at 15 and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/29/missouri-lawmakers-seek-to-ban-child-marriage-without-exception/">has said</a>&nbsp;she didn’t realize at the time she was not operating under an adult mindset.

Until the legislature voted to raise the minimum marriage age to 16 in 2018, Missouri had among the most&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article204329774.html">lenient</a>&nbsp;child marriage laws in the nation — making it an especially popular state for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article204287484.html">15-year-olds</a>&nbsp;to travel to be married.

Despite the 2018 change, Missouri law still does not align with international human rights standards, which set the minimum age at 18.&nbsp;

Fraidy said around 70 minors every year are entered into marriage in Missouri.

“There’s no input required from the minor when they’re married — it’s their parent signing a form. There’s no recourse for a teen that doesn’t want to marry.

“And then once they’re married, they’re trapped because they can’t even file for divorce. So it’s about ending this nightmarish legal trap,” Fraidy said.

Missouri would join 12 states that have in recent years banned child marriage if the legislation passes.

Rehder said she hopes the House will attach the ban to a wide-ranging&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=229">bill</a>&nbsp;about children that bars the state from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/29/legislation-aims-to-stop-missouri-from-taking-federal-benefits-owed-to-foster-kids/">seizing foster children’s Social Security benefits.</a>&nbsp;That bill will be handled by Republican state Rep. Wendy Hausman, Rehder said. Republican state Rep. Chris Dinkins, who is handling the House version of the child marriage bill, will be working to help Hausman get the amendment on, Rehder said.&nbsp;

Timing is critical, as any changes to the bill would require it to return to the Senate, which has been bogged down in gridlock for much of the legislative session.&nbsp;

All bills must be approved and sent to the governor by 6 p.m. Friday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715627548875.png" alt=" Sen. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, presents a resolution on the Senate floor Feb. 12 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Sen. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, presents a resolution on the Senate floor Feb. 12 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By CLARA BATES&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Lawmakers trying to ban child marriage in Missouri hope a last-minute push in the legislative session’s final days can overcome opposition from some Republicans that put the bill’s chances in doubt.&nbsp;A bill outlawing 16 and 17 years old from getting married stalled in a House committee when a handful of Republicans voiced opposition. There are five days left before lawmakers adjourn for the year.Republican state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City told The Independent last week that a last-ditch effort to save the legislation could take place as early as Monday, when she expects it to be added as an amendment to another bill.&nbsp;“There’s more opposition than I thought there would be,” she said. “But you know, I think that overall, it’s generational, and I haven’t had any women opposed come and talk to me about this.”Under current Missouri law, anyone under 16 is prohibited from getting married. But 16 and 17 year olds can get married with parental consent to anyone under 21.Those in favor of the ban argue child marriage is coercive and can transform into forced marriage, especially because children&nbsp;lack the legal rights of adulthood. Almost all minors married to adults are girls, data shows, and child marriage is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/">associated with</a>&nbsp;higher rates of dropping out of high school and later poverty.But while Rehder’s bill, which she co-sponsored with Democratic state Sen. Lauren Arthur of Kansas City, sailed through the Senate nearly unanimously, it is stuck in a House committee due to critics who say a ban constitutes government overreach and would clash with parental rights.&nbsp;Fraidy Reiss, an activist who founded the nonprofit against forced marriage Unchained at Last and has been active in testifying in support of the bill in Missouri, called the opposition “horrifying.”“How can anybody be opposed to legislation that costs nothing, harms no one and ends a human rights abuse?” Fraidy said in an interview with The Independent. “It is shameful it has not already passed and shameful that we’re coming up against the end of the legislative session. And we still don’t know for sure whether legislators are going to do this.”Proponents hope to tack on the child marriage ban as an amendment to another of Rehder’s bills that deals with children. Rehder said she wants a roll call vote on the amendment, rather than a voice vote, which would show exactly how many and which legislators are opposed.Republican state Rep. Jim Murphy of St. Louis chairs the House committee where the child marriage ban is stuck. He told The Independent that he supports ending child marriage but doesn’t have the votes to advance the bill to the full House.&nbsp;Murphy said he was “surprised” that changing the minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18 got as much pushback as it did.&nbsp;State Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, Republican of Savannah and the vice chair of the committee, was one of the voices in opposition.“It’s government intrusion in people’s lives,” he said in an interview with The Independent on Friday.&nbsp;Asked what would be lost if 16 and 17 year olds couldn’t get marriage permits anymore, Van Schoiack replied, “Liberties that people currently have.”“After what’s been through the press and what people are doing, I’m not changing my position now,” he said. “I don’t typically change my mind very easily.”Other lawmakers who voiced concerns about the bill in committee include GOP state Reps. Ben Baker of Neosho and Mitch Boggs of LaRussell.Rehder said the concerns about government overreach are “ridiculous” because the state government already sets a minimum age, “so why not set it at the age of when you’re an adult?”“To me, a parent should not be signing their child into a lifetime commitment. That’s a decision you make for yourself as an adult,” said Rehder, who got married at 15 and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/29/missouri-lawmakers-seek-to-ban-child-marriage-without-exception/">has said</a>&nbsp;she didn’t realize at the time she was not operating under an adult mindset.Until the legislature voted to raise the minimum marriage age to 16 in 2018, Missouri had among the most&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article204329774.html">lenient</a>&nbsp;child marriage laws in the nation — making it an especially popular state for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article204287484.html">15-year-olds</a>&nbsp;to travel to be married.Despite the 2018 change, Missouri law still does not align with international human rights standards, which set the minimum age at 18.&nbsp;Fraidy said around 70 minors every year are entered into marriage in Missouri.“There’s no input required from the minor when they’re married — it’s their parent signing a form. There’s no recourse for a teen that doesn’t want to marry.“And then once they’re married, they’re trapped because they can’t even file for divorce. So it’s about ending this nightmarish legal trap,” Fraidy said.Missouri would join 12 states that have in recent years banned child marriage if the legislation passes.Rehder said she hopes the House will attach the ban to a wide-ranging&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=229">bill</a>&nbsp;about children that bars the state from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/29/legislation-aims-to-stop-missouri-from-taking-federal-benefits-owed-to-foster-kids/">seizing foster children’s Social Security benefits.</a>&nbsp;That bill will be handled by Republican state Rep. Wendy Hausman, Rehder said. Republican state Rep. Chris Dinkins, who is handling the House version of the child marriage bill, will be working to help Hausman get the amendment on, Rehder said.&nbsp;Timing is critical, as any changes to the bill would require it to return to the Senate, which has been bogged down in gridlock for much of the legislative session.&nbsp;All bills must be approved and sent to the governor by 6 p.m. Friday.&nbsp;

Last-ditch push to ban child marriage in Missouri must overcome resistance in House

An effort to clean up the Missouri River in St.
Joseph gets underway Saturday.

<a href="https://riverrelief.org/">Missouri River Relief</a> sponsors clean-up efforts
up and down the Missouri, from Omaha to St. Louis.

Alyssa Thomas with Missouri River Relief says
many who volunteer receive a bit of a shock about what is pulled out of the
Missouri River. 

“Everyone’s pretty surprised, especially their
first time out on the river,” Thomas tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “As an
organization that does this pretty consistently, we’re not really surprised by
anything anymore. But we have a little activity we do call the trash contest. When
we send volunteers out, we ask them to bring some cool finds that they find.”

The Saturday morning clean-up begins at nine o’clock
at the French Bottom river access. As many as 150 volunteers will work to fish
trash out of the Missouri River over a 10-mile stretch. The clean-up will take
about two hours. Volunteers will be fed lunch.

Thomas says too many people fail to understand
the importance of the Missouri River.

“It’s our drinking water for a lot of Missourians,”
Thomas says. “It’s a resource that we should be protecting and a lot of people
need to be aware of that.”

Missouri River Relief sponsors river clean-ups
from Omaha to St. Louis.

Thomas says the aim of the effort is
two-fold:&nbsp; clean up the Missouri River
and connect people with the Missouri.

“We are doing something big as far as cleanups go,”
Thomas says. “We pull out tons of trash, but also, the best results come from
people getting out there, experiencing an amazing resource that they probably
have never been out on before; taking that back home to their community,
spreading that awareness.”

Missouri River Relief works with the Missouri
Department of Conservation as well as the City of St. Joseph and Buchanan
County. Sponsors of the project include Spire, Missouri American Water, and Hy
Vee. Its partners include Beautify St. Joseph, Sustainable Environmental Action
Committee of St. Joseph, St. Joseph Water Protections, the Missouri Stream
Team, and the Missouri River Bird Observatory.

The Missouri River Bird Observatory will conduct
an audit of the trash pulled from the river in an effort to determine is
origin.

Click <a href="https://riverrelief.org/programs/river-cleanups/upcoming-cleanups/">HERE</a> for more information on volunteering.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715614421588.jpeg" alt="Missouri River/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Missouri River/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn effort to clean up the Missouri River in St.
Joseph gets underway Saturday.<a href="https://riverrelief.org/">Missouri River Relief</a> sponsors clean-up efforts
up and down the Missouri, from Omaha to St. Louis.Alyssa Thomas with Missouri River Relief says
many who volunteer receive a bit of a shock about what is pulled out of the
Missouri River. “Everyone’s pretty surprised, especially their
first time out on the river,” Thomas tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “As an
organization that does this pretty consistently, we’re not really surprised by
anything anymore. But we have a little activity we do call the trash contest. When
we send volunteers out, we ask them to bring some cool finds that they find.”The Saturday morning clean-up begins at nine o’clock
at the French Bottom river access. As many as 150 volunteers will work to fish
trash out of the Missouri River over a 10-mile stretch. The clean-up will take
about two hours. Volunteers will be fed lunch.Thomas says too many people fail to understand
the importance of the Missouri River.“It’s our drinking water for a lot of Missourians,”
Thomas says. “It’s a resource that we should be protecting and a lot of people
need to be aware of that.”Missouri River Relief sponsors river clean-ups
from Omaha to St. Louis.Thomas says the aim of the effort is
two-fold:&nbsp; clean up the Missouri River
and connect people with the Missouri.“We are doing something big as far as cleanups go,”
Thomas says. “We pull out tons of trash, but also, the best results come from
people getting out there, experiencing an amazing resource that they probably
have never been out on before; taking that back home to their community,
spreading that awareness.”Missouri River Relief works with the Missouri
Department of Conservation as well as the City of St. Joseph and Buchanan
County. Sponsors of the project include Spire, Missouri American Water, and Hy
Vee. Its partners include Beautify St. Joseph, Sustainable Environmental Action
Committee of St. Joseph, St. Joseph Water Protections, the Missouri Stream
Team, and the Missouri River Bird Observatory.The Missouri River Bird Observatory will conduct
an audit of the trash pulled from the river in an effort to determine is
origin.Click <a href="https://riverrelief.org/programs/river-cleanups/upcoming-cleanups/">HERE</a> for more information on volunteering.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Cleaning-up-the-muddy-Missouri-e2jjp88" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

To clean up a river:  Missouri River clean-up effort launches in St. Joseph Saturday

St. Joseph police are investigating an early morning shooting.

Police say it appears the passenger in a vehicle shot 5-to-7
shots into the air at the corner of 10th and Henry around 2:30 this morning.

No one was harmed in the shooting and it appears no property
was damaged.

Police do have a suspect vehicle. No suspect has been taken
into custody. The investigation continues.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph police are investigating an early morning shooting.Police say it appears the passenger in a vehicle shot 5-to-7
shots into the air at the corner of 10th and Henry around 2:30 this morning.No one was harmed in the shooting and it appears no property
was damaged.Police do have a suspect vehicle. No suspect has been taken
into custody. The investigation continues.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Shots fired in St. Joseph, no one harmed

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/dmitrymartirosov/">DMITRY MARTIROSOV</a>

There’s been a steady push by Republicans this legislative session to regulate voting laws in Missouri.

It isn’t new, but it’s been gaining steam.

The bills seek to regulate — or restrict — provisions around who can vote and how, the way votes are counted and other matters related to election security.

Almost all aim to address concerns that either don’t exist or to prevent changes from ever happening.

Republicans want to ensure that only U.S. citizens can vote, but the Missouri Constitution and voting requirements from the secretary of state’s office already outline that requirement.

Republicans want to ban foreign governments from funding constitutional amendments, but the Missouri Constitution addresses foreign influence in elections as well.

Republicans want to ramp up election security by creating a new division that would investigate claims of election fraud, but such division already exists and has been active for more than 10 years.

Republicans want to ban ranked-choice voting, but the voting practice is not established in state law. St. Louis practices a version of it for local elections.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that is often cited by Republicans, has ranked Missouri sixth nationally in its Election Integrity Scorecard.

What is driving Republicans to pursue these voting measures?

For one lawmaker, it’s about election integrity. For another, it’s about being proactive.

Opponents say these efforts are driven by “anti-immigrant bigotry” and a desire for “consolidation of power.”

Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican, has been vocal all session about amending the Missouri Constitution to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in Missouri. He takes issue with language in the state constitution that he believes isn’t clear enough on who can and cannot vote in the state.

Article 8 Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution states that “All citizens of the United States … over the age of eighteen who are residents of this state … are entitled to vote.” Hoskins wants “All” changed to “Only” to tame the possibility of noncitizens voting in elections.

But opponents say the constitution is unambiguous on the issue and point to what they believe is behind this rhetoric.

“That just taps into this whole anti-immigrant bigotry fueled by (former President Donald) Trump and is kind of the norm in our American society today,” said Rep. David Tyson Smith, a Democrat from Columbia.

“You keep pushing this envelope, like, ‘How far can I push this?’ and that leads to other things,” Smith added. “And that’s dangerous.”

Hoskins might get his wish later this year if a proposal aiming to increase the threshold needed to approve constitutional amendments gets one more affirmative vote in the Senate.

In addition to the threshold requirement, the proposal, sponsored by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold, would ask voters whether the constitution should be changed to reflect that only U.S. citizens can vote on constitutional amendments and to ban constitutional amendments sponsored by foreign governments.

The proposal has been a focus of Democrats who claim the intention of the two latter provisions is to mislead voters and act as a distraction.

“It takes away from the conversation — and that’s the point of it,” said Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, a Democrat from Independence.

Rizzo, now in his 14th and final year in the legislature, said the push behind Coleman’s proposed changes to the threshold for approving constitutional amendments is driven in part by a desire for Republicans to consolidate power.

“They have had the supermajority for so long now that the only thing left for them to take away is the ability for people to go around them,” he said. “It just drives them crazy that there is an ability for people to have a voice in government that doesn’t go through them.”

“What we’ve seen is, since Missouri has become a more red Republican state, the minority and out-of-state special interests have come in and sponsored some ballot measures in order to try and get something passed,” Hoskins said.

“So it seems like the liberal special interests are, since they can’t get stuff through the legislature because we have supermajorities of all Republicans … they’re coming in and trying to bypass the legislature and put something on the ballot,” he said.

Out of all the proposals by Republicans this session aimed at regulating voting, Coleman’s has drawn the most opposition and scorn. But it isn’t the only one.

Ranked-choice voting does not occur in Missouri. It’s a practice where voters rank their preferred candidates on one ballot so their votes can be redistributed among top vote getters until a winner is declared after receiving a majority of the vote. Yet Republicans want it banned, saying it’s too confusing.

“I don’t see a good justification to insert a great deal of chaos into the ballot box,” said Rep. Alex Riley, a Springfield Republican.

Riley said he fears ranked-choice voting would create unnecessary turmoil for voters who might not follow the necessary steps needed to fill in a ballot.

The proposal to ban ranked-choice voting, sponsored by Sen. Ben Brown, a Republican Washington, is one vote away from being placed on the ballot and has received increased attention this session partly because, similar to Coleman’s bill, it would also ask voters whether the state constitution should be amended to allow only U.S. citizens to vote.

But whereas Coleman’s proposal only addresses constitutional amendments when referring to the citizenship requirement, Brown’s proposal includes all voting in the state.

Smith, who’s had a front-row seat to discussions regarding voting as a member of the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee, doesn’t see the point.

“We don’t have an epidemic of voting problems in America with undocumented people voting,” he said. “That’s not an epidemic, that’s not a problem, that’s not a crisis.”

Smith is correct as far as Missouri’s concerned.

“I’m not aware of that sort of activity on any kind of a large scale,” said JoDonn Chaney, director of communications for the secretary of state’s office, referring to non-U.S. citizens voting in Missouri.

Still, Republicans say they want to be proactive.

“Putting some additional protections within the constitution itself … whether we have massive numbers of illegal immigrants voting in Missouri, I can’t point to that and say, ‘Yeah, we do.’ I can’t say that we don’t. I think that’d be really hard to tell,” Riley said.

“But, to address that issue going forward … it makes sense to me to put some additional language, some additional safeguards in the state constitution itself,” he said.

Republicans take a similar approach of placing protective measures around foreign governments’ ability to make contributions to election campaigns or ballot initiatives.

Hoskins, a candidate for secretary of state, said he believes foreign interference in elections is occurring in Missouri. But when asked if he could provide an example, Hoskins said he couldn’t because of the complexity of the process.

“I believe that foreign governments would not just give directly to one PAC that is promoting or trying to kill an initiative or something that’s on the ballot,” he said.

“It’s probably funneled through a million different ways, four or five different LLCs or companies or PACs or non-for-profits before it actually got to the place where they bought the ads or radio, TV, social media, newspaper, whatever it is,” Hoskins said. “And that’s where it’s very tough to follow the money trail.”

Elizabeth Ziegler, executive director of the Missouri Ethics Commission, which is charged with overseeing campaign finance reports, said the agency doesn’t have “any final enforcement actions toward contributions (to) campaign finance committees from foreign nationals.”

Article 8 Section 23, paragraph (16) of the Missouri Constitution also provides protections against contributions made by foreign governments, whether they go toward a candidate committee, campaign committee or a ballot measure:

“(16) No campaign committee, candidate committee, continuing committee, exploratory committee, political party committee, and political party shall knowingly accept contributions from:

(a) Any natural person who is not a citizen of the United States;

(c) Any foreign corporation that does not have the authority to transact business in this state pursuant to chapter 347, RSMo, as amended from time to time.”

Peverill Squire, a political science professor at the University of Missouri, said there are two underlying reasons he believes are behind Republicans’ motivation to push measures intended to make it harder to vote.

“First, it is a way to appeal to GOP primary voters,” Squire said. “Republican incumbents want to make sure that they are not vulnerable to a challenge from their right. Second, there is a calculation that making voting harder will hurt Democratic voters more than Republican voters, though that may not prove to be the case.”

This is an election year for state offices and many Republican incumbents who are termed-out in the legislature are running for various statewide offices. As a result, rhetoric on the Senate floor this session has been filled with talk that sounded more and more like campaign speeches.

“Ultimately, this push, it’s more of the national narrative bleeding down into the state,” said Connor Luebbert, a lead advocate for the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition.

Or it just may be a fight between people and their politicians.

“In the baseball game of politics,” Rizzo said, “it’s people versus politicians and the politicians want their home runs to count for double.”

This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/whats-driving-republican-lawmakers-to-shore-up-voting-laws-in-missouri/article_f46aad9c-0fa1-11ef-9b86-f73b22e607c7.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story">the Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667579490352.jpeg" alt="- Republicans want to ensure that only U.S. citizens can vote, but the Missouri Constitution and voting requirements from the secretary of state’s office already outline that requirement" />
 <figcaption>- Republicans want to ensure that only U.S. citizens can vote, but the Missouri Constitution and voting requirements from the secretary of state’s office already outline that requirement</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/dmitrymartirosov/">DMITRY MARTIROSOV</a>There’s been a steady push by Republicans this legislative session to regulate voting laws in Missouri.It isn’t new, but it’s been gaining steam.The bills seek to regulate — or restrict — provisions around who can vote and how, the way votes are counted and other matters related to election security.Almost all aim to address concerns that either don’t exist or to prevent changes from ever happening.Republicans want to ensure that only U.S. citizens can vote, but the Missouri Constitution and voting requirements from the secretary of state’s office already outline that requirement.Republicans want to ban foreign governments from funding constitutional amendments, but the Missouri Constitution addresses foreign influence in elections as well.Republicans want to ramp up election security by creating a new division that would investigate claims of election fraud, but such division already exists and has been active for more than 10 years.Republicans want to ban ranked-choice voting, but the voting practice is not established in state law. St. Louis practices a version of it for local elections.The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that is often cited by Republicans, has ranked Missouri sixth nationally in its Election Integrity Scorecard.What is driving Republicans to pursue these voting measures?For one lawmaker, it’s about election integrity. For another, it’s about being proactive.Opponents say these efforts are driven by “anti-immigrant bigotry” and a desire for “consolidation of power.”<h2>Justifying causes</h2>Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican, has been vocal all session about amending the Missouri Constitution to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in Missouri. He takes issue with language in the state constitution that he believes isn’t clear enough on who can and cannot vote in the state.Article 8 Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution states that “All citizens of the United States … over the age of eighteen who are residents of this state … are entitled to vote.” Hoskins wants “All” changed to “Only” to tame the possibility of noncitizens voting in elections.But opponents say the constitution is unambiguous on the issue and point to what they believe is behind this rhetoric.“That just taps into this whole anti-immigrant bigotry fueled by (former President Donald) Trump and is kind of the norm in our American society today,” said Rep. David Tyson Smith, a Democrat from Columbia.“You keep pushing this envelope, like, ‘How far can I push this?’ and that leads to other things,” Smith added. “And that’s dangerous.”Hoskins might get his wish later this year if a proposal aiming to increase the threshold needed to approve constitutional amendments gets one more affirmative vote in the Senate.In addition to the threshold requirement, the proposal, sponsored by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold, would ask voters whether the constitution should be changed to reflect that only U.S. citizens can vote on constitutional amendments and to ban constitutional amendments sponsored by foreign governments.The proposal has been a focus of Democrats who claim the intention of the two latter provisions is to mislead voters and act as a distraction.“It takes away from the conversation — and that’s the point of it,” said Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, a Democrat from Independence.Rizzo, now in his 14th and final year in the legislature, said the push behind Coleman’s proposed changes to the threshold for approving constitutional amendments is driven in part by a desire for Republicans to consolidate power.“They have had the supermajority for so long now that the only thing left for them to take away is the ability for people to go around them,” he said. “It just drives them crazy that there is an ability for people to have a voice in government that doesn’t go through them.”Hoskins has an opposite point of view.“What we’ve seen is, since Missouri has become a more red Republican state, the minority and out-of-state special interests have come in and sponsored some ballot measures in order to try and get something passed,” Hoskins said.“So it seems like the liberal special interests are, since they can’t get stuff through the legislature because we have supermajorities of all Republicans … they’re coming in and trying to bypass the legislature and put something on the ballot,” he said.Out of all the proposals by Republicans this session aimed at regulating voting, Coleman’s has drawn the most opposition and scorn. But it isn’t the only one.<h2>Preemptive or premature?</h2>Ranked-choice voting does not occur in Missouri. It’s a practice where voters rank their preferred candidates on one ballot so their votes can be redistributed among top vote getters until a winner is declared after receiving a majority of the vote. Yet Republicans want it banned, saying it’s too confusing.“I don’t see a good justification to insert a great deal of chaos into the ballot box,” said Rep. Alex Riley, a Springfield Republican.Riley said he fears ranked-choice voting would create unnecessary turmoil for voters who might not follow the necessary steps needed to fill in a ballot.The proposal to ban ranked-choice voting, sponsored by Sen. Ben Brown, a Republican Washington, is one vote away from being placed on the ballot and has received increased attention this session partly because, similar to Coleman’s bill, it would also ask voters whether the state constitution should be amended to allow only U.S. citizens to vote.But whereas Coleman’s proposal only addresses constitutional amendments when referring to the citizenship requirement, Brown’s proposal includes all voting in the state.Smith, who’s had a front-row seat to discussions regarding voting as a member of the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee, doesn’t see the point.“We don’t have an epidemic of voting problems in America with undocumented people voting,” he said. “That’s not an epidemic, that’s not a problem, that’s not a crisis.”Smith is correct as far as Missouri’s concerned.“I’m not aware of that sort of activity on any kind of a large scale,” said JoDonn Chaney, director of communications for the secretary of state’s office, referring to non-U.S. citizens voting in Missouri.Still, Republicans say they want to be proactive.“Putting some additional protections within the constitution itself … whether we have massive numbers of illegal immigrants voting in Missouri, I can’t point to that and say, ‘Yeah, we do.’ I can’t say that we don’t. I think that’d be really hard to tell,” Riley said.“But, to address that issue going forward … it makes sense to me to put some additional language, some additional safeguards in the state constitution itself,” he said.Republicans take a similar approach of placing protective measures around foreign governments’ ability to make contributions to election campaigns or ballot initiatives.Hoskins, a candidate for secretary of state, said he believes foreign interference in elections is occurring in Missouri. But when asked if he could provide an example, Hoskins said he couldn’t because of the complexity of the process.“I believe that foreign governments would not just give directly to one PAC that is promoting or trying to kill an initiative or something that’s on the ballot,” he said.“It’s probably funneled through a million different ways, four or five different LLCs or companies or PACs or non-for-profits before it actually got to the place where they bought the ads or radio, TV, social media, newspaper, whatever it is,” Hoskins said. “And that’s where it’s very tough to follow the money trail.”Elizabeth Ziegler, executive director of the Missouri Ethics Commission, which is charged with overseeing campaign finance reports, said the agency doesn’t have “any final enforcement actions toward contributions (to) campaign finance committees from foreign nationals.”Article 8 Section 23, paragraph (16) of the Missouri Constitution also provides protections against contributions made by foreign governments, whether they go toward a candidate committee, campaign committee or a ballot measure:“(16) No campaign committee, candidate committee, continuing committee, exploratory committee, political party committee, and political party shall knowingly accept contributions from:(a) Any natural person who is not a citizen of the United States;(b) A foreign government; or(c) Any foreign corporation that does not have the authority to transact business in this state pursuant to chapter 347, RSMo, as amended from time to time.”<h2>‘People versus politicians’</h2>Peverill Squire, a political science professor at the University of Missouri, said there are two underlying reasons he believes are behind Republicans’ motivation to push measures intended to make it harder to vote.“First, it is a way to appeal to GOP primary voters,” Squire said. “Republican incumbents want to make sure that they are not vulnerable to a challenge from their right. Second, there is a calculation that making voting harder will hurt Democratic voters more than Republican voters, though that may not prove to be the case.”This is an election year for state offices and many Republican incumbents who are termed-out in the legislature are running for various statewide offices. As a result, rhetoric on the Senate floor this session has been filled with talk that sounded more and more like campaign speeches.“Ultimately, this push, it’s more of the national narrative bleeding down into the state,” said Connor Luebbert, a lead advocate for the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition.Or it just may be a fight between people and their politicians.“In the baseball game of politics,” Rizzo said, “it’s people versus politicians and the politicians want their home runs to count for double.”This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/whats-driving-republican-lawmakers-to-shore-up-voting-laws-in-missouri/article_f46aad9c-0fa1-11ef-9b86-f73b22e607c7.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story">the Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Republican lawmakers push litany of changes to Missouri voting laws

NODAWAY COUNTY —A Nebraska man was injured in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Sunday in Nodaway County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by John J. Donlan, 73, Waverly, Nebraska, was eastbound on MO 46 twelve miles west of Maryville. The driver lost control of the motorcycle as it traveled off the south side of the road. The motorcycle overturned and the driver was ejected.

Nodaway County ambulance transported Donlan to Mosaic in Maryville. He was wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

NODAWAY COUNTY —A Nebraska man was injured in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Sunday in Nodaway County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by John J. Donlan, 73, Waverly, Nebraska, was eastbound on MO 46 twelve miles west of Maryville. The driver lost control of the motorcycle as it traveled off the south side of the road. The motorcycle overturned and the driver was ejected.Nodaway County ambulance transported Donlan to Mosaic in Maryville. He was wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

Nebraska man hospitalized after Nodaway Co. motorcycle accident

Planned Parenthood says they will continue offsetting the costs of seeing patients on Medicaid despite a bill signed into law Thursday

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

Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics say they will continue serving patients on Medicaid, even after Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation Thursday&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB%202634">blocking state and federal funds from going to the organization.&nbsp;</a>

The new law, which goes into effect Aug. 28, is the third — and Republicans hope final — attempt to end Medicaid reimbursements to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/28/missouri-looks-to-mirror-arkansas-law-that-forced-planned-parenthood-to-turn-away-patients/">any health centers affiliated with abortion providers.&nbsp;</a>

Despite this, Planned Parenthood announced Thursday its clinics will remain “open to all.”&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri no longer perform abortions; their affiliates in Illinois and Kansas do. In Missouri, clinics continue to provide services such as contraceptive care, STI testing, cancer screenings and wellness checks.

“Experts have been clear there are not enough providers in the system to absorb the thousands of patients that Planned Parenthood health centers serve,” Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri said in a joint statement Thursday.

Parson was flanked by Republican state Rep. Cody Smith of Carthage and Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold as he signed the legislation Thursday morning.

“We’ve ended all elective abortions in this state, approved new support for mothers, expecting mothers and children and, with this bill, ensured that we are not sending taxpayer dollars to abortion providers for any purpose,” Parson said in a statement.

Nearly one in five Planned Parenthood patients in Missouri are insured through MO HealthNet, the state’s Medicaid program that serves low-income and disabled citizens and has long banned funding for abortion.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood also sees more than half of Missouri’s low-income patients seeking family planning services, according to the Missouri Family Health Council Inc.

Democrats argued the legislation would primarily harm low-income Missourians who could be forced to find a new provider through the state’s already strained public health safety net if Planned Parenthood cannot foot the bill for these patients long-term. This could delay critical and potentially life-saving care.

In Missouri,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/data/pamr/pdf/2020-annual-report.pdf">women on Medicaid are 10 times more likely to die within one year of pregnancy&nbsp;</a>than those on private insurance, according to an August multi-year report on maternal mortality published by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;

Missouri is also fighting<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/emergencies/ert/alertsadvisories/pdf/update022724-1.pdf">&nbsp;rising congenital syphilis rates</a>. In the majority of these cases, pregnant mothers had little to no prenatal care, highlighting a larger issue of maternal health care access, the health department noted.

Through an informal survey, the Missouri Family Health Council Inc. found that over the past two years, the wait list for new patients at public health safety net clinics can be weeks or months, and that’s if the provider is taking new patients at all.&nbsp;Meanwhile, wait times at the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics averaged between the same day and three days to get an appointment.&nbsp;

“Other providers cannot absorb the thousands of patients impacted by this ‘defunding’ attack,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement. “For this reason, Planned Parenthood health centers have worked to keep serving MO HealthNet patients at no cost though it is an unsustainable model for a state’s health care system.”

Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri have been without Medicaid reimbursements for more than two years as<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-supreme-court-again-says-state-cant-deny-medicaid-funds-to-planned-parenthood/">&nbsp;prior attempts by Republicans to pass similar restrictions&nbsp;</a>through the state budget were litigated and later struck down in court.&nbsp;

Emily Wales, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said her organization offset the cost of care for Missouri Medicaid patients during this time through private fundraising.&nbsp;

Both Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri have said they plan to continue seeing patients on Medicaid “no matter what.” They have not elaborated on how they plan to afford to do so.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood on Thursday continues to argue that the latest law is also unconstitutional, and is in violation of federal Medicaid law, which states patients have a right to choose their provider.

A similar law that went into effect in Arkansas several years ago was ultimately upheld by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which oversees that state’s clinics, stopped seeing Arkansas Medicaid patients immediately.&nbsp;

Parson signed the bill near the end of the 15 days he had to do so despite a group of Republican lawmakers attempting to strong-arm him into doing so sooner.

Last month, Senate members of the<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/22/senate-battle-over-taxes-that-fund-missouri-medicaid-leaves-state-budget-in-limbo/">&nbsp;Missouri Freedom Caucus promised to filibuster the renewal of&nbsp;Medicaid taxes</a>, known as the federal reimbursement allowance,&nbsp;until Parson signed the defund Planned Parenthood bill and until the General Assembly approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/13/missouri-initiative-petition-reform-elections/">more difficult to pass constitutional amendments</a>&nbsp;proposed by voter-led initiatives.

The initiative petition bill and the FRA require a final vote in the Senate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/08/key-lawmakers-say-missouri-budget-talks-close-to-completion-as-deadline-approaches/">before the legislative session ends at 6 p.m. on May 17.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648771341385.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Planned Parenthood says they will continue offsetting the costs of seeing patients on Medicaid despite a bill signed into law Thursday</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics say they will continue serving patients on Medicaid, even after Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation Thursday&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB%202634">blocking state and federal funds from going to the organization.&nbsp;</a>The new law, which goes into effect Aug. 28, is the third — and Republicans hope final — attempt to end Medicaid reimbursements to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/28/missouri-looks-to-mirror-arkansas-law-that-forced-planned-parenthood-to-turn-away-patients/">any health centers affiliated with abortion providers.&nbsp;</a>Despite this, Planned Parenthood announced Thursday its clinics will remain “open to all.”&nbsp;Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri no longer perform abortions; their affiliates in Illinois and Kansas do. In Missouri, clinics continue to provide services such as contraceptive care, STI testing, cancer screenings and wellness checks.“Experts have been clear there are not enough providers in the system to absorb the thousands of patients that Planned Parenthood health centers serve,” Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri said in a joint statement Thursday.Parson was flanked by Republican state Rep. Cody Smith of Carthage and Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold as he signed the legislation Thursday morning.“We’ve ended all elective abortions in this state, approved new support for mothers, expecting mothers and children and, with this bill, ensured that we are not sending taxpayer dollars to abortion providers for any purpose,” Parson said in a statement.Nearly one in five Planned Parenthood patients in Missouri are insured through MO HealthNet, the state’s Medicaid program that serves low-income and disabled citizens and has long banned funding for abortion.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood also sees more than half of Missouri’s low-income patients seeking family planning services, according to the Missouri Family Health Council Inc.Democrats argued the legislation would primarily harm low-income Missourians who could be forced to find a new provider through the state’s already strained public health safety net if Planned Parenthood cannot foot the bill for these patients long-term. This could delay critical and potentially life-saving care.In Missouri,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/data/pamr/pdf/2020-annual-report.pdf">women on Medicaid are 10 times more likely to die within one year of pregnancy&nbsp;</a>than those on private insurance, according to an August multi-year report on maternal mortality published by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;Missouri is also fighting<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/emergencies/ert/alertsadvisories/pdf/update022724-1.pdf">&nbsp;rising congenital syphilis rates</a>. In the majority of these cases, pregnant mothers had little to no prenatal care, highlighting a larger issue of maternal health care access, the health department noted.Through an informal survey, the Missouri Family Health Council Inc. found that over the past two years, the wait list for new patients at public health safety net clinics can be weeks or months, and that’s if the provider is taking new patients at all.&nbsp;Meanwhile, wait times at the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics averaged between the same day and three days to get an appointment.&nbsp;“Other providers cannot absorb the thousands of patients impacted by this ‘defunding’ attack,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement. “For this reason, Planned Parenthood health centers have worked to keep serving MO HealthNet patients at no cost though it is an unsustainable model for a state’s health care system.”Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri have been without Medicaid reimbursements for more than two years as<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-supreme-court-again-says-state-cant-deny-medicaid-funds-to-planned-parenthood/">&nbsp;prior attempts by Republicans to pass similar restrictions&nbsp;</a>through the state budget were litigated and later struck down in court.&nbsp;Emily Wales, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said her organization offset the cost of care for Missouri Medicaid patients during this time through private fundraising.&nbsp;Both Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri have said they plan to continue seeing patients on Medicaid “no matter what.” They have not elaborated on how they plan to afford to do so.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood on Thursday continues to argue that the latest law is also unconstitutional, and is in violation of federal Medicaid law, which states patients have a right to choose their provider.A similar law that went into effect in Arkansas several years ago was ultimately upheld by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which oversees that state’s clinics, stopped seeing Arkansas Medicaid patients immediately.&nbsp;Parson signed the bill near the end of the 15 days he had to do so despite a group of Republican lawmakers attempting to strong-arm him into doing so sooner.Last month, Senate members of the<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/22/senate-battle-over-taxes-that-fund-missouri-medicaid-leaves-state-budget-in-limbo/">&nbsp;Missouri Freedom Caucus promised to filibuster the renewal of&nbsp;Medicaid taxes</a>, known as the federal reimbursement allowance,&nbsp;until Parson signed the defund Planned Parenthood bill and until the General Assembly approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/13/missouri-initiative-petition-reform-elections/">more difficult to pass constitutional amendments</a>&nbsp;proposed by voter-led initiatives.The initiative petition bill and the FRA require a final vote in the Senate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/08/key-lawmakers-say-missouri-budget-talks-close-to-completion-as-deadline-approaches/">before the legislative session ends at 6 p.m. on May 17.</a>

Missouri Planned Parenthood clinics remain ‘open to all’ despite new Medicaid restrictions

ANDREW COUNTY —Four people were injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Saturday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Toyota Avalon driven by Karla R. Koontz, 58, Mound City, Missouri, was southbound on Interstate 29 just south of the I-229 interchange.

The car was behind another vehicle that brake checked the Toyota. Koontz lost control of the Toyota as she changed lanes. The car traveled off the west side of the road and struck a guard rail. After impact, the car returned to the road and traveled off the east side of the road.

Andrew County EMS transported Koontz and passengers Fern K. Hamm, 80, Mound City, a 14-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy, both from Branson, to Mosaic Life Care. Koontz and the teens were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

ANDREW COUNTY —Four people were injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Saturday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Toyota Avalon driven by Karla R. Koontz, 58, Mound City, Missouri, was southbound on Interstate 29 just south of the I-229 interchange.The car was behind another vehicle that brake checked the Toyota. Koontz lost control of the Toyota as she changed lanes. The car traveled off the west side of the road and struck a guard rail. After impact, the car returned to the road and traveled off the east side of the road.Andrew County EMS transported Koontz and passengers Fern K. Hamm, 80, Mound City, a 14-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy, both from Branson, to Mosaic Life Care. Koontz and the teens were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

2 adults, 2 teens hospitalized after Andrew County crash

CALDWELL COUNTY — A Missouri man was injured in an accident and later arrested just before 2:30a.m. Saturday in&nbsp; Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by Luke B. Carr, 20,&nbsp; Polo, was northbound on Route B one and one half miles south of Cowgill.

The pickup crossed the center line, traveled off the west side of the road up an embankment and returned to the road.&nbsp; The pickup then traveled off the east side of the road, through a fence, struck a tree and came to rest in a creek bed.

He was arrested on requested charges of DUI and minor in possession of alcohol and he was also not wearing a seat,&nbsp; according to the MSHP. Caldwell County EMS later transported&nbsp; Carr to Liberty Hospital.

CALDWELL COUNTY — A Missouri man was injured in an accident and later arrested just before 2:30a.m. Saturday in&nbsp; Caldwell County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by Luke B. Carr, 20,&nbsp; Polo, was northbound on Route B one and one half miles south of Cowgill.The pickup crossed the center line, traveled off the west side of the road up an embankment and returned to the road.&nbsp; The pickup then traveled off the east side of the road, through a fence, struck a tree and came to rest in a creek bed.He was arrested on requested charges of DUI and minor in possession of alcohol and he was also not wearing a seat,&nbsp; according to the MSHP. Caldwell County EMS later transported&nbsp; Carr to Liberty Hospital.

NW Missouri man accused of DUI after pickup crash

The $51.7 billion budget on the way to Gov. Mike Parson cuts more than $800 million from his request for health and social services programs, funds $2 billion in new earmarks

By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

When the final budget votes were over Friday and the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/missouri-senate-avoids-impasse-over-budget-to-make-constitutional-deadline/">constitutional deadline was met</a>, Missouri House Republicans crowed about holding the line on spending while Democrats accused the GOP of failing the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

A budget process that had the least public input in years — with just a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/13/missouri-house-to-hold-public-hearing-on-governors-52-7-billion-budget-proposal/">pro-forma public hearing</a>&nbsp;in the House and no calls for public testimony by Senate budget writers — left no one pleased with the process. But House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith said he was proud of the $51.7 billion plan that spent less than the $52.7 billion Gov. Mike Parson proposed in January.

“While we have a very good final product, the process left something to be desired,” Smith said at a news conference with other Republicans.

The final votes were taken with about three hours to go before the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++25&amp;bid=31765&amp;constit=y">constitutional deadline</a>&nbsp;for passing a budget. The details of the final 17 spending bills — one to fund programs through June and the remainder to fund next year’s operations and construction — only emerged Thursday when the Senate began voting.

Factional&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/freedom-caucus-ends-filibuster-in-missouri-senate-without-action-on-its-demands/">warfare among Senate Republicans</a>&nbsp;meant that chamber never debated the bills produced by the Senate Appropriations Committee. There was no formally appointed bipartisan, bicameral conference committee to negotiate differences between the chambers.&nbsp;

Instead, Smith and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough ironed out the details in days of private negotiations. There are usually preliminary talks like that before the conference committee, but the decisions are then aired one at a time and other members can question the result or seek a change.

“This year’s budget process was a complete disaster and a terrible precedent to be set,” House Democratic Leader Crystal Quade of Springfield said at a news conference after the House adjourned. “We cannot allow the new normal for spending taxpayer money to become just two guys writing a budget and secret and then jamming it through the process at the very last minute, full of pork and appeasing lobbyists, but the most vulnerable among us are everyday citizens not being included.”

The budget plan taps the state’s accumulated surplus to spend $15.3 billion in general revenue. By putting a “one-time” designation on $1.35 billion of the $14.6 billion allocated for state operations in the coming year, Smith was able to say the budget uses no more for ongoing programs than the state expects in tax receipts.

The designation is on the $363.7 in general revenue that will be put in a fund for improving Interstate 44, a project Smith, a Carthage Republican running for state treasurer, inserted into the budget. It is also on $336.2 million that funds the Medicaid managed care program.

There are also one-time designations on $580 million in spending from federal and other funds. The smallest is $1,613 for the expense and equipment needs of the Department of Social Services’s Division of Legal Services, paid from federal funds.

“The designation of anything one time is just a signal to the world that we’re paying for it this year and we may not be doing it next year,” Smith said.

Democrats, however, said in many instances it is a false economy.

“Several lawmakers running in Republican primaries for statewide office want to be able to claim credit for imposing big cuts in state spending,” said Quade, a candidate for governor. “But all they really did was lowball the estimated costs of several state programs that everyone who is being honest about the situation knows will require substantially more spending authority to fully fund.”

Before&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/missouri-senate-avoids-impasse-over-budget-to-make-constitutional-deadline/">Senate votes on the budget</a>&nbsp;began Thursday, Parson said his budget staff had no idea what was in the final budget crafted by Smith and Hough. If the budget fails to adequately fund state operations, Parson said he would not leave it to his successor to fill in the gaps.

The majority of the cuts to Parson’s January budget proposal were in three departments – Health and Senior Services, Mental Health and Social Services. Total funding for those agencies is $829 million below the amounts requested by Parson.&nbsp;

One cut was to funding for personal care assistance intended to help elderly people and people with disabilities remain in their home, reduced by $86 million. Another was to the overall managed care budget, which is about $500 million below Parson’s request.

While those cuts were being made, the budget includes almost 300 new earmarked items, costing more than $2 billion, sprinkled throughout the 16 appropriation bills for the coming year. The largest is $727.5 million Smith inserted for I-44 improvements

“Lobbyists got paid and poor people got screwed,” said the House’s second ranking Democrat, Rep. Richard Brown of Kansas City.

On many of the bills, large numbers of Democrats voted “present” to protest the process that produced the budget.

On the floor, state Rep. Deb Lavender said cuts to those departments – and the rejection of increases included in the bills never debated in the Senate – will hurt people with developmental disabilities, leaving many stranded on waiting lists or housed in hospitals and jails.

“You offer to pay $17 an hour to someone and you can’t find anyone to do the work,” she said.

When the budget debate opened, state Rep. Peter Merideth, ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said it was the worst process in his eight years in the House.&nbsp;

“We’ve seen the budget process get worse and worse,” Merideth said. “We’ve put in less hours each year. When I started we were here all through the session till midnight or later working on the budget.”

Smith said he agreed the process used this year should not be repeated, but he defended his openness, saying he never heard from any Democrats while he was in talks with Hough.

“I detect that the other side of the aisle is very grumpy about the way that this has unfolded,” Smith said. “And that’s something I understand from their perspective.”

The votes on all bills were concluded in about four hours. The motion to shut off debate, used regularly in the House, was called for on nine of the bills. On one, Lavender, the ranking Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee for the three departments with the deepest cuts, was left at the microphone without a chance to speak.

On the next bill, state Rep. Patty Lewis of Kansas City summed up the feelings of many Democrats.

“Grumpy is an understatement,” Lewis said. “Frankly, I am outraged.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715428823820.png" alt="House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks Friday at a news conference after passage of the $51.7 billion state budget, accompanied by House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks Friday at a news conference after passage of the $51.7 billion state budget, accompanied by House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The $51.7 billion budget on the way to Gov. Mike Parson cuts more than $800 million from his request for health and social services programs, funds $2 billion in new earmarks</h2>By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>When the final budget votes were over Friday and the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/missouri-senate-avoids-impasse-over-budget-to-make-constitutional-deadline/">constitutional deadline was met</a>, Missouri House Republicans crowed about holding the line on spending while Democrats accused the GOP of failing the state’s most vulnerable citizens.A budget process that had the least public input in years — with just a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/13/missouri-house-to-hold-public-hearing-on-governors-52-7-billion-budget-proposal/">pro-forma public hearing</a>&nbsp;in the House and no calls for public testimony by Senate budget writers — left no one pleased with the process. But House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith said he was proud of the $51.7 billion plan that spent less than the $52.7 billion Gov. Mike Parson proposed in January.“While we have a very good final product, the process left something to be desired,” Smith said at a news conference with other Republicans.The final votes were taken with about three hours to go before the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++25&amp;bid=31765&amp;constit=y">constitutional deadline</a>&nbsp;for passing a budget. The details of the final 17 spending bills — one to fund programs through June and the remainder to fund next year’s operations and construction — only emerged Thursday when the Senate began voting.Factional&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/freedom-caucus-ends-filibuster-in-missouri-senate-without-action-on-its-demands/">warfare among Senate Republicans</a>&nbsp;meant that chamber never debated the bills produced by the Senate Appropriations Committee. There was no formally appointed bipartisan, bicameral conference committee to negotiate differences between the chambers.&nbsp;Instead, Smith and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough ironed out the details in days of private negotiations. There are usually preliminary talks like that before the conference committee, but the decisions are then aired one at a time and other members can question the result or seek a change.“This year’s budget process was a complete disaster and a terrible precedent to be set,” House Democratic Leader Crystal Quade of Springfield said at a news conference after the House adjourned. “We cannot allow the new normal for spending taxpayer money to become just two guys writing a budget and secret and then jamming it through the process at the very last minute, full of pork and appeasing lobbyists, but the most vulnerable among us are everyday citizens not being included.”The budget plan taps the state’s accumulated surplus to spend $15.3 billion in general revenue. By putting a “one-time” designation on $1.35 billion of the $14.6 billion allocated for state operations in the coming year, Smith was able to say the budget uses no more for ongoing programs than the state expects in tax receipts.The designation is on the $363.7 in general revenue that will be put in a fund for improving Interstate 44, a project Smith, a Carthage Republican running for state treasurer, inserted into the budget. It is also on $336.2 million that funds the Medicaid managed care program.There are also one-time designations on $580 million in spending from federal and other funds. The smallest is $1,613 for the expense and equipment needs of the Department of Social Services’s Division of Legal Services, paid from federal funds.“The designation of anything one time is just a signal to the world that we’re paying for it this year and we may not be doing it next year,” Smith said.Democrats, however, said in many instances it is a false economy.“Several lawmakers running in Republican primaries for statewide office want to be able to claim credit for imposing big cuts in state spending,” said Quade, a candidate for governor. “But all they really did was lowball the estimated costs of several state programs that everyone who is being honest about the situation knows will require substantially more spending authority to fully fund.”Before&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/missouri-senate-avoids-impasse-over-budget-to-make-constitutional-deadline/">Senate votes on the budget</a>&nbsp;began Thursday, Parson said his budget staff had no idea what was in the final budget crafted by Smith and Hough. If the budget fails to adequately fund state operations, Parson said he would not leave it to his successor to fill in the gaps.The majority of the cuts to Parson’s January budget proposal were in three departments – Health and Senior Services, Mental Health and Social Services. Total funding for those agencies is $829 million below the amounts requested by Parson.&nbsp;One cut was to funding for personal care assistance intended to help elderly people and people with disabilities remain in their home, reduced by $86 million. Another was to the overall managed care budget, which is about $500 million below Parson’s request.While those cuts were being made, the budget includes almost 300 new earmarked items, costing more than $2 billion, sprinkled throughout the 16 appropriation bills for the coming year. The largest is $727.5 million Smith inserted for I-44 improvements“Lobbyists got paid and poor people got screwed,” said the House’s second ranking Democrat, Rep. Richard Brown of Kansas City.On many of the bills, large numbers of Democrats voted “present” to protest the process that produced the budget.On the floor, state Rep. Deb Lavender said cuts to those departments – and the rejection of increases included in the bills never debated in the Senate – will hurt people with developmental disabilities, leaving many stranded on waiting lists or housed in hospitals and jails.“You offer to pay $17 an hour to someone and you can’t find anyone to do the work,” she said.When the budget debate opened, state Rep. Peter Merideth, ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said it was the worst process in his eight years in the House.&nbsp;“We’ve seen the budget process get worse and worse,” Merideth said. “We’ve put in less hours each year. When I started we were here all through the session till midnight or later working on the budget.”Smith said he agreed the process used this year should not be repeated, but he defended his openness, saying he never heard from any Democrats while he was in talks with Hough.“I detect that the other side of the aisle is very grumpy about the way that this has unfolded,” Smith said. “And that’s something I understand from their perspective.”The votes on all bills were concluded in about four hours. The motion to shut off debate, used regularly in the House, was called for on nine of the bills. On one, Lavender, the ranking Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee for the three departments with the deepest cuts, was left at the microphone without a chance to speak.On the next bill, state Rep. Patty Lewis of Kansas City summed up the feelings of many Democrats.“Grumpy is an understatement,” Lewis said. “Frankly, I am outraged.”

Democrats say final Missouri budget pads special interests with state cash

ANDREW COUNTY —A Missouri man died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Friday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Victory motorcycle driven by Nathaniel T. Kuster, 34, Union Star, was northbound on U.S. 169 four miles north of St. Joseph.

The motorcycle crossed the center of the road after cresting a hill.&nbsp; The motorcycle struck the front drivers corner of a southbound 2009 Chevy Silverado driven by Robert M. West, 27, Atchison, Kansas.&nbsp;

Kuster was ejected from motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene. West was not injured. Kuster was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

ANDREW COUNTY —A Missouri man died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Friday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Victory motorcycle driven by Nathaniel T. Kuster, 34, Union Star, was northbound on U.S. 169 four miles north of St. Joseph.The motorcycle crossed the center of the road after cresting a hill.&nbsp; The motorcycle struck the front drivers corner of a southbound 2009 Chevy Silverado driven by Robert M. West, 27, Atchison, Kansas.&nbsp;Kuster was ejected from motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene. West was not injured. Kuster was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man dies after motorcycle, pickup crash

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 11 p.m. May 4, a search warrant was conducted by the Brown County Sheriffs Office Drug Task Force at 1145 113th Drive on the Kickapoo reservation, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

 At the conclusion of the interdiction, James Blalock, 50, Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession ofMarijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715353988189.png" alt="Blalock-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Blalock-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 11 p.m. May 4, a search warrant was conducted by the Brown County Sheriffs Office Drug Task Force at 1145 113th Drive on the Kickapoo reservation, according to Sheriff John Merchant. At the conclusion of the interdiction, James Blalock, 50, Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession ofMarijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Task force makes drug bust on Kickapoo reservation

ATCHISON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 2p.m. Friday in Atchison County.

According to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson,&nbsp; a Buick SUV driven by Mary Krier, 93, Effingham, was westbound in the 500 block of U.S.59.

The SUV turned north into a fence on the north side of the roadway and landed on its top in the parking lot below U.S. 59. 

Mrs. Krier was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Wilson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ATCHISON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 2p.m. Friday in Atchison County.According to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson,&nbsp; a Buick SUV driven by Mary Krier, 93, Effingham, was westbound in the 500 block of U.S.59.The SUV turned north into a fence on the north side of the roadway and landed on its top in the parking lot below U.S. 59. Mrs. Krier was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Wilson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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