Missouri state officials are working to see into
the future to best address the needs of an aging population.

To do that, they want to hear from Missourians.

Officials with the Missouri Health and Senior
Services Department met with St. Joseph residents at InterServe in south St.
Joseph Wednesday morning in one of 10 town hall meetings being held in each of
the state’s Area Agencies on Aging. Feedback during the town hall meetings will
be used in developing the state master plan to best offer services to senior
citizens. 

Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order last
year establishing Aging with Dignity:&nbsp;
Missouri’s Master Plan on Aging.

State Chief of the Bureau of Senior Programs,
Mindy Ulstad, says the state wants to prepare for a shift in demographics.

“Missouri, like the rest of the nation, is aging.
By 2030, older adults will outnumber children for the first time in our
history. And then as the years progress and as we get to 2060, they’re
projecting that older adults will greatly outnumber children,” Ulstad tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, we have to be prepared as a state and in our local
areas to make sure that we are prepared for that aging population.”

If you missed the town hall in the south end,
don’t worry. Ulstad says there are other opportunities to provide input.

“And in addition to the town halls that we are
having across the state, we’re going to do two virtual town halls on March 21st,
one in the morning and one in the afternoon,” Ulstad says. “They can go to the
website to register for either one of those.”

Or, you can leave comments on the Department of
Health and Senior Citizens website.

Click <a href="https://health.mo.gov/seniors/masterplanaging/">HERE</a> for the website.

Ulstad says she enjoys leaving Jefferson City to
talk with residents throughout the state.

“Every area of the state is different. Missouri’s
a very varied state when it comes to access to services and what’s available in
each area,” Ulstad says. “So, getting out and hearing from each area of what
they need to be able to prepare has been very valuable.”

Ulstad says input from the town halls will be
used by seven subcommittees working toward compiling the master plan on aging.
That plan is to be delivered to the governor by the end of next year so it can
go into effect in 2026.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709217494061.jpeg" alt="Missouri Chief of Bureau of Senior Programs, Mindy Ulstad (center), shares a laugh with those gathered prior to the St. Joseph town hall at InterServ/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Chief of Bureau of Senior Programs, Mindy Ulstad (center), shares a laugh with those gathered prior to the St. Joseph town hall at InterServ/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri state officials are working to see into
the future to best address the needs of an aging population.To do that, they want to hear from Missourians.Officials with the Missouri Health and Senior
Services Department met with St. Joseph residents at InterServe in south St.
Joseph Wednesday morning in one of 10 town hall meetings being held in each of
the state’s Area Agencies on Aging. Feedback during the town hall meetings will
be used in developing the state master plan to best offer services to senior
citizens. Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order last
year establishing Aging with Dignity:&nbsp;
Missouri’s Master Plan on Aging.State Chief of the Bureau of Senior Programs,
Mindy Ulstad, says the state wants to prepare for a shift in demographics.“Missouri, like the rest of the nation, is aging.
By 2030, older adults will outnumber children for the first time in our
history. And then as the years progress and as we get to 2060, they’re
projecting that older adults will greatly outnumber children,” Ulstad tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, we have to be prepared as a state and in our local
areas to make sure that we are prepared for that aging population.”If you missed the town hall in the south end,
don’t worry. Ulstad says there are other opportunities to provide input.“And in addition to the town halls that we are
having across the state, we’re going to do two virtual town halls on March 21st,
one in the morning and one in the afternoon,” Ulstad says. “They can go to the
website to register for either one of those.”Or, you can leave comments on the Department of
Health and Senior Citizens website.Click <a href="https://health.mo.gov/seniors/masterplanaging/">HERE</a> for the website.Ulstad says she enjoys leaving Jefferson City to
talk with residents throughout the state.“Every area of the state is different. Missouri’s
a very varied state when it comes to access to services and what’s available in
each area,” Ulstad says. “So, getting out and hearing from each area of what
they need to be able to prepare has been very valuable.”Ulstad says input from the town halls will be
used by seven subcommittees working toward compiling the master plan on aging.
That plan is to be delivered to the governor by the end of next year so it can
go into effect in 2026.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Missouri-Master-Plan-on-Aging-e2gf9jn" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Missouri hears from St. Joseph residents on how best to serve aging population

For some eligible families, P-EBT benefits will begin to expire March 7

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

Missouri families who haven’t claimed food benefits in a program launched during the height of the pandemic could lose out in the coming weeks unless they act quickly.

Federal pandemic-era summer food benefits, referred to as P-EBT, were designed to help cover costs in summer 2022 but did not begin being disbursed in Missouri until&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/15/missouri-begins-distributing-summer-2022-food-benefits-as-deadline-for-2023-application-looms/">May of 2023</a>. The benefits provide a one-time deposit of $391 per eligible child on a debit card called electronic benefits transfer that can be used to buy groceries.

The program was intended to help families afford food in the summer, without subsidized school meals.&nbsp;

Now, those benefits are set to expire — for some families, as early as March 7. Thousands of eligible families have not yet used them.&nbsp;The state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24441481-summary-of-p-ebt-benefits-and-projected-expungement-2-16-2024">estimates</a>&nbsp;that $36.7 million of benefits has not yet been accessed by families, according to records obtained by The Independent under Sunshine Law, which is equivalent to benefits for over 90,000 kids.

That’s part of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/02/ohio-kids-will-lose-16-million-of-food-benefits-unless-families-act-soon.html#:~:text=CLEVELAND%2C%20Ohio%20%E2%80%94%20A%20%24120%20pandemic,before%20expiring%20starting%20in%20March.">broader</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2023-07-09/tens-of-thousands-of-san-diegans-missed-out-on-pandemic-ebt">trend</a>: Advocates&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2024/01/22/nyc-unused-pandemic-food-benefits-could-expire-soon/">nationally</a>&nbsp;have said that states could have conducted more outreach to inform families of the pandemic benefits, so they would expect and use them.

The state social services agency has said it did all it could to publicize the benefits — working with schools, sending letters to affected households, issuing press releases and using their social media and websites to keep participants up to date.

P-EBT&nbsp;was a new, temporary program that changed each year of the pandemic, so families may not have understood what they were, weren’t expecting them and potentially threw the cards away. Other eligible families may not have received their cards in the mail to begin with, if the state didn’t have the correct address on file.

In Missouri, nearly 25,000 benefits cards&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24442870-p-ebt-summary-12-14-2023-1">were returned in 2023</a>, meaning the state and schools may not have had the correct address on file, according to records obtained under the Sunshine Law and provided to The Independent by David Rubel, an education policy consultant from New York who has been tracking unclaimed P-EBT benefits nationwide.

The largest group of benefits expirations in the state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24441481-summary-of-p-ebt-benefits-and-projected-expungement-2-16-2024">will occur between March 7 and April 18,</a>&nbsp;though expirations will continue through September and are staggered depending on when the state issued benefits to the family. Benefits expire 274 days after they were issued. The state sends out letters to families at least one month before expiration to warn them.

Families who believe they are eligible but didn’t receive or claim benefits can request new cards by phone. Cards generally take two to three business days to arrive, though the state tells participants it will be five to seven business days for a buffer.

With a possible deadline looming, families would need to call as soon as possible to access benefits.&nbsp;

Children who qualified for subsidized school lunches in the 2021-2022 academic year are eligible, along with children under 6 who qualified for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps, during that period.&nbsp;

Christine Woody, director of Empower Missouri’s food security policy program, said Missouri’s delayed benefits disbursal could have contributed to confusion and affected the rate of families redeeming the benefits.&nbsp;Benefits for summer 2022 were dispersed “a whole year later,” she said — at the same time that people were hearing the state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/14/missouri-has-decided-to-turn-down-millions-in-federal-food-aid-for-low-income-children/">wouldn’t be participating in the version of the program designed to cover summer 2023.</a>

Families may have thought the benefits they were receiving at that time were fraudulent, she said, or could have forgotten about the delayed prior year’s benefits. The last of the summer 2022 benefits were distributed in December.

The reason the benefits were so delayed was due to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/14/missouri-has-decided-to-turn-down-millions-in-federal-food-aid-for-low-income-children/">administrative issues,</a>&nbsp;including the need to set up a data portal from scratch. The state declined tens of millions in federal aid to run a summer 2023 benefit program in part because officials lacked confidence they could disperse those benefits before a federal deadline.

Missouri is now working to set up a new permanent federal program, rather than one tied to the COVID pandemic, that will provide $40 in food benefits per summer month, per eligible child.&nbsp; Children&nbsp;who are eligible for free or reduced lunch during the school year will be eligible for the program, called Summer EBT, as part of a package approved and made permanent by Congress last year.

Missouri needs to fund half the administrative costs, and the federal government will fund the other half plus the cost of the benefits themselves.

In the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY_2024_Supplemental_Appropriations_Recommendations_%28_HB_15_%29_web_copy.pdf">supplemental budget request</a>, Missouri’s social services department requested $2.65 million to fund the program: Half of that would be paid for with state revenue and the other half by the federal government.&nbsp;

If the legislature approves the funding, Woody said, the issues with benefits not being used are unlikely to persist. The summer program is an “entirely different program” from the temporary P-EBT program, she said, with different federal assistance and funding. Rather than a temporary program with ever-changing federal guidance, the new program will be permanent, enabling more consistent messaging to participants.

“I don’t believe that will be the case in 2024 and beyond,” Woody said, “because I think there’s going to be some changes in how the program is run, how it’s administered, the timeline and all that sort of thing.”

Woody said the “key to making this successful” will be clear, frequent and concise communication to families from the state and schools about their benefits.

The state needs those administrative funds to get approval from the federal government before they can proceed with the program, said Baylee Watts, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Social Services.&nbsp;

Watts said DSS and the state education department are working “to ensure a smooth process should the program have approval,” with data solutions, and they are planning communication and outreach strategies.

The current plan is those receiving SNAP won’t need a separate summer EBT card, Watts said. And those not on SNAP will need to apply for the benefit, she said, “which would give us their current address information.”&nbsp;Only the head of household will receive a card rather than one per child, Watts said, under their current proposal, which will reduce the number of cards needed to be issued.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668724103112.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>For some eligible families, P-EBT benefits will begin to expire March 7</h2>By CLARA BATES&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri families who haven’t claimed food benefits in a program launched during the height of the pandemic could lose out in the coming weeks unless they act quickly.Federal pandemic-era summer food benefits, referred to as P-EBT, were designed to help cover costs in summer 2022 but did not begin being disbursed in Missouri until&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/15/missouri-begins-distributing-summer-2022-food-benefits-as-deadline-for-2023-application-looms/">May of 2023</a>. The benefits provide a one-time deposit of $391 per eligible child on a debit card called electronic benefits transfer that can be used to buy groceries.The program was intended to help families afford food in the summer, without subsidized school meals.&nbsp;Now, those benefits are set to expire — for some families, as early as March 7. Thousands of eligible families have not yet used them.&nbsp;The state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24441481-summary-of-p-ebt-benefits-and-projected-expungement-2-16-2024">estimates</a>&nbsp;that $36.7 million of benefits has not yet been accessed by families, according to records obtained by The Independent under Sunshine Law, which is equivalent to benefits for over 90,000 kids.That’s part of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/02/ohio-kids-will-lose-16-million-of-food-benefits-unless-families-act-soon.html#:~:text=CLEVELAND%2C%20Ohio%20%E2%80%94%20A%20%24120%20pandemic,before%20expiring%20starting%20in%20March.">broader</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2023-07-09/tens-of-thousands-of-san-diegans-missed-out-on-pandemic-ebt">trend</a>: Advocates&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2024/01/22/nyc-unused-pandemic-food-benefits-could-expire-soon/">nationally</a>&nbsp;have said that states could have conducted more outreach to inform families of the pandemic benefits, so they would expect and use them.The state social services agency has said it did all it could to publicize the benefits — working with schools, sending letters to affected households, issuing press releases and using their social media and websites to keep participants up to date.P-EBT&nbsp;was a new, temporary program that changed each year of the pandemic, so families may not have understood what they were, weren’t expecting them and potentially threw the cards away. Other eligible families may not have received their cards in the mail to begin with, if the state didn’t have the correct address on file.In Missouri, nearly 25,000 benefits cards&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24442870-p-ebt-summary-12-14-2023-1">were returned in 2023</a>, meaning the state and schools may not have had the correct address on file, according to records obtained under the Sunshine Law and provided to The Independent by David Rubel, an education policy consultant from New York who has been tracking unclaimed P-EBT benefits nationwide.The largest group of benefits expirations in the state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24441481-summary-of-p-ebt-benefits-and-projected-expungement-2-16-2024">will occur between March 7 and April 18,</a>&nbsp;though expirations will continue through September and are staggered depending on when the state issued benefits to the family. Benefits expire 274 days after they were issued. The state sends out letters to families at least one month before expiration to warn them.Families who believe they are eligible but didn’t receive or claim benefits can request new cards by phone. Cards generally take two to three business days to arrive, though the state tells participants it will be five to seven business days for a buffer.With a possible deadline looming, families would need to call as soon as possible to access benefits.&nbsp;Children who qualified for subsidized school lunches in the 2021-2022 academic year are eligible, along with children under 6 who qualified for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps, during that period.&nbsp;Christine Woody, director of Empower Missouri’s food security policy program, said Missouri’s delayed benefits disbursal could have contributed to confusion and affected the rate of families redeeming the benefits.&nbsp;Benefits for summer 2022 were dispersed “a whole year later,” she said — at the same time that people were hearing the state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/14/missouri-has-decided-to-turn-down-millions-in-federal-food-aid-for-low-income-children/">wouldn’t be participating in the version of the program designed to cover summer 2023.</a>Families may have thought the benefits they were receiving at that time were fraudulent, she said, or could have forgotten about the delayed prior year’s benefits. The last of the summer 2022 benefits were distributed in December.The reason the benefits were so delayed was due to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/14/missouri-has-decided-to-turn-down-millions-in-federal-food-aid-for-low-income-children/">administrative issues,</a>&nbsp;including the need to set up a data portal from scratch. The state declined tens of millions in federal aid to run a summer 2023 benefit program in part because officials lacked confidence they could disperse those benefits before a federal deadline.Missouri is now working to set up a new permanent federal program, rather than one tied to the COVID pandemic, that will provide $40 in food benefits per summer month, per eligible child.&nbsp; Children&nbsp;who are eligible for free or reduced lunch during the school year will be eligible for the program, called Summer EBT, as part of a package approved and made permanent by Congress last year.Missouri needs to fund half the administrative costs, and the federal government will fund the other half plus the cost of the benefits themselves.In the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY_2024_Supplemental_Appropriations_Recommendations_%28_HB_15_%29_web_copy.pdf">supplemental budget request</a>, Missouri’s social services department requested $2.65 million to fund the program: Half of that would be paid for with state revenue and the other half by the federal government.&nbsp;If the legislature approves the funding, Woody said, the issues with benefits not being used are unlikely to persist. The summer program is an “entirely different program” from the temporary P-EBT program, she said, with different federal assistance and funding. Rather than a temporary program with ever-changing federal guidance, the new program will be permanent, enabling more consistent messaging to participants.“I don’t believe that will be the case in 2024 and beyond,” Woody said, “because I think there’s going to be some changes in how the program is run, how it’s administered, the timeline and all that sort of thing.”Woody said the “key to making this successful” will be clear, frequent and concise communication to families from the state and schools about their benefits.The state needs those administrative funds to get approval from the federal government before they can proceed with the program, said Baylee Watts, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Social Services.&nbsp;Watts said DSS and the state education department are working “to ensure a smooth process should the program have approval,” with data solutions, and they are planning communication and outreach strategies.The current plan is those receiving SNAP won’t need a separate summer EBT card, Watts said. And those not on SNAP will need to apply for the benefit, she said, “which would give us their current address information.”&nbsp;Only the head of household will receive a card rather than one per child, Watts said, under their current proposal, which will reduce the number of cards needed to be issued.

90,000 Mo. kids are eligible for food aid they haven’t claimed that’s about to expire

St. Joseph Restaurant Week has drawn residents out to participating restaurants across the city to try some new foods and help the local eateries.  

One restaurant participating in this year's event is Pizza Tascio in downtown St. Joseph.  

Owner Eli Lombardino says it's his restaurant's second year being part of the event, and he's seen a lot of local participation.  

"It's always great to be able to participate in Restaurant Week, get out with the local businesses, we've been teaming up with River Bluff Brewery this year to do kind of a pizza party type thing" Lombardino tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  

"So, they have little tents out on their tables incentivizing their customers to come over and grab pizza, we have tents on our tables incentivizing our customers to go over there and grab a beer, so it's been really, really great." 

Lombardino says the restaurant sees about a 20% increase in new customers during these special designated weeks.  

"So, we are definitely getting that new footprint out there, which is great," Lombardino proudly says. 

Pizza Tascio, which has locations across the greater Kansas City area, also participates in Kansas City Restaurant Week, which took place in January.  

Lombardino says the event is something they greatly enjoy taking part in.  

"From a business standpoint they're very cost effective, they're great, they're a good way to get to know other businesses as well as new customers, I think it's a great program," Lombardino says. 

Lombardino says the event provides a great foundation for St. Joseph restaurants to get to do some things they don't normally get to do. 

"I think all restaurants are better off teaming up and not trying to just directly compete with each other, but instead incentivize everyone to come out and sample the local fair, so Restaurant Week is just a great opportunity for us to do that," Lombardino explains. 

During the event a new thing Pizza Tascio is offering is a side of their new homemade ranch dressing, a recipe that Lombardino says has been perfected over months.  

St. Joseph Restaurant Week ends on Sunday. A list of participating restaurants can be found on <a href="https://www.stjrestaurantweek.com/">stjrestaurantweek.com</a>.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709158420775.jpeg" alt="Pizza Tascio, located across 13th Street from River Bluff Brewery, is one of several local restaurants participating in St. Joseph Restaurant Week/ Photo courtesy of Pizza Tascio St. Joseph Facebook page" />
 <figcaption>Pizza Tascio, located across 13th Street from River Bluff Brewery, is one of several local restaurants participating in St. Joseph Restaurant Week/ Photo courtesy of Pizza Tascio St. Joseph Facebook page</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph Restaurant Week has drawn residents out to participating restaurants across the city to try some new foods and help the local eateries. One restaurant participating in this year's event is Pizza Tascio in downtown St. Joseph. Owner Eli Lombardino says it's his restaurant's second year being part of the event, and he's seen a lot of local participation. "It's always great to be able to participate in Restaurant Week, get out with the local businesses, we've been teaming up with River Bluff Brewery this year to do kind of a pizza party type thing" Lombardino tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "So, they have little tents out on their tables incentivizing their customers to come over and grab pizza, we have tents on our tables incentivizing our customers to go over there and grab a beer, so it's been really, really great." Lombardino says the restaurant sees about a 20% increase in new customers during these special designated weeks. "So, we are definitely getting that new footprint out there, which is great," Lombardino proudly says. Pizza Tascio, which has locations across the greater Kansas City area, also participates in Kansas City Restaurant Week, which took place in January. Lombardino says the event is something they greatly enjoy taking part in. "From a business standpoint they're very cost effective, they're great, they're a good way to get to know other businesses as well as new customers, I think it's a great program," Lombardino says. Lombardino says the event provides a great foundation for St. Joseph restaurants to get to do some things they don't normally get to do. "I think all restaurants are better off teaming up and not trying to just directly compete with each other, but instead incentivize everyone to come out and sample the local fair, so Restaurant Week is just a great opportunity for us to do that," Lombardino explains. During the event a new thing Pizza Tascio is offering is a side of their new homemade ranch dressing, a recipe that Lombardino says has been perfected over months. St. Joseph Restaurant Week ends on Sunday. A list of participating restaurants can be found on <a href="https://www.stjrestaurantweek.com/">stjrestaurantweek.com</a>.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph Restaurant Week drawing residents to new eateries, ends on Sunday

Tax season is in full swing after beginning just about a month ago, and officials with the IRS are issuing tips to keep people prepared during the filing period.  

IRS spokesman Cesar Yabor says for a relatively simple filing you should make sure you have a complete set of documents; most should have been received by now.  

"Their W-2's, any 1099-K's if they've got other forms of income, they really need to make sure that they do everything possible to feel confident that they have a complete set of documents illustrating their various forms of income from last year," Yabor tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  

Yabor says the best way to file your return is electronically. 

"Folks can buy their own software off the shelf, they can go online to file, but the IRS itself actually offers a service called free file for taxpayers who make up to $79,000 a year, it's entirely free," Yabor explains. 

Yabor says one thing to be cautious with using free file is nefarious advertisers that say the service is free but will charge anyways.  You can access free file on the IRS website.  

Once your tax return is filed electronically it should be expected in less than 21 days.  

Yabor says if you seek help from a tax preparer, be sure to research and make sure they are legitimate, because one of the biggest scams is preparers that are not legitimate 

"Who won't sign a tax return and they'll let their perspective client hang, which is not great," Yabor says. "A legitimate tax preparer will sign the tax returns that they've prepared on behalf on a tax filer, and there will be a legitimate process and the tax filer will be properly covered." 

Yabor says another red flag is a preparer making promises that seem too big to be true.  You can find a list of tax preparers on the IRS website.  

The tax filing deadline, or deadline to request an extension, is April 15th. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Tax season is in full swing after beginning just about a month ago, and officials with the IRS are issuing tips to keep people prepared during the filing period. IRS spokesman Cesar Yabor says for a relatively simple filing you should make sure you have a complete set of documents; most should have been received by now. "Their W-2's, any 1099-K's if they've got other forms of income, they really need to make sure that they do everything possible to feel confident that they have a complete set of documents illustrating their various forms of income from last year," Yabor tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. Yabor says the best way to file your return is electronically. "Folks can buy their own software off the shelf, they can go online to file, but the IRS itself actually offers a service called free file for taxpayers who make up to $79,000 a year, it's entirely free," Yabor explains. Yabor says one thing to be cautious with using free file is nefarious advertisers that say the service is free but will charge anyways. You can access free file on the IRS website. Once your tax return is filed electronically it should be expected in less than 21 days. Yabor says if you seek help from a tax preparer, be sure to research and make sure they are legitimate, because one of the biggest scams is preparers that are not legitimate "Who won't sign a tax return and they'll let their perspective client hang, which is not great," Yabor says. "A legitimate tax preparer will sign the tax returns that they've prepared on behalf on a tax filer, and there will be a legitimate process and the tax filer will be properly covered." Yabor says another red flag is a preparer making promises that seem too big to be true. You can find a list of tax preparers on the IRS website. The tax filing deadline, or deadline to request an extension, is April 15th. <div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Be-prepared-this-tax-season-e2gdl7g" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Tax season is here. IRS officials encourage tax filers be prepared

A close vote and a tough vote to take for St. Joseph School
Superintendent Gabe Edgar and the teachers’ groups that supported a shift to a
four-day school week.

The St. Joseph School Board rejected the proposal on a
three-to-four vote Monday.

Despite the loss, Edgar sees some benefit to the packed school
board meeting room and widespread discussion of the issue.

“At least the community understands now, I think. I mean there’s
a lot of attention that was given to this. We kind of are at a crossroads and we’re
going to have to make some decisions,” Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, I
hope the board regroups and comes back with something in regards to Proposition
C waiver and a levy for the teachers in August. I know that’s not going to help
us for 24-25 (2024-2025 school year), but it would be something that would be good
for 25-26.”

Edgar doesn’t necessarily believe the issue is dead. He says
the board could again debate a four-day school week in the future.

“I thought it was important, because, and I’ve said this all
along, it was a recruitment and retention deal,” Edgar says of his proposal,
which he says he proposed as a way to make a positive change.

“I tell my people all the time, every Monday morning we have a
meeting at eight o’clock, and we’re not going to sit around and talk and do nothing.
We’re going to take chances,” Edgar says. “And this was a chance and it failed
and, you know what, we’ll get back up, go right back to the drawing board, and see
what else we can come up with.”

The vote against the plan Monday evening came after a deeply
divided school board debated whether the benefit to teachers by switching to a
four-day school week would offset opposition from the St. Joseph Chamber of
Commerce and industry. Several parents also spoke out against the plan during a
90-minute public comment period, saying it would disrupt family life and leave
children from poor families without school breakfast and lunch.

Edgar attempted to answer those concerns prior to the vote,
saying the district had taken that into account and would provide meals and
even various enhanced academic activities during the off day.

Both St. Joseph teachers’ groups supported the proposal.

St. Joseph NEA President Lynnea Wootten says a member survey
showed nearly 65.7% support for the change. Still, she expects her members to
respond positively.

“Teachers are resilient. We have to be,” Wootten tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “This is definitely a blow to morale.”

Wootten says St. Joseph teachers need to see in wake of the
defeat action to demonstrate the community backs them.

“It’s rough, but teachers are resilient, we’ll bounce back,
because we have to be on for our kids tomorrow at 7am when they walk through
our doors,” Wootten says.

The St. Joseph MSTA reported that almost 70.9% of its members
supported the move to a four-day school week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709147336523.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph School Board President LaTonya Williams, School Supt. Gabe Edgar, and School Board Vice President Kenneth Reeder (left to right)/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph School Board President LaTonya Williams, School Supt. Gabe Edgar, and School Board Vice President Kenneth Reeder (left to right)/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA close vote and a tough vote to take for St. Joseph School
Superintendent Gabe Edgar and the teachers’ groups that supported a shift to a
four-day school week.The St. Joseph School Board rejected the proposal on a
three-to-four vote Monday.Despite the loss, Edgar sees some benefit to the packed school
board meeting room and widespread discussion of the issue.“At least the community understands now, I think. I mean there’s
a lot of attention that was given to this. We kind of are at a crossroads and we’re
going to have to make some decisions,” Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, I
hope the board regroups and comes back with something in regards to Proposition
C waiver and a levy for the teachers in August. I know that’s not going to help
us for 24-25 (2024-2025 school year), but it would be something that would be good
for 25-26.”Edgar doesn’t necessarily believe the issue is dead. He says
the board could again debate a four-day school week in the future.“I thought it was important, because, and I’ve said this all
along, it was a recruitment and retention deal,” Edgar says of his proposal,
which he says he proposed as a way to make a positive change.“I tell my people all the time, every Monday morning we have a
meeting at eight o’clock, and we’re not going to sit around and talk and do nothing.
We’re going to take chances,” Edgar says. “And this was a chance and it failed
and, you know what, we’ll get back up, go right back to the drawing board, and see
what else we can come up with.”The vote against the plan Monday evening came after a deeply
divided school board debated whether the benefit to teachers by switching to a
four-day school week would offset opposition from the St. Joseph Chamber of
Commerce and industry. Several parents also spoke out against the plan during a
90-minute public comment period, saying it would disrupt family life and leave
children from poor families without school breakfast and lunch.Edgar attempted to answer those concerns prior to the vote,
saying the district had taken that into account and would provide meals and
even various enhanced academic activities during the off day.Both St. Joseph teachers’ groups supported the proposal.St. Joseph NEA President Lynnea Wootten says a member survey
showed nearly 65.7% support for the change. Still, she expects her members to
respond positively.“Teachers are resilient. We have to be,” Wootten tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “This is definitely a blow to morale.”Wootten says St. Joseph teachers need to see in wake of the
defeat action to demonstrate the community backs them.“It’s rough, but teachers are resilient, we’ll bounce back,
because we have to be on for our kids tomorrow at 7am when they walk through
our doors,” Wootten says.The St. Joseph MSTA reported that almost 70.9% of its members
supported the move to a four-day school week.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Vote against 4-day school week a blow to some in St. Joseph school district

An executive with N.W. Electric Power Cooperative has been re-appointed
to the State Fair Commission.

Gov. Mike Parson has appointed Byron Roach of Cameron to the
commission.

Roach has served as Vice President of Public Relations and
Special Projects for N.W. Electric since 2011. Roach has served on the State
Fair Commission since 2021. He has been a member of the Missouri State Fair
Foundation since 2011.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn executive with N.W. Electric Power Cooperative has been re-appointed
to the State Fair Commission.Gov. Mike Parson has appointed Byron Roach of Cameron to the
commission.Roach has served as Vice President of Public Relations and
Special Projects for N.W. Electric since 2011. Roach has served on the State
Fair Commission since 2021. He has been a member of the Missouri State Fair
Foundation since 2011.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

N.W. Electric COOP executive Roach re-appointed to State Fair Commission

The St. Joseph Police Department proposed over $1.8 million worth of projects in the latest round of Capital Improvement Project funding, which was <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/bb9370b4-0eeb-406b-ab9d-ae5a870545e6">approved by voters last August</a>.

Of that $1.8 million, $950,000 was set aside to go toward body and dashboard cameras for all St. Joseph police offers.

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says the whole department went through extensive testing before the cameras are used in the field.

"We ultimately tested 4-5 different body-worn cameras," Luster said on KFEQ Radio's The Hotline. "We put those out in the field. So, it wasn't just inside testing. We deployed them out to the field. We had officers give input on things they liked and didn't like."

The CIP funding approved last August will be implemented&nbsp; this July. Current state law in Missouri allows law enforcement agencies to require body cameras for all officers.

Luster says the tech and storage that goes into running body cameras and storing footage behind the scenes is extensive.

"What it takes to support officers out there with a high definition video camera on their chest, recording basically a lot of their interactions with the public," he said, "whether that be a call for service, traffic stop, arrest. They're recording that and that produces a heck of a lot of video."

"You have to look at storage needs and how you manage that."

What's more, Luster says having body cameras on all officers across the city creates a sense of transparency and trust throughout the community.

In his experience, Luster says body cameras is something that both officers and citizens are overwhelmingly in favor of.

"This is another thing that, when (officers) are out there, that really enhances the trust in the community that everything is out there in the open," Luster pointed out. "It's transparent, everything we're doing and officers are recording that."

"I get asked, 'Do the officers want that?' And, overwhelmingly, they do."

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687881385253.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster. Stock photo by Matt Pike." />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster. Stock photo by Matt Pike.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe St. Joseph Police Department proposed over $1.8 million worth of projects in the latest round of Capital Improvement Project funding, which was <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/bb9370b4-0eeb-406b-ab9d-ae5a870545e6">approved by voters last August</a>.Of that $1.8 million, $950,000 was set aside to go toward body and dashboard cameras for all St. Joseph police offers.St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says the whole department went through extensive testing before the cameras are used in the field."We ultimately tested 4-5 different body-worn cameras," Luster said on KFEQ Radio's The Hotline. "We put those out in the field. So, it wasn't just inside testing. We deployed them out to the field. We had officers give input on things they liked and didn't like."The CIP funding approved last August will be implemented&nbsp; this July. Current state law in Missouri allows law enforcement agencies to require body cameras for all officers.Luster says the tech and storage that goes into running body cameras and storing footage behind the scenes is extensive."What it takes to support officers out there with a high definition video camera on their chest, recording basically a lot of their interactions with the public," he said, "whether that be a call for service, traffic stop, arrest. They're recording that and that produces a heck of a lot of video.""You have to look at storage needs and how you manage that."What's more, Luster says having body cameras on all officers across the city creates a sense of transparency and trust throughout the community.In his experience, Luster says body cameras is something that both officers and citizens are overwhelmingly in favor of."This is another thing that, when (officers) are out there, that really enhances the trust in the community that everything is out there in the open," Luster pointed out. "It's transparent, everything we're doing and officers are recording that.""I get asked, 'Do the officers want that?' And, overwhelmingly, they do."You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph Police getting set for all officers to use body cameras

More than 400 candidates made the trip, standing in line to get a spot on the August ballot

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

Political candidates who make national headlines — and those who may only be known in their hometown — descended on Jefferson City Tuesday morning for the first day of a month-long window to file to run for office in Missouri.

To run for office, candidates have no choice but to show up in person. Some take advantage of the moment, talking to journalists and sending press releases. Others exit through the building’s back door to avoid questions.

Those making the trek on the first day have a separate entrance into the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center, home of the Secretary of State’s office. First, they confirm registration with a political party and pay a fee to run under that party’s banner.&nbsp;

Then they wait in a line on the building’s third floor.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves was the first to get through the line Tuesday morning, finishing the process at 8:07 a.m.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://s1.sos.mo.gov/candidatesonweb/DisplayCandidatesPlacement.aspx?ElectionCode=750006341">according to the Secretary of State’s website</a>. A total of 435 candidates filed by 5 p.m.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft greeted candidates upstairs, smiling ear-to-ear while taking their photos as they waited in line and making quips about the political process.

Candidates’ place on the ballot is determined by a number they pull from an acrylic box as part of a lottery system. Those with the lowest numbers are first on the ballot.

A line of people with numbers in the 900s, some of the highest of the day, took a photo together.&nbsp;

“The Bible says, ‘The first will be last,’” one said.

One filer joked with Ashcroft that, next election, the numbered tickets should be placed in a machine that blows them around the candidate — like the money-blowing machines in some arcades.

“Well, there are some people who don’t like machines in elections,” Ashcroft said with a laugh.

Valentina Gomez, a Republican candidate for Secretary of State&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wlbt.com/2024/02/08/extremely-problematic-missouri-secretary-state-candidate-uses-flamethrower-burn-books/">who recently came under fire for burning books</a>, has spoken against “voting machines.” She&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1760433938466557998">posted on X</a>, formerly Twitter, that “we must blow up the corrupt voting machines” less than a week before filing day.

Gomez is one of four Republican candidates for Secretary of State who filed Tuesday along with three Democrats. Current Missouri lawmakers Denny Hoskins, a Republican state senator; Adam Schwadron, a Republican state representative; and Barbara Phifer, a Democratic state representative are running for Secretary of State.

Sen. Caleb Rowden, a Columbia Republican, has announced he’s running for secretary of state but did not file Tuesday.

Some of Tuesday’s filers brought political consultants and campaign managers. A staffer for Wesley Bell carried a kelly green Hermes Birkin bag with her as she followed Bell around the building.

Others brought loved ones. Gubernatorial candidate Mike Kehoe’s wife, Claudia, donned a kelly green suit to match her husband’s campaign colors.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Darrell Leon McClanahan III, who wore a feathered western hat, brought his children. McClanahan lost a bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 2022, receiving less than 1% of the votes in the primary.

A dozen supporters of U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, who represents Missouri’s First District, followed her around the building and reverberated in agreement as she spoke to reporters.

Democratic Attorney General candidate Elad Gross brought along one of his biggest fans and a campaign sidekick: Liberty Belle, his rescue dog.

Gross held a filing-day tailgate in the parking lot prior to registration opening, with Panera bagels and coffee. His truck says “End puppy mills,” along with campaign visuals.

He told The Independent he believes Liberty Belle came from an abusive breeding situation he would describe as a “puppy mill.” Liberty Belle, who is familiar with the campaign trail, hobbles on three legs with the fourth tucked.

Gross, who has raised almost $115,000 as the only Democrat in the attorney general race, is hoping to face candidates with much larger campaign war chests. Andrew Bailey, the current Attorney General appointed by Gov. Mike Parson, has raised over $2 million between his campaign and associated political action committee. Will Scharf, a former assistant U.S. attorney and an aide to ex-Gov. Eric Greitens, has raised almost $1.2 million.&nbsp;

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has $4.9 million on hand for his campaign to keep his seat. Hawley did not attend the first day of filing Tuesday.

His Democratic opponent, Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, filed that morning with nearly $2.2 million in hand for his campaign.

“I don’t care if you’re Democrat or Republican or who you’ve voted for in the past,” Kunce told reporters. “This race is going to make a huge difference, my race in this state. And we need to flip this seat.”

Other no-shows on Tuesday include State Treasurer Vivek Malek, who is facing State Sen. Andrew Koenig and State Rep. Cody Smith among others for his position.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709127906879.png" alt="Missouri candidates wait to pull a number in the candidate-filing system Tuesday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri candidates wait to pull a number in the candidate-filing system Tuesday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>More than 400 candidates made the trip, standing in line to get a spot on the August ballot</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">ANNELISE HANSHAW</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Political candidates who make national headlines — and those who may only be known in their hometown — descended on Jefferson City Tuesday morning for the first day of a month-long window to file to run for office in Missouri.To run for office, candidates have no choice but to show up in person. Some take advantage of the moment, talking to journalists and sending press releases. Others exit through the building’s back door to avoid questions.Those making the trek on the first day have a separate entrance into the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center, home of the Secretary of State’s office. First, they confirm registration with a political party and pay a fee to run under that party’s banner.&nbsp;Then they wait in a line on the building’s third floor.U.S. Rep. Sam Graves was the first to get through the line Tuesday morning, finishing the process at 8:07 a.m.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://s1.sos.mo.gov/candidatesonweb/DisplayCandidatesPlacement.aspx?ElectionCode=750006341">according to the Secretary of State’s website</a>. A total of 435 candidates filed by 5 p.m.Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft greeted candidates upstairs, smiling ear-to-ear while taking their photos as they waited in line and making quips about the political process.Candidates’ place on the ballot is determined by a number they pull from an acrylic box as part of a lottery system. Those with the lowest numbers are first on the ballot.A line of people with numbers in the 900s, some of the highest of the day, took a photo together.&nbsp;“The Bible says, ‘The first will be last,’” one said.One filer joked with Ashcroft that, next election, the numbered tickets should be placed in a machine that blows them around the candidate — like the money-blowing machines in some arcades.“Well, there are some people who don’t like machines in elections,” Ashcroft said with a laugh.Valentina Gomez, a Republican candidate for Secretary of State&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wlbt.com/2024/02/08/extremely-problematic-missouri-secretary-state-candidate-uses-flamethrower-burn-books/">who recently came under fire for burning books</a>, has spoken against “voting machines.” She&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1760433938466557998">posted on X</a>, formerly Twitter, that “we must blow up the corrupt voting machines” less than a week before filing day.Gomez is one of four Republican candidates for Secretary of State who filed Tuesday along with three Democrats. Current Missouri lawmakers Denny Hoskins, a Republican state senator; Adam Schwadron, a Republican state representative; and Barbara Phifer, a Democratic state representative are running for Secretary of State.Sen. Caleb Rowden, a Columbia Republican, has announced he’s running for secretary of state but did not file Tuesday.Some of Tuesday’s filers brought political consultants and campaign managers. A staffer for Wesley Bell carried a kelly green Hermes Birkin bag with her as she followed Bell around the building.Others brought loved ones. Gubernatorial candidate Mike Kehoe’s wife, Claudia, donned a kelly green suit to match her husband’s campaign colors.Republican gubernatorial candidate Darrell Leon McClanahan III, who wore a feathered western hat, brought his children. McClanahan lost a bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 2022, receiving less than 1% of the votes in the primary.A dozen supporters of U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, who represents Missouri’s First District, followed her around the building and reverberated in agreement as she spoke to reporters.Democratic Attorney General candidate Elad Gross brought along one of his biggest fans and a campaign sidekick: Liberty Belle, his rescue dog.Gross held a filing-day tailgate in the parking lot prior to registration opening, with Panera bagels and coffee. His truck says “End puppy mills,” along with campaign visuals.He told The Independent he believes Liberty Belle came from an abusive breeding situation he would describe as a “puppy mill.” Liberty Belle, who is familiar with the campaign trail, hobbles on three legs with the fourth tucked.Gross, who has raised almost $115,000 as the only Democrat in the attorney general race, is hoping to face candidates with much larger campaign war chests. Andrew Bailey, the current Attorney General appointed by Gov. Mike Parson, has raised over $2 million between his campaign and associated political action committee. Will Scharf, a former assistant U.S. attorney and an aide to ex-Gov. Eric Greitens, has raised almost $1.2 million.&nbsp;U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has $4.9 million on hand for his campaign to keep his seat. Hawley did not attend the first day of filing Tuesday.His Democratic opponent, Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, filed that morning with nearly $2.2 million in hand for his campaign.“I don’t care if you’re Democrat or Republican or who you’ve voted for in the past,” Kunce told reporters. “This race is going to make a huge difference, my race in this state. And we need to flip this seat.”Other no-shows on Tuesday include State Treasurer Vivek Malek, who is facing State Sen. Andrew Koenig and State Rep. Cody Smith among others for his position.

Missouri candidates head to Jefferson City for first day to file for 2024 elections

HOLT COUNTY —A Missouri teen was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Tuesday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Kawasaki Ninja driven by Austin D. St Ama, 18, St. Joseph, was westbound on U.S. 159 at Goose Drive three miles south of Forest City.

&nbsp;The driver attempted to avoid a deer that entered the roadway. The motorcycle began to skid and the driver lost control. The motorcycle traveled off the road and overturned down an embankment.

A. private vehicle transported St. Ama to Mosaic Life Care. He was wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

HOLT COUNTY —A Missouri teen was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Tuesday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Kawasaki Ninja driven by Austin D. St Ama, 18, St. Joseph, was westbound on U.S. 159 at Goose Drive three miles south of Forest City.&nbsp;The driver attempted to avoid a deer that entered the roadway. The motorcycle began to skid and the driver lost control. The motorcycle traveled off the road and overturned down an embankment.A. private vehicle transported St. Ama to Mosaic Life Care. He was wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

St. Joe teen injured after motorcycle swerves to avoid a deer

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations who is being held in a Kansas county jail.

On Monday, police in Atchison arrested 22-year-old Jarrett C. Lynn of Milan, Tennessee, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Lynn is being held on District Court warrants for failure to appear in court and a Community Corrections detain order. He is also accused of a probation violation, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709062005029.png" alt="Lynn-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Lynn-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations who is being held in a Kansas county jail.On Monday, police in Atchison arrested 22-year-old Jarrett C. Lynn of Milan, Tennessee, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.Lynn is being held on District Court warrants for failure to appear in court and a Community Corrections detain order. He is also accused of a probation violation, according to online jail records.

Tennessee man jailed in Kansas on multiple allegations

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The man accused of firing the first shots at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-62e69a17b469b854afd7bcc3f548d1fc">Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally</a>&nbsp;told authorities he felt threatened, while a second man said he pulled the trigger because someone was shooting at him, according to court documents.

Experts say that even though the shooting left one bystander dead and roughly two dozen people injured, 23-year-old Lyndell Mays and 18-year-old Dominic Miller might have good cases for self-defense through the state’s “stand your ground” law.

Missouri is among more than 30 states that have adopted some version of stand your ground laws over the past two decades, said Robert Spitzer, a professor emeritus of political science at the State University of New York, Cortland, whose research focuses on gun policy and politics. While earlier laws allowed people to use force to protect themselves in their homes, stand your ground provides even broader self-defense rights regardless of the location.

Now, the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration could be a new test of those expanded protections, and comes as self-defense already is at the center of another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ralph-yarl/">high-profile Kansas City shooting</a>&nbsp;that left Ralph Yarl wounded.

“This illustrates in a dramatic way the fundamental problem, especially when it’s a public gathering where there are thousands and thousands of people, and even a highly trained police officer often cannot avoid injuring others in a gunfire exchange in a public place,” said Spitzer, who wrote the book “Guns Across America: Reconciling Gun Rules and Rights.”

Trial attorney Daniel Ross described the stand your ground law as a “formidable defense” that he and many other Kansas City defense attorneys anticipate will be used in Mays' and Miller's cases. He said the law puts the onus on the prosecution to disprove claims that a shooting is lawful self-defense.

“Collateral damage under Missouri law is excused if you’re actually engaged in lawful self-defense and there’s other folks injured,” he said.

There are limits to the defense, however, said Eric Ruben, a law professor at the S.M.U. Dedman School of Law in Dallas who has written on stand your ground and self-defense immunity.

“Even though Missouri has robust stand-your-ground laws, that doesn’t mean you can spray bullets into a crowd in the name of defending yourself or others,” Ruben said.

The barrage of gunfire Feb. 14 outside Kansas City’s historic Union Station happened as the celebration that drew an estimated 1 million fans was concluding. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-62e69a17b469b854afd7bcc3f548d1fc">woman died</a>&nbsp;while watching the rally with her family, and nearly two dozen others — more than half of them children — were injured and survived.

Kansas City already was grappling with the shooting of Yarl, a Black teenager, who survived a bullet wound to the head when he went to the wrong house in April 2023 to pick up his brothers. Andrew Lester, an 85-year-old white man, is planning to claim&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-topeka-legislature-gun-politics-6f61a926a56353a4b22ffecf90c46be3">self-defense</a>&nbsp;when he goes to trial in October. His attorney said the retiree was terrified by the stranger on his doorstep.

While the Super Bowl celebration shooting was a far different scenario, it raises anew questions about how far people can go to protect themselves and what happens when the innocent become victims.

Mays and Miller are each charged with second-degree murder and other counts.

Probable cause statements suggest that both men felt threatened. Mays said he picked out one person in a group at random and started shooting because they said, “I'm going to get you,” and he took that to mean, “I'm going to kill you,” the statement said.

Miller said under questioning that he fired four or five times because someone was shooting at him. His friend, Marques Harris, told&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/friend-says-chiefs-parade-shooting-suspect-was-only-protecting-him/">WDAF-TV</a>&nbsp;that Miller was only trying to protect him after he was shot in the neck.

Miller’s attorney didn’t return phone and email messages seeking comment. No attorney was listed for Mays in online court records.

Two juveniles also face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-278e2d3e2cfece1cbe958511e54127ad">gun-related and resisting arrest</a>&nbsp;charges.

Missouri has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-938583b1e9aa3b3a45f8a012e7b80fee">few firearm regulations</a>, and two of its cities — Kansas City and St. Louis — annually have among the nation's highest homicide rates. Missouri’s current Republican lawmakers have largely defended the state’s gun laws, instead blaming prosecutors and other local elected officials in the two cities.

And Republican Gov. Mike Parson, speaking to reporters last week, cited societal problems — not guns — as the reason for the violence. “I believe it's much more than a gun," he said.

When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/missouri-lawmakers-loosen-gun-laws-back-voter-photo-id-c973268d37704b9b9b221e59c5b5dc7d?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Republican lawmakers in 2016</a>&nbsp;expanded the state's already-extensive self-defense protections by enacting the current stand your ground law, Black Missouri lawmakers raised concerns. The law also allowed most adults to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/missouri-lawmakers-loosen-gun-laws-back-voter-photo-id-c973268d37704b9b9b221e59c5b5dc7d?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">carry concealed guns</a>&nbsp;without a permit.

Racial disparities are rife among those who invoke the defense, with an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/american-criminal-justice-color-blind-statistics-say-no">Urban Institute</a>&nbsp;study showing white shooters are more likely to benefit than Black defendants.

The issue was raised when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-shootings-george-floyd-race-and-ethnicity-police-e063accd716fa3d0ee5f175163c0c5cb">Kyle Rittenhouse</a>, a white teen, was acquitted of killing two people and wounding a third during a 2020 protest against racism and police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after testifying he acted in self-defense. Rittenhouse’s actions became a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S.

The shooting death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/trayvon-martin">Trayvon Martin</a>, a Black 17-year-old, by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-zimmerman">George Zimmerman</a>&nbsp;also spurred concerns about stand your ground laws. Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman who thought Martin looked suspicious, wasn’t arrested for 44 days after the Feb. 26, 2012, shooting as police in Sanford, Florida, insisted that Florida’s stand your ground law prohibited charges.

Zimmerman was eventually arrested and charged, but his attorneys chose not to pursue a stand your ground claim, which could have resulted in the dismissal of murder changes as well as immunity from prosecution. But during the trial, the law was essentially used as part of his self-defense argument. Jurors found him not guilty.

In Georgia, which also has a stand your ground law, three white men accused of fatally shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-ahmaud-arberys-killing-spurred-a-national-reckoning-on-race">Ahmaud Arbery</a>&nbsp;in 2020 claimed self-defense. Travis McMichael, his father Greg McMichael and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan claimed they chased Arbery, who was Black, because they thought he was a burglar. All three were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/watch-live-three-men-convicted-of-the-murder-of-ahmaud-arbery-will-be-sentenced-for-the-killing">convicted of murder</a>.

In 2022, Wichita, Kansas, area district attorney Marc Bennett was critical of the state’s stand your ground law when he announced that he wouldn’t file charges over the death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-kansas-a51f619b8b196987e74b046ac399680c">Cedric Lofton</a>, a Black 17-year-old who was restrained facedown for more than 30 minutes at a juvenile detention center. Bennett said the law prevented him from bringing charges because staff members were protecting themselves.

With the Chiefs parade case unfolding, it is time to look anew at these laws, said Melba Pearson, a former homicide prosecutor who is now the director of prosecution projects at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University.

“What are truly the limits in terms of stand your ground and what really falls into the category of self-defense?" she asked. "Do we need to revisit what stand your ground looks like?”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708552633722.png" alt="Lyndell Mays photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Lyndell Mays photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The man accused of firing the first shots at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-62e69a17b469b854afd7bcc3f548d1fc">Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally</a>&nbsp;told authorities he felt threatened, while a second man said he pulled the trigger because someone was shooting at him, according to court documents.Experts say that even though the shooting left one bystander dead and roughly two dozen people injured, 23-year-old Lyndell Mays and 18-year-old Dominic Miller might have good cases for self-defense through the state’s “stand your ground” law.Missouri is among more than 30 states that have adopted some version of stand your ground laws over the past two decades, said Robert Spitzer, a professor emeritus of political science at the State University of New York, Cortland, whose research focuses on gun policy and politics. While earlier laws allowed people to use force to protect themselves in their homes, stand your ground provides even broader self-defense rights regardless of the location.Now, the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration could be a new test of those expanded protections, and comes as self-defense already is at the center of another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ralph-yarl/">high-profile Kansas City shooting</a>&nbsp;that left Ralph Yarl wounded.“This illustrates in a dramatic way the fundamental problem, especially when it’s a public gathering where there are thousands and thousands of people, and even a highly trained police officer often cannot avoid injuring others in a gunfire exchange in a public place,” said Spitzer, who wrote the book “Guns Across America: Reconciling Gun Rules and Rights.”Trial attorney Daniel Ross described the stand your ground law as a “formidable defense” that he and many other Kansas City defense attorneys anticipate will be used in Mays' and Miller's cases. He said the law puts the onus on the prosecution to disprove claims that a shooting is lawful self-defense.“Collateral damage under Missouri law is excused if you’re actually engaged in lawful self-defense and there’s other folks injured,” he said.There are limits to the defense, however, said Eric Ruben, a law professor at the S.M.U. Dedman School of Law in Dallas who has written on stand your ground and self-defense immunity.“Even though Missouri has robust stand-your-ground laws, that doesn’t mean you can spray bullets into a crowd in the name of defending yourself or others,” Ruben said.The barrage of gunfire Feb. 14 outside Kansas City’s historic Union Station happened as the celebration that drew an estimated 1 million fans was concluding. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-62e69a17b469b854afd7bcc3f548d1fc">woman died</a>&nbsp;while watching the rally with her family, and nearly two dozen others — more than half of them children — were injured and survived.Kansas City already was grappling with the shooting of Yarl, a Black teenager, who survived a bullet wound to the head when he went to the wrong house in April 2023 to pick up his brothers. Andrew Lester, an 85-year-old white man, is planning to claim&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-topeka-legislature-gun-politics-6f61a926a56353a4b22ffecf90c46be3">self-defense</a>&nbsp;when he goes to trial in October. His attorney said the retiree was terrified by the stranger on his doorstep.While the Super Bowl celebration shooting was a far different scenario, it raises anew questions about how far people can go to protect themselves and what happens when the innocent become victims.Mays and Miller are each charged with second-degree murder and other counts.Probable cause statements suggest that both men felt threatened. Mays said he picked out one person in a group at random and started shooting because they said, “I'm going to get you,” and he took that to mean, “I'm going to kill you,” the statement said.Miller said under questioning that he fired four or five times because someone was shooting at him. His friend, Marques Harris, told&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/friend-says-chiefs-parade-shooting-suspect-was-only-protecting-him/">WDAF-TV</a>&nbsp;that Miller was only trying to protect him after he was shot in the neck.Miller’s attorney didn’t return phone and email messages seeking comment. No attorney was listed for Mays in online court records.Two juveniles also face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-278e2d3e2cfece1cbe958511e54127ad">gun-related and resisting arrest</a>&nbsp;charges.Missouri has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-938583b1e9aa3b3a45f8a012e7b80fee">few firearm regulations</a>, and two of its cities — Kansas City and St. Louis — annually have among the nation's highest homicide rates. Missouri’s current Republican lawmakers have largely defended the state’s gun laws, instead blaming prosecutors and other local elected officials in the two cities.And Republican Gov. Mike Parson, speaking to reporters last week, cited societal problems — not guns — as the reason for the violence. “I believe it's much more than a gun," he said.When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/missouri-lawmakers-loosen-gun-laws-back-voter-photo-id-c973268d37704b9b9b221e59c5b5dc7d?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Republican lawmakers in 2016</a>&nbsp;expanded the state's already-extensive self-defense protections by enacting the current stand your ground law, Black Missouri lawmakers raised concerns. The law also allowed most adults to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/missouri-lawmakers-loosen-gun-laws-back-voter-photo-id-c973268d37704b9b9b221e59c5b5dc7d?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">carry concealed guns</a>&nbsp;without a permit.Racial disparities are rife among those who invoke the defense, with an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/american-criminal-justice-color-blind-statistics-say-no">Urban Institute</a>&nbsp;study showing white shooters are more likely to benefit than Black defendants.The issue was raised when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-shootings-george-floyd-race-and-ethnicity-police-e063accd716fa3d0ee5f175163c0c5cb">Kyle Rittenhouse</a>, a white teen, was acquitted of killing two people and wounding a third during a 2020 protest against racism and police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after testifying he acted in self-defense. Rittenhouse’s actions became a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S.The shooting death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/trayvon-martin">Trayvon Martin</a>, a Black 17-year-old, by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-zimmerman">George Zimmerman</a>&nbsp;also spurred concerns about stand your ground laws. Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman who thought Martin looked suspicious, wasn’t arrested for 44 days after the Feb. 26, 2012, shooting as police in Sanford, Florida, insisted that Florida’s stand your ground law prohibited charges.Zimmerman was eventually arrested and charged, but his attorneys chose not to pursue a stand your ground claim, which could have resulted in the dismissal of murder changes as well as immunity from prosecution. But during the trial, the law was essentially used as part of his self-defense argument. Jurors found him not guilty.In Georgia, which also has a stand your ground law, three white men accused of fatally shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-ahmaud-arberys-killing-spurred-a-national-reckoning-on-race">Ahmaud Arbery</a>&nbsp;in 2020 claimed self-defense. Travis McMichael, his father Greg McMichael and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan claimed they chased Arbery, who was Black, because they thought he was a burglar. All three were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/watch-live-three-men-convicted-of-the-murder-of-ahmaud-arbery-will-be-sentenced-for-the-killing">convicted of murder</a>.In 2022, Wichita, Kansas, area district attorney Marc Bennett was critical of the state’s stand your ground law when he announced that he wouldn’t file charges over the death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-kansas-a51f619b8b196987e74b046ac399680c">Cedric Lofton</a>, a Black 17-year-old who was restrained facedown for more than 30 minutes at a juvenile detention center. Bennett said the law prevented him from bringing charges because staff members were protecting themselves.With the Chiefs parade case unfolding, it is time to look anew at these laws, said Melba Pearson, a former homicide prosecutor who is now the director of prosecution projects at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University.“What are truly the limits in terms of stand your ground and what really falls into the category of self-defense?" she asked. "Do we need to revisit what stand your ground looks like?”

Chiefs rally shooting could test expanded 'stand your ground' protections

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

A southwest Missouri meatpacking plant that sought to dump treated wastewater into an impaired river will halt operations — at least temporarily.

Missouri Prime Beef Packers will shutter its Pleasant Hope facility, which processes 3,500 cattle per week, April 26. It’s not clear whether the closure will be temporary or permanent.&nbsp;

The closure,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MODHEWD/2024/02/26/file_attachments/2795214/Missouri%20Prime%20Beef%20Packers%20WARN%20-%20Pleasant%20Hope.pdf">disclosed in a filing with the state</a>, comes after the facility&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/meatpacker-withdraws-request-to-dump-wastewater-into-pomme-de-terre-river/">withdrew a request with state environmental regulators</a>&nbsp;to discharge treated wastewater from its operations directly into the Pomme de Terre River, which already struggles with high levels of E. coli bacteria.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Missouri environmental regulators in November&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/14/missouri-may-deny-meat-packers-request-to-dump-wastewater-in-river/">signaled their intent to deny the facility’s request</a>.&nbsp;

Missouri Prime Beef Packers could not immediately be reached for comment, but the company’s spokesman told the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/2024/02/26/missouri-prime-beef-packers-temporarily-suspends-operations/72745244007/">Springfield News-Leader</a>, which first reported the closure, that it “stems from operational challenges at the facility related to wastewater management and persistently unfavorable market conditions.”

According to a notice filed under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act, the plant’s 335 workers will be laid off. Some will continue to work until the plant closes April 26, but others will be placed on leave and then terminated in April.

The WARN Act notice says the closure could be temporary or permanent.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/01/missouri-may-allow-meatpacker-to-release-wastewater-into-already-impaired-river/">meatpacking plant had sought permission</a>&nbsp;from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to treat wastewater from the meatpacking process with a proprietary microbe technology called “iLeaf” before discharging it into the Pomme de Terre River. The company currently applies its wastewater to surrounding land as fertilizer.

The state initially found in its review of the requests that the microbe technology could sufficiently treat the wastewater, but after considerable public pushback, it determined it didn’t have adequate assurance the facility wouldn’t contribute to the river’s water quality problems.

The Pomme de Terre River winds through the Ozark region of southwest Missouri and is a popular destination for canoeing, swimming and fishing. But it has been on and off a federal list of impaired waterways because of high levels of E. coli bacteria. It’s currently considered impaired.

The river was found in 2019 to have an average of more than 200 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water, well above the limit of 126.&nbsp;

Pomme de Terre Lake, which is fed by the river, is also considered impaired because of high levels of chlorophyll-a, which indicates the lake is receiving too much phosphorus and nitrogen, both found in farm runoff and animal waste.&nbsp;

After the state signaled its intent to deny the company’s request, Missouri Prime Beef Packer withdrew it.&nbsp;

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources could not immediately be reached for comment.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709053741012.png" alt="An undated photo of the Pomme de Terre River, which runs through Webster, Greene, Dallas, Polk and Hickory counties. A meat packing company near Pleasant Hope wanted a permit to discharge its wastewater into the river, which is already proposed for the impaired waters list. The meatpacker is now closing. (Shannon Henry photo via the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)" />
 <figcaption>An undated photo of the Pomme de Terre River, which runs through Webster, Greene, Dallas, Polk and Hickory counties. A meat packing company near Pleasant Hope wanted a permit to discharge its wastewater into the river, which is already proposed for the impaired waters list. The meatpacker is now closing. (Shannon Henry photo via the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>A southwest Missouri meatpacking plant that sought to dump treated wastewater into an impaired river will halt operations — at least temporarily.Missouri Prime Beef Packers will shutter its Pleasant Hope facility, which processes 3,500 cattle per week, April 26. It’s not clear whether the closure will be temporary or permanent.&nbsp;The closure,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MODHEWD/2024/02/26/file_attachments/2795214/Missouri%20Prime%20Beef%20Packers%20WARN%20-%20Pleasant%20Hope.pdf">disclosed in a filing with the state</a>, comes after the facility&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/meatpacker-withdraws-request-to-dump-wastewater-into-pomme-de-terre-river/">withdrew a request with state environmental regulators</a>&nbsp;to discharge treated wastewater from its operations directly into the Pomme de Terre River, which already struggles with high levels of E. coli bacteria.&nbsp;&nbsp;Missouri environmental regulators in November&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/14/missouri-may-deny-meat-packers-request-to-dump-wastewater-in-river/">signaled their intent to deny the facility’s request</a>.&nbsp;Missouri Prime Beef Packers could not immediately be reached for comment, but the company’s spokesman told the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/2024/02/26/missouri-prime-beef-packers-temporarily-suspends-operations/72745244007/">Springfield News-Leader</a>, which first reported the closure, that it “stems from operational challenges at the facility related to wastewater management and persistently unfavorable market conditions.”According to a notice filed under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act, the plant’s 335 workers will be laid off. Some will continue to work until the plant closes April 26, but others will be placed on leave and then terminated in April.The WARN Act notice says the closure could be temporary or permanent.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/01/missouri-may-allow-meatpacker-to-release-wastewater-into-already-impaired-river/">meatpacking plant had sought permission</a>&nbsp;from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to treat wastewater from the meatpacking process with a proprietary microbe technology called “iLeaf” before discharging it into the Pomme de Terre River. The company currently applies its wastewater to surrounding land as fertilizer.The state initially found in its review of the requests that the microbe technology could sufficiently treat the wastewater, but after considerable public pushback, it determined it didn’t have adequate assurance the facility wouldn’t contribute to the river’s water quality problems.The Pomme de Terre River winds through the Ozark region of southwest Missouri and is a popular destination for canoeing, swimming and fishing. But it has been on and off a federal list of impaired waterways because of high levels of E. coli bacteria. It’s currently considered impaired.The river was found in 2019 to have an average of more than 200 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water, well above the limit of 126.&nbsp;Pomme de Terre Lake, which is fed by the river, is also considered impaired because of high levels of chlorophyll-a, which indicates the lake is receiving too much phosphorus and nitrogen, both found in farm runoff and animal waste.&nbsp;After the state signaled its intent to deny the company’s request, Missouri Prime Beef Packer withdrew it.&nbsp;The Missouri Department of Natural Resources could not immediately be reached for comment.&nbsp;

Missouri meatpacker that sought to dump wastewater into river will shut down

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

Sending Missouri state troopers and National Guard soldiers to Texas’s border with Mexico will cost more than $2.2 million, state officials told the House Budget Committee on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709040733994.png" alt=" Maj. Gen. Levon Compton, right, adjutant general of Missouri, listens to a question Monday during a hearing on $2.2 million requested to support sending National Guard troops and Missouri State Highway Patrol officers to Texas for border duty. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> Maj. Gen. Levon Compton, right, adjutant general of Missouri, listens to a question Monday during a hearing on $2.2 million requested to support sending National Guard troops and Missouri State Highway Patrol officers to Texas for border duty. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Sending Missouri state troopers and National Guard soldiers to Texas’s border with Mexico will cost more than $2.2 million, state officials told the House Budget Committee on Monday.Gov. Mike Parson is sending 200 soldiers and 11 Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers to work with Texas law enforcement at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.&nbsp;There are about 250 National Guard soldiers already in Texas operating under federal orders, Maj. Gen. Levon Compton told the House Budget Committee. The operational commands will be separate but the goal is the same, he said.“I have high confidence that the goal to secure the border is one that’s shared,” Compton said.The hearing Monday was the first formal public hearing on an appropriations bill this year. The $2.2 million covers anticipated expenses through June 30, when the fiscal year ends.&nbsp;The deployment could continue into the coming fiscal year as well. Funds for those operations would be needed in upcoming budget bills.The committee took no vote on Monday.During questioning, Democrats asked whether the funds were truly needed and whether the state would be reimbursed for the expense.Parson already has $4 million in a fund for state emergencies and there is enough money in the patrol’s budget to cover the expense, Budget Director Dan Haug said. The $2 million for the guard deployment would only be needed if Missouri experiences a disaster at home that required a major deployment, he said.When National Guard soldiers are deployed on a federal mission, the national treasury picks up the cost. In this deployment, lawmakers heard, it will be up to Missouri taxpayers to foot the bill.“This should be plenty for anything that comes up but we just want to make sure we are ready for any eventuality,” Haug said.“It seems like if that is the case we don’t need to be here doing that,” said state Rep. Peter Merideth, a Democrat from St. Louis.The state deployment is for Operation Lone Star, launched by Abbott in 2021, that has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-immigration-migrants-fbd009e9ec8b2beb813bf790e78354a3">led to tension</a>&nbsp;with President Joe Biden’s administration over jurisdiction along the Rio Grande. Last year, Texas deployed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-immigration-buoys-mexico-388424d1df87c897eabf9b06a15dec07">floating barrier with razor wire</a>&nbsp;at a place called Eagle Pass, which is also where Texas is constructing a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/16/texas-border-national-guard-base-eagle-pass/">permanent base for state troops</a>&nbsp;stationed in Eagle Pass.National guard troops from Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Virginia and West Virginia&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-border-deployment-national-guard-31466d4882415e8d525d675df0567526">have also been sent</a>&nbsp;to Texas.Parson’s plan is to send 11 patrol troopers to Texas for 32 days and 200 guard soldiers, with rotating tours of 50 during the 90-day mission, which could be extended.Abbott invoked provisions for mutual aid among states through the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.emacweb.org/index.php/learn-about-emac/what-is-emac">Emergency Management Assistance Compact</a>, a federally recognized program&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=190.912&amp;bid=35945&amp;hl=">adopted by Missouri in 2018</a>.The patrol is sending the troopers despite being 132 patrol officers short of full strength.“Does that not put Missouri at risk when we’re sending even more troopers away when we already have a deficit of 132?” asked state Rep. Deb Lavender, a Democrat from Manchester.&nbsp;Col. Eric Olson, superintendent of the patrol, said only volunteers are going and they have been selected from eight of the patrol’s nine troop areas.“Geographically, we spread that out,” Olson said, “and we feel like we will be able to manage this event as well as take care of our duties here at home.”

Local