Evergy customers who need help with high winter utility bills have some help available to them.

Evergy announced that Kansas residents can apply for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, or LIEAP, through March 29, while Missouri residents can apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, all year long.

Evergy spokesperson Courtney Lewis says the utility does not disconnect customers for overdue bills when the temperature dips below a certain point.

"Under the cold weather rule, Evergy does not disconnect customers for non-payments when temperatures are below the cold weather rule threshold," Lewis explained. "In Missouri, that's 32 degrees (Fahrenheit). In Kansas, that's 35 degrees."

Temperatures over the next 7-10 days are expected to be well above that cold weather rule. The energy assistance programs from Evergy provide a one-time payment to customers who need help with high utility bills. This money is put directly into the customers' accounts.

Lewis adds there are some easy ways to help lower your heating bill during the cold months.

"If you have drafty windows or doors, you can seal them up," she said. "You can go out and get that shrink wrap that goes over your windows. Weather stripping or even towels make a big difference. You can set your thermostat a little lower. If you're using a space heater, use that sparingly and make sure it's not running all of the time."

Customers in need of financial assistance due to high energy bills can apply online and learn more at Evergy.com.

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

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostEvergy customers who need help with high winter utility bills have some help available to them.Evergy announced that Kansas residents can apply for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, or LIEAP, through March 29, while Missouri residents can apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, all year long.Evergy spokesperson Courtney Lewis says the utility does not disconnect customers for overdue bills when the temperature dips below a certain point."Under the cold weather rule, Evergy does not disconnect customers for non-payments when temperatures are below the cold weather rule threshold," Lewis explained. "In Missouri, that's 32 degrees (Fahrenheit). In Kansas, that's 35 degrees."Temperatures over the next 7-10 days are expected to be well above that cold weather rule. The energy assistance programs from Evergy provide a one-time payment to customers who need help with high utility bills. This money is put directly into the customers' accounts.Lewis adds there are some easy ways to help lower your heating bill during the cold months."If you have drafty windows or doors, you can seal them up," she said. "You can go out and get that shrink wrap that goes over your windows. Weather stripping or even towels make a big difference. You can set your thermostat a little lower. If you're using a space heater, use that sparingly and make sure it's not running all of the time."Customers in need of financial assistance due to high energy bills can apply online and learn more at Evergy.com.You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Evergy offering financial assistance for those facing high heating bills

An accident in the south end held up traffic for a few hours
late Thursday night to very early Friday morning.

St. Joseph police report a trailer containing liquid oxygen
came loose from a truck, overturning and spilling liquid oxygen onto the
3600 block of King Hill Avenue. The accident occurred shortly before
midnight. Police report the hazardous material was cleaned up and King Hill
reopened to traffic around 2:15 Friday morning.

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

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn accident in the south end held up traffic for a few hours
late Thursday night to very early Friday morning.St. Joseph police report a trailer containing liquid oxygen
came loose from a truck, overturning and spilling liquid oxygen onto the
3600 block of King Hill Avenue. The accident occurred shortly before
midnight. Police report the hazardous material was cleaned up and King Hill
reopened to traffic around 2:15 Friday morning.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Liquid oxygen spill closes King Hill Avenue for hours

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves is running for
re-election.

Graves, a Republican, first won election as a state
representative in 1992. In 1994, Graves won election to the Missouri Senate. He
won election to Congress in 2000. Graves has won re-election ever since.

Graves says he’s running for re-election for a simple reason.

“I enjoy what I’m doing and it’s one of the most gratifying
things ever when you are able to help somebody out,” Graves tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post.

Graves says he considers 51% of the role of a member of
Congress helping constituents deal with the federal government, whether it be
the Veterans Administration of the Social Security Administration or any other
federal agency. Only 49% of that role is passing legislation, according to
Graves.

Though it has been a long career, Graves says he originally
gave no thought to politics.

“This isn’t something I ever intended to get into,” Graves says.
“I kind of backed into politics when I first ran for state representative, but
I’ve come to love the opportunity to help folks.”

Graves has been in Congress long enough to become the dean of
the Missouri Congressional delegation. He says he still helps new members
adjust to life on Capitol Hill.

Graves says he has not lost the thrill of being a member of
Congress and still enjoys bounding up the steps of the Capitol to vote.

“So, I kind of use that as my litmus test and I still get excited
every time I walk over and walk up those stairs and walk right through the
front door,” Graves says. “It’s a very overwhelming experience and a very
humbling experience at the same time, the fact that my constituents have
allowed me to do this for so long and to help. It’s extraordinarily humbling.”

The district has changed a bit since Graves first won office.
The 6th Congressional District used to be comprised of northwest Missouri
counties. It now spans the entire northern third of Missouri, from the Missouri
River to the Mississippi River.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706283596737.jpeg" alt="Congressman Sam Graves/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Congressman Sam Graves/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostNorthern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves is running for
re-election.Graves, a Republican, first won election as a state
representative in 1992. In 1994, Graves won election to the Missouri Senate. He
won election to Congress in 2000. Graves has won re-election ever since.Graves says he’s running for re-election for a simple reason.“I enjoy what I’m doing and it’s one of the most gratifying
things ever when you are able to help somebody out,” Graves tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post.Graves says he considers 51% of the role of a member of
Congress helping constituents deal with the federal government, whether it be
the Veterans Administration of the Social Security Administration or any other
federal agency. Only 49% of that role is passing legislation, according to
Graves.Though it has been a long career, Graves says he originally
gave no thought to politics.“This isn’t something I ever intended to get into,” Graves says.
“I kind of backed into politics when I first ran for state representative, but
I’ve come to love the opportunity to help folks.”Graves has been in Congress long enough to become the dean of
the Missouri Congressional delegation. He says he still helps new members
adjust to life on Capitol Hill.Graves says he has not lost the thrill of being a member of
Congress and still enjoys bounding up the steps of the Capitol to vote.“So, I kind of use that as my litmus test and I still get excited
every time I walk over and walk up those stairs and walk right through the
front door,” Graves says. “It’s a very overwhelming experience and a very
humbling experience at the same time, the fact that my constituents have
allowed me to do this for so long and to help. It’s extraordinarily humbling.”The district has changed a bit since Graves first won office.
The 6th Congressional District used to be comprised of northwest Missouri
counties. It now spans the entire northern third of Missouri, from the Missouri
River to the Mississippi River.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Congressman-Sam-Graves-runs-for-re-election-e2evlqc" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Congressman Graves will run for re-election

Abortion rights advocates said cutting funding to Planned Parenthood would be a ‘devastating blow’ to the state’s public health safety net

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>

After years of court losses and legislative stalemates, Republicans and anti-abortion advocates in Missouri are once again trying to block Planned Parenthood from receiving money through Medicaid.

A Senate committee debated legislation Wednesday that would change Missouri law to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=121">make Planned Parenthood ineligible</a>&nbsp;to receive reimbursements from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mydss.mo.gov/healthcare">MO HealthNet, the state’s Medicaid program</a>.

Though the organization says it hasn’t received any state funds for nearly two years, as legal fights over past GOP efforts continue to play out in court, anti-abortion advocates argued Missouri lawmakers must take action.&nbsp;

“Budgets are moral documents,” said Samuel Lee, with Campaign Life Missouri, who testified in support of the bill before the Senate health and welfare committee. “And it’s immoral to spend money on organizations that provide and promote abortions.”

Nearly all abortions are illegal in Missouri, with the exception of medical emergencies. The two Planned Parenthood affiliates operating in the state – Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri – no longer provide abortions in Missouri. But their clinics in Illinois and Kansas, as well as around the country, still do.

In 2020,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article243901862.html">the Missouri Supreme Court struck down language</a>&nbsp;in a budget bill that excluded abortion providers or their affiliates from receiving Medicaid reimbursements.&nbsp;

Lawmakers tried again in 2022, and a Cole County judge once again&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/cole-county-judge-blocks-effort-to-deny-medicaid-funds-to-planned-parenthood/">deemed the move unconstitutional</a>. That case was appealed and is once again with the state Supreme Court.

State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Democrat from Kansas City, reminded the committee that if Planned Parenthood received a Medicaid reimbursement, it would not be going to fund abortions. The organization’s clinics also provide other reproductive health care, such as cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment and contraceptives.

Advocates for planned Parenthood said cutting off Medicaid funding would only hurt those most in need of care.

“Even though the Missouri Supreme Court and the Circuit Court of Cole County have ruled that defunding attempts were unconstitutional, lawmakers continue playing political games to deny patients high-quality preventive care,” the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates said in a joint statement following the hearing.

Planned Parenthood officials said they’ve continued treating all patients, even without reimbursements coming in.

Vanessa Wellbery, vice president of policy and advocacy for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said nearly 20% of the patients of Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri rely on Medicaid.&nbsp;

“Any suggestion that patients could just go somewhere else or go to another provider is simply wrong,” Wellbery said. “There are not enough sexual and reproductive health care providers to fill the gap. This bill is discriminatory, it’s irresponsible, and it would issue a devastating blow to our public health safety net here in Missouri.”&nbsp;

A fight to end public dollars to Planned Parenthood

Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life, said anti-abortion advocates and lawmakers have worked hard to fight against public dollars going to Planned Parenthood.&nbsp;

“We’re asking for pro-life protective language to go in statute to prevent our public dollars from going to an organization that is affiliated with the largest abortion provider in the United States,” she said.&nbsp;

State Sen. Nick Schroer, a Defiance Republican sponsoring the legislation, assured his colleagues that there are enough health care providers to “pick up the slack” if Planned Parenthood ceases to exist in Missouri.&nbsp;

“With all the money that’s coming in to put abortion back on the ballot, I think there’s a lot of money there,” Schroer said. “Why do they need our tax dollars?”

Schroer was referencing two coalitions that have launched initiative petitions campaigns hoping to enshrine abortion rights into the Missouri constitution.&nbsp;

One coalition,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/19/missouri-abortion-ballot-viabilty-effort-fundraises-1-million/">Missourians for Constitutional Freedom</a>, has raised more than $2 million to bankroll its efforts to gather more than 171,000 signatures before May in order to put the issue on the statewide ballot.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ryan Conway, legislative director for the Missouri Department of Social Services, said in the past three fiscal years, no money has been refunded to Planned Parenthood from DSS or MO HealthNet.

Arthur worried that cutting off Medicaid patients’ access to Planned Parenthood clinics could result in an even higher financial toll for the state.&nbsp;

“If we are denying people access to the health care provider of their choice, in which case many times is Planned Parenthood, then you are creating a scenario where there may be more unwanted pregnancies,” Arthur said. “And that can cause additional expense for the state of Missouri if those patients go on to have pregnancies if they’re on Medicaid, their children are on Medicaid.”&nbsp;

Maggie Olivia, a policy manager with Abortion Action Missouri, said she relied on Planned Parenthood health centers when she was uninsured. Even though she now has insurance, Olivia, who said she is also a survivor of sexual violence, continues to get gynecological care through Planned Parenthood.

“Planned Parenthood health centers are truly the only place I feel safe to access that level of intimate care,” said Olivia.

Michelle Trupiano, executive director with Missouri Family Health Council, Inc., said her organization’s network of providers helps about 40,000 patients across the state with family planning services, and Planned Parenthood is the provider for about half of those.&nbsp;

She was among a number of people to testify about a medical provider shortage across Missouri.&nbsp;

According to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/primarycare/">Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services,</a>&nbsp;primary health care provider shortages “makes it difficult for low-income, uninsured and geographically isolated Missourians to receive health care.“

On average, Trupiano said, it takes between three and six weeks for new patients in Missouri to get a doctor across the health council’s 68 safety net clinics, several of which are Planned Parenthood.&nbsp;

Without Planned Parenthood, she said the wait for essential services would become months-long.

“If you put another hole in the safety net by eliminating Planned Parenthood, then that safety net is going to break and affect not just Planned Parenthood and how they keep their doors open to ensure care,” she said. “It’s going to affect every other safety net provider.”

State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold and chair of the committee, asked a number of those who testified why the clinics couldn’t just drop their Planned Parenthood logo and affiliation and continue to operate.&nbsp;

Wellbery, with Planned Parenthood, said it’s not as simple as dropping affiliation, adding the organization’s name is known and trusted.

The committee took no action on the bill Wednesday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665657486023.png" alt="A Senate committee debated legislation Wednesday that would change Missouri law to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=121">make Planned Parenthood ineligible</a>&nbsp;to receive reimbursements from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mydss.mo.gov/healthcare">MO HealthNet, the state’s Medicaid program</a>.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>A Senate committee debated legislation Wednesday that would change Missouri law to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=121">make Planned Parenthood ineligible</a>&nbsp;to receive reimbursements from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mydss.mo.gov/healthcare">MO HealthNet, the state’s Medicaid program</a>.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Abortion rights advocates said cutting funding to Planned Parenthood would be a ‘devastating blow’ to the state’s public health safety net</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>After years of court losses and legislative stalemates, Republicans and anti-abortion advocates in Missouri are once again trying to block Planned Parenthood from receiving money through Medicaid.A Senate committee debated legislation Wednesday that would change Missouri law to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=121">make Planned Parenthood ineligible</a>&nbsp;to receive reimbursements from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mydss.mo.gov/healthcare">MO HealthNet, the state’s Medicaid program</a>.Though the organization says it hasn’t received any state funds for nearly two years, as legal fights over past GOP efforts continue to play out in court, anti-abortion advocates argued Missouri lawmakers must take action.&nbsp;“Budgets are moral documents,” said Samuel Lee, with Campaign Life Missouri, who testified in support of the bill before the Senate health and welfare committee. “And it’s immoral to spend money on organizations that provide and promote abortions.”Nearly all abortions are illegal in Missouri, with the exception of medical emergencies. The two Planned Parenthood affiliates operating in the state – Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri – no longer provide abortions in Missouri. But their clinics in Illinois and Kansas, as well as around the country, still do.In 2020,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article243901862.html">the Missouri Supreme Court struck down language</a>&nbsp;in a budget bill that excluded abortion providers or their affiliates from receiving Medicaid reimbursements.&nbsp;Lawmakers tried again in 2022, and a Cole County judge once again&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/cole-county-judge-blocks-effort-to-deny-medicaid-funds-to-planned-parenthood/">deemed the move unconstitutional</a>. That case was appealed and is once again with the state Supreme Court.State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Democrat from Kansas City, reminded the committee that if Planned Parenthood received a Medicaid reimbursement, it would not be going to fund abortions. The organization’s clinics also provide other reproductive health care, such as cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment and contraceptives.Advocates for planned Parenthood said cutting off Medicaid funding would only hurt those most in need of care.“Even though the Missouri Supreme Court and the Circuit Court of Cole County have ruled that defunding attempts were unconstitutional, lawmakers continue playing political games to deny patients high-quality preventive care,” the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates said in a joint statement following the hearing.Planned Parenthood officials said they’ve continued treating all patients, even without reimbursements coming in.Vanessa Wellbery, vice president of policy and advocacy for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said nearly 20% of the patients of Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri rely on Medicaid.&nbsp;“Any suggestion that patients could just go somewhere else or go to another provider is simply wrong,” Wellbery said. “There are not enough sexual and reproductive health care providers to fill the gap. This bill is discriminatory, it’s irresponsible, and it would issue a devastating blow to our public health safety net here in Missouri.”&nbsp;<h2>A fight to end public dollars to Planned Parenthood</h2>Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life, said anti-abortion advocates and lawmakers have worked hard to fight against public dollars going to Planned Parenthood.&nbsp;“We’re asking for pro-life protective language to go in statute to prevent our public dollars from going to an organization that is affiliated with the largest abortion provider in the United States,” she said.&nbsp;State Sen. Nick Schroer, a Defiance Republican sponsoring the legislation, assured his colleagues that there are enough health care providers to “pick up the slack” if Planned Parenthood ceases to exist in Missouri.&nbsp;“With all the money that’s coming in to put abortion back on the ballot, I think there’s a lot of money there,” Schroer said. “Why do they need our tax dollars?”Schroer was referencing two coalitions that have launched initiative petitions campaigns hoping to enshrine abortion rights into the Missouri constitution.&nbsp;One coalition,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/19/missouri-abortion-ballot-viabilty-effort-fundraises-1-million/">Missourians for Constitutional Freedom</a>, has raised more than $2 million to bankroll its efforts to gather more than 171,000 signatures before May in order to put the issue on the statewide ballot.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ryan Conway, legislative director for the Missouri Department of Social Services, said in the past three fiscal years, no money has been refunded to Planned Parenthood from DSS or MO HealthNet.Arthur worried that cutting off Medicaid patients’ access to Planned Parenthood clinics could result in an even higher financial toll for the state.&nbsp;“If we are denying people access to the health care provider of their choice, in which case many times is Planned Parenthood, then you are creating a scenario where there may be more unwanted pregnancies,” Arthur said. “And that can cause additional expense for the state of Missouri if those patients go on to have pregnancies if they’re on Medicaid, their children are on Medicaid.”&nbsp;<h2>‘That safety net is going to break’</h2>Maggie Olivia, a policy manager with Abortion Action Missouri, said she relied on Planned Parenthood health centers when she was uninsured. Even though she now has insurance, Olivia, who said she is also a survivor of sexual violence, continues to get gynecological care through Planned Parenthood.“Planned Parenthood health centers are truly the only place I feel safe to access that level of intimate care,” said Olivia.Michelle Trupiano, executive director with Missouri Family Health Council, Inc., said her organization’s network of providers helps about 40,000 patients across the state with family planning services, and Planned Parenthood is the provider for about half of those.&nbsp;She was among a number of people to testify about a medical provider shortage across Missouri.&nbsp;According to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/primarycare/">Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services,</a>&nbsp;primary health care provider shortages “makes it difficult for low-income, uninsured and geographically isolated Missourians to receive health care.“On average, Trupiano said, it takes between three and six weeks for new patients in Missouri to get a doctor across the health council’s 68 safety net clinics, several of which are Planned Parenthood.&nbsp;Without Planned Parenthood, she said the wait for essential services would become months-long.“If you put another hole in the safety net by eliminating Planned Parenthood, then that safety net is going to break and affect not just Planned Parenthood and how they keep their doors open to ensure care,” she said. “It’s going to affect every other safety net provider.”State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold and chair of the committee, asked a number of those who testified why the clinics couldn’t just drop their Planned Parenthood logo and affiliation and continue to operate.&nbsp;Wellbery, with Planned Parenthood, said it’s not as simple as dropping affiliation, adding the organization’s name is known and trusted.The committee took no action on the bill Wednesday.&nbsp;

Mo. Republicans push bill to defund Planned Parenthood after years of legal fights

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — Congress has spent more than six years avoiding its responsibility to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, using a series of stopgap bills to extend the life of the program that has issued nearly 5 million policies.

The lackadaisical approach to brokering a five-year reauthorization of the program was one of several topics the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee discussed Thursday during a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/hearings/reauthorization-of-the-national-flood-insurance-program-local-perspectives-on-challenges-and-solutions">hearing</a>&nbsp;on challenges local communities have with flooding and the federally run insurance program.

“Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster facing the country,” said Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, chairman of the committee. “It’s devastating to families and businesses and communities in every state.”

The National Flood Insurance Program, he said, is not only responsible for writing policies for homeowners and businesses but for trying to mitigate the impacts of future flooding.

Scott criticizes outdated maps, lack of data

South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, ranking member on the panel, said that Congress must implement “substantial reforms” when it reauthorizes the NFIP.

“The program is financially insolvent with over $20 billion in debt,” Scott said. “Instead of educating communities and homeowners on the risks they face, the program’s outdated flood maps and lack of transparent data often obscures the risks.”

The NFIP pays out about 30% of its “resources” to roughly 1% of “properties that consistently and repeatedly are flood victims again and again and again,” Scott said.

“That’s an opportunity for us to look to the local communities to create strategies to perhaps not rebuild there,” Scott said, adding that Congress cannot allow the program to lapse.

Scott also noted that at some point lawmakers need to talk about a “comprehensive” approach to catastrophic events, noting that different regions of the country experience different natural disasters like wildfires, tornadoes and hurricanes.

“If you live in America, the fact is simple — we, the taxpayers, have paid out hundreds of billions of dollars over the last 10 years because of catastrophic occurrences,” he said.

Lawmakers need to address how the size and scope of all natural disasters impacting homeowners and the economy, especially when the cost of repairing or rebuilding reaches a level that private insurance companies cannot handle, he said.

“Without that comprehensive approach, we really are missing the target by a mile,” Scott said.

Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy said affordability of NFIP policies is becoming increasingly difficult for homeowners or businesses in particularly flood prone areas, including his home state.

“NFIP’s new risk assessment policy called Risk Rating 2.0 has made flood insurance simply impossible to afford; in some cases policies rising over 1,000%,” he said.

“At this point, we know that we’re in an actuarial death spiral, where people will be dropping insurance because they can no longer afford (it); therefore a smaller number of people for whom to put on the risk. Therefore, more expensive premiums and therefore more people drop,” Cassidy added.

Michael Hecht, president &amp; CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., testified that the new pricing system for flood insurance has caused some premiums to increase substantially, leading to significant problems for people and business owners who need to operate along the coast.

Hecht told the committee that 50% of U.S. grain exports leave through the port of South Louisiana and that the new pricing should take that into account.

“If our workers cannot live there, this is going to have impacts on our ability to supply America and the world with food,” Hecht said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which manages the NFIP, projects that about 900,000 people will cancel their policies, representing a 20% drop in participants, he said.

Congress should take that into consideration when it reauthorizes the NFIP by requiring a “thorough and holistic analysis of economic impacts, mandating FEMA’s transparency through the release of a usable public facing risk calculator and also a rating appeals process,” Hecht said.

The cap on insurance premium increases should be lowered from 18% to 9%, he said.

Daniel Kaniewski, managing director at Marsh McLennan insurance company, told the committee that hazard mitigation is one of the more important things that Congress can do to address the costs of flooding and recovery.

“Not only does it protect existing homeowners against their existing risk, it helps protect homeowners in the future and …&nbsp; anyone else who purchases that home in the future against future risks,” Kaniewski said. “It also gets at the affordability issue, because if you’ve reduced your risk, you should also be able to reduce your rates.”

Flood insurance out of reach for some families

Steve Patterson, the mayor of Athens, Ohio, told senators that rising prices for some flood insurance policies will price them out of many families’ budgets.

“In Athens and Athens County, the median household income is around $42,000, so it’s much lower than the national average,” Patterson said.

“It is a challenge to have that added burden, especially those who are living within the floodplains within the city and throughout the county,” Patterson added. “It’s going to be an exceptional burden on them to echo the already existing cost of living increases that we’re all experiencing.”

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez said that pricing people out of the National Flood Insurance Program creates issues for those homeowners if they eventually experience flooding as well as for the policyholders left in the NFIP.

“Insurance is about spreading risk, right?” he said. “The wider the pool, the less the costs. The smaller the pool, the higher the cost. And that drives people out at the end of the day.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574018762648.png" alt="Flooding in Doniphan County 2019" />
 <figcaption>Flooding in Doniphan County 2019</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — Congress has spent more than six years avoiding its responsibility to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, using a series of stopgap bills to extend the life of the program that has issued nearly 5 million policies.The lackadaisical approach to brokering a five-year reauthorization of the program was one of several topics the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee discussed Thursday during a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/hearings/reauthorization-of-the-national-flood-insurance-program-local-perspectives-on-challenges-and-solutions">hearing</a>&nbsp;on challenges local communities have with flooding and the federally run insurance program.“Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster facing the country,” said Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, chairman of the committee. “It’s devastating to families and businesses and communities in every state.”The National Flood Insurance Program, he said, is not only responsible for writing policies for homeowners and businesses but for trying to mitigate the impacts of future flooding.<h2>Scott criticizes outdated maps, lack of data</h2>South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, ranking member on the panel, said that Congress must implement “substantial reforms” when it reauthorizes the NFIP.“The program is financially insolvent with over $20 billion in debt,” Scott said. “Instead of educating communities and homeowners on the risks they face, the program’s outdated flood maps and lack of transparent data often obscures the risks.”The NFIP pays out about 30% of its “resources” to roughly 1% of “properties that consistently and repeatedly are flood victims again and again and again,” Scott said.“That’s an opportunity for us to look to the local communities to create strategies to perhaps not rebuild there,” Scott said, adding that Congress cannot allow the program to lapse.Scott also noted that at some point lawmakers need to talk about a “comprehensive” approach to catastrophic events, noting that different regions of the country experience different natural disasters like wildfires, tornadoes and hurricanes.“If you live in America, the fact is simple — we, the taxpayers, have paid out hundreds of billions of dollars over the last 10 years because of catastrophic occurrences,” he said.Lawmakers need to address how the size and scope of all natural disasters impacting homeowners and the economy, especially when the cost of repairing or rebuilding reaches a level that private insurance companies cannot handle, he said.“Without that comprehensive approach, we really are missing the target by a mile,” Scott said.<h2>Louisiana flooding</h2>Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy said affordability of NFIP policies is becoming increasingly difficult for homeowners or businesses in particularly flood prone areas, including his home state.“NFIP’s new risk assessment policy called Risk Rating 2.0 has made flood insurance simply impossible to afford; in some cases policies rising over 1,000%,” he said.“At this point, we know that we’re in an actuarial death spiral, where people will be dropping insurance because they can no longer afford (it); therefore a smaller number of people for whom to put on the risk. Therefore, more expensive premiums and therefore more people drop,” Cassidy added.Michael Hecht, president &amp; CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., testified that the new pricing system for flood insurance has caused some premiums to increase substantially, leading to significant problems for people and business owners who need to operate along the coast.Hecht told the committee that 50% of U.S. grain exports leave through the port of South Louisiana and that the new pricing should take that into account.“If our workers cannot live there, this is going to have impacts on our ability to supply America and the world with food,” Hecht said.The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which manages the NFIP, projects that about 900,000 people will cancel their policies, representing a 20% drop in participants, he said.Congress should take that into consideration when it reauthorizes the NFIP by requiring a “thorough and holistic analysis of economic impacts, mandating FEMA’s transparency through the release of a usable public facing risk calculator and also a rating appeals process,” Hecht said.The cap on insurance premium increases should be lowered from 18% to 9%, he said.Daniel Kaniewski, managing director at Marsh McLennan insurance company, told the committee that hazard mitigation is one of the more important things that Congress can do to address the costs of flooding and recovery.“Not only does it protect existing homeowners against their existing risk, it helps protect homeowners in the future and …&nbsp; anyone else who purchases that home in the future against future risks,” Kaniewski said. “It also gets at the affordability issue, because if you’ve reduced your risk, you should also be able to reduce your rates.”<h2>Flood insurance out of reach for some families</h2>Steve Patterson, the mayor of Athens, Ohio, told senators that rising prices for some flood insurance policies will price them out of many families’ budgets.“In Athens and Athens County, the median household income is around $42,000, so it’s much lower than the national average,” Patterson said.“It is a challenge to have that added burden, especially those who are living within the floodplains within the city and throughout the county,” Patterson added. “It’s going to be an exceptional burden on them to echo the already existing cost of living increases that we’re all experiencing.”New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez said that pricing people out of the National Flood Insurance Program creates issues for those homeowners if they eventually experience flooding as well as for the policyholders left in the NFIP.“Insurance is about spreading risk, right?” he said. “The wider the pool, the less the costs. The smaller the pool, the higher the cost. And that drives people out at the end of the day.”

Major changes in federal flood insurance program urged by U.S. Senate panel

St. Joseph school district voters will decide in April whether
to approve a $20 million bond issue that won’t require a tax increase.

Superintendent Gabe Edgar explains 53 cents of the current St.
Joseph school levy goes toward paying off debt with much of that debt being
retired.

“If you don’t have the debt then you have to lower that levy,”
Edgar tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.&nbsp; “And if you lower that levy from 53 cents to
26 cents, you’re never going to get that 27 cents back, because you’re going to
have to go to the vote of the public to get that back. If you don’t have that,
then nothing is ever going to happen progressive here in St. Joseph from a
capital improvement standpoint.”

The St. Joseph School District has paid off enough debt to issue
an additional $80 million in bonds without triggering a tax increase.

The money generated by the bond issue would pay for public
safety upgrades, academic programs, and activities.

Public safety includes work in partnership with the city to
build roads at Carden Park and Oak Grove Elementary Schools as well as
extending the district sidewalk program, which plans sidewalks for Pickett and
Pershing Elementary this summer and possibly Spring Garden Middle School if the
issue passes.

HVAC upgrades would be funded. Edison and Eugene Field
Elementary Schools had to cancel classes when the rest of the district returned
from the winter storm, because their heat pump heating systems couldn’t keep up
during the bitter cold stretch. The district-wide intercom system would be
upgraded.

Assistant Superintendent Ashly McGinnis says some of the
academic improvements planned would be an upgrade for fine arts, which she says
is often overlooked, because the public tends to focus on core subjects.

“But we know the importance of those elective courses, because
that’s what gets kids to come to school,” McGinnis tells Birr. "That’s
what gets them excited about school. And so we want to make sure we’re putting
dollars into those programs that keep kids motivated for learning.”

Science and technology would be included as well.

Artificial turf would be added to the high school football
fields, making them more versatile.

Edgar emphasizes the school board agreed to seeking the $20 million
bond issue after much discussion with administrators, teachers, students, and
community members.

Voters will decide the issue April 2nd. It will
take four-sevenths approval to pass.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph school district voters will decide in April whether
to approve a $20 million bond issue that won’t require a tax increase.Superintendent Gabe Edgar explains 53 cents of the current St.
Joseph school levy goes toward paying off debt with much of that debt being
retired.“If you don’t have the debt then you have to lower that levy,”
Edgar tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.&nbsp; “And if you lower that levy from 53 cents to
26 cents, you’re never going to get that 27 cents back, because you’re going to
have to go to the vote of the public to get that back. If you don’t have that,
then nothing is ever going to happen progressive here in St. Joseph from a
capital improvement standpoint.”The St. Joseph School District has paid off enough debt to issue
an additional $80 million in bonds without triggering a tax increase.The money generated by the bond issue would pay for public
safety upgrades, academic programs, and activities.Public safety includes work in partnership with the city to
build roads at Carden Park and Oak Grove Elementary Schools as well as
extending the district sidewalk program, which plans sidewalks for Pickett and
Pershing Elementary this summer and possibly Spring Garden Middle School if the
issue passes.HVAC upgrades would be funded. Edison and Eugene Field
Elementary Schools had to cancel classes when the rest of the district returned
from the winter storm, because their heat pump heating systems couldn’t keep up
during the bitter cold stretch. The district-wide intercom system would be
upgraded.Assistant Superintendent Ashly McGinnis says some of the
academic improvements planned would be an upgrade for fine arts, which she says
is often overlooked, because the public tends to focus on core subjects.“But we know the importance of those elective courses, because
that’s what gets kids to come to school,” McGinnis tells Birr. "That’s
what gets them excited about school. And so we want to make sure we’re putting
dollars into those programs that keep kids motivated for learning.”Science and technology would be included as well.Artificial turf would be added to the high school football
fields, making them more versatile.Edgar emphasizes the school board agreed to seeking the $20 million
bond issue after much discussion with administrators, teachers, students, and
community members.Voters will decide the issue April 2nd. It will
take four-sevenths approval to pass.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/St--Joseph-School-District-20-Million-Bond-Issue-e2evlgr" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph School District voters will decide $20M bond issue

Spending plan focuses on ongoing state programs with increases for teachers, child care and state employee pay

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

Spending from large federal grants and a shrinking but substantial state surplus will propel Missouri to record spending in the coming year if lawmakers adopt the $52.7 billion budget proposal from Gov. Mike Parson.

Unlike last year’s budget proposal, which included nearly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/18/parson-makes-i-70-a-focus-for-missouri-budget-heavy-on-infrastructure-education-spending/">$900 million from general revenue</a>&nbsp;to improve Interstate 70, Parson has no large proposals for using the surplus that was nearly $6.4 billion at the end of December.

Instead, increases in ongoing spending, including raises for teachers, more for higher education and childcare and funding to study improvements on Interstate 44 are among the more notable items in the fiscal 2025 budget. The immediate reaction from lawmakers ranged from praise for Parson’s continued commitment to infrastructure and schools to promises that every increased or new item will be subject to intense debate.

Last year, lawmakers boosted Parson’s plan for I-70 to $1.4 billion in general revenue and $1.4 billion in borrowed funds for widening the highway from Wentzville to Blue Springs. Interest from that money, about $14 million, will pay for studies to do the same for all or portions of I-44.

In an advance copy of his annual State of the State address, Parson said he’s proud of the investments his administration has made in roads and bridges.

“While road and bridge repair might not be the most exciting topic…it is one that impacts all Missourians the most,” Parson was expected to tell a joint session of the legislature on Wednesday.

Overall, the budget anticipates spending $15 billion from general revenue, which will reduce the surplus in that fund to about $1.5 billion by June 30, 2025.

The proposal to use the surplus will meet opposition from House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith if Parson wants to use it to increase spending for ongoing programs. Smith said he hadn’t had time to dig deeply into the budget but said he wants ongoing spending to stay within the limits set by current revenue.

“If he is recommending that we use the surplus to balance ongoing expenditures or supplement ongoing expenditures, then absolutely I expect that we will have to make some reductions in his recommendations,” Smith said.

Priorities for increases will be public schools, transportation and any additional costs for the Medicaid program, Smith said. Increases for higher education institutions and other increases tied to inflation would have a lower consideration.

On the Senate side of the Capitol, where GOP factional feuds promise a very difficult session, members of the Freedom Caucus have promised they will debate every increased item and every new item in the budget.

“We’ve not seen a copy of the governor’s budget recommendations yet, so we don’t know what (new items are) included but they will be on under a microscope, that’s for sure,” said Sen. Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg. Hoskins was removed from his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday because of Freedom Caucus stall tactics on the floor.

Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring, a candidate for governor, said he views a record budget as a challenge.

“It sounds like it’s gonna be a long discussion on the budget over on the Senate side,” Eigel said. “The fact that we have such a big budget is a real indication at this point that we need to reduce the size of government.”

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough of Springfield said he wasn’t surprised by Parson’s budget proposal because it continued an emphasis on infrastructure.

Hough said he is ready for the challenge of debating each line.

“Bring it on,” he said. “I’ll go all day.”

Parson will leave office in January and give his successor the biggest surplus any governor has left the state, Aaron Willard, Parson’s chief of staff, told reporters shortly before Parson’s speech

“We really believe that we have overseen transformational changes in the state of Missouri, and I did not say that lightly,” Willard said.

Highlights of the budget proposal include:&nbsp;

When Parson signed the current year’s budget – after vetoing 201 spending items, totaling $555 million – the surplus of all&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/missouri-surplus-peaking-at-8-billion-as-governor-prepares-to-act-on-state-budget/">state funds stood at about $8 billion</a>. After transferring money for the I-70 project, plus setting aside $300 million for expansion of the Missouri Capitol Building, the surplus in all funds is about $6.4 billion, including $4.3 billion of general revenue.

Budget officials anticipate that the general revenue surplus will be reduced to about $3 billion by the end of June, when the fiscal year concludes.

Revenues are stable at about $13.1 billion annually but growth will be negligible. As a result,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/29/legislature-sends-764-million-income-tax-cut-to-missouri-governor/">income tax cuts based on revenue growth</a>&nbsp;will be delayed, officials said.

Through Tuesday, revenues during the current fiscal year have grown by 0.7% and if that trend continues, the treasury will take in $142 million more than estimated. That won’t, however, be enough to trigger the next step in a series of tax cuts passed during a fall 2022 special session.

The current top rate on income taxes is 4.8% and will fall to 4.7% in the year after revenues grow by at least $200 million. Two additional tax cuts, also predicated on $200 million in revenue growth, are also in state law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706132917144.png" alt="Missouri Gov. Mike Parson begins the annual State of the State speech to a joint session of the legislature on Wednesday with House Speaker Dean Plocher and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe beside him -image from the video of the address" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Gov. Mike Parson begins the annual State of the State speech to a joint session of the legislature on Wednesday with House Speaker Dean Plocher and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe beside him -image from the video of the address</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Spending plan focuses on ongoing state programs with increases for teachers, child care and state employee pay</h2>By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Spending from large federal grants and a shrinking but substantial state surplus will propel Missouri to record spending in the coming year if lawmakers adopt the $52.7 billion budget proposal from Gov. Mike Parson.Unlike last year’s budget proposal, which included nearly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/18/parson-makes-i-70-a-focus-for-missouri-budget-heavy-on-infrastructure-education-spending/">$900 million from general revenue</a>&nbsp;to improve Interstate 70, Parson has no large proposals for using the surplus that was nearly $6.4 billion at the end of December.Instead, increases in ongoing spending, including raises for teachers, more for higher education and childcare and funding to study improvements on Interstate 44 are among the more notable items in the fiscal 2025 budget. The immediate reaction from lawmakers ranged from praise for Parson’s continued commitment to infrastructure and schools to promises that every increased or new item will be subject to intense debate.Last year, lawmakers boosted Parson’s plan for I-70 to $1.4 billion in general revenue and $1.4 billion in borrowed funds for widening the highway from Wentzville to Blue Springs. Interest from that money, about $14 million, will pay for studies to do the same for all or portions of I-44.In an advance copy of his annual State of the State address, Parson said he’s proud of the investments his administration has made in roads and bridges.“While road and bridge repair might not be the most exciting topic…it is one that impacts all Missourians the most,” Parson was expected to tell a joint session of the legislature on Wednesday.Overall, the budget anticipates spending $15 billion from general revenue, which will reduce the surplus in that fund to about $1.5 billion by June 30, 2025.The proposal to use the surplus will meet opposition from House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith if Parson wants to use it to increase spending for ongoing programs. Smith said he hadn’t had time to dig deeply into the budget but said he wants ongoing spending to stay within the limits set by current revenue.“If he is recommending that we use the surplus to balance ongoing expenditures or supplement ongoing expenditures, then absolutely I expect that we will have to make some reductions in his recommendations,” Smith said.Priorities for increases will be public schools, transportation and any additional costs for the Medicaid program, Smith said. Increases for higher education institutions and other increases tied to inflation would have a lower consideration.On the Senate side of the Capitol, where GOP factional feuds promise a very difficult session, members of the Freedom Caucus have promised they will debate every increased item and every new item in the budget.“We’ve not seen a copy of the governor’s budget recommendations yet, so we don’t know what (new items are) included but they will be on under a microscope, that’s for sure,” said Sen. Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg. Hoskins was removed from his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday because of Freedom Caucus stall tactics on the floor.Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring, a candidate for governor, said he views a record budget as a challenge.“It sounds like it’s gonna be a long discussion on the budget over on the Senate side,” Eigel said. “The fact that we have such a big budget is a real indication at this point that we need to reduce the size of government.”Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough of Springfield said he wasn’t surprised by Parson’s budget proposal because it continued an emphasis on infrastructure.Hough said he is ready for the challenge of debating each line.“Bring it on,” he said. “I’ll go all day.”Parson will leave office in January and give his successor the biggest surplus any governor has left the state, Aaron Willard, Parson’s chief of staff, told reporters shortly before Parson’s speech“We really believe that we have overseen transformational changes in the state of Missouri, and I did not say that lightly,” Willard said.Highlights of the budget proposal include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>A $120.6 million increase to fully fund the education foundation formula at $3.7 billion, plus $14 million to fully fund school transportation and $4 million to boost base teacher pay to $40,000 a year.</li><li>A 3% increase for higher education operating budgets plus $314.7 million to fund new construction on all two- and four-year institutions.</li><li>A 3.2% pay raise for all state workers, plus an increase for longevity – 1% for every two years on the job up to 10% – for employees who work in residential facilities such as youth incarceration centers, state schools and mental health facilities.</li><li>$1.5 billion in federal funds to expand broadband access statewide.</li><li>$51.7 million to increase state subsidies for child care.</li>
 </ul>When Parson signed the current year’s budget – after vetoing 201 spending items, totaling $555 million – the surplus of all&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/missouri-surplus-peaking-at-8-billion-as-governor-prepares-to-act-on-state-budget/">state funds stood at about $8 billion</a>. After transferring money for the I-70 project, plus setting aside $300 million for expansion of the Missouri Capitol Building, the surplus in all funds is about $6.4 billion, including $4.3 billion of general revenue.Budget officials anticipate that the general revenue surplus will be reduced to about $3 billion by the end of June, when the fiscal year concludes.Revenues are stable at about $13.1 billion annually but growth will be negligible. As a result,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/29/legislature-sends-764-million-income-tax-cut-to-missouri-governor/">income tax cuts based on revenue growth</a>&nbsp;will be delayed, officials said.Through Tuesday, revenues during the current fiscal year have grown by 0.7% and if that trend continues, the treasury will take in $142 million more than estimated. That won’t, however, be enough to trigger the next step in a series of tax cuts passed during a fall 2022 special session.The current top rate on income taxes is 4.8% and will fall to 4.7% in the year after revenues grow by at least $200 million. Two additional tax cuts, also predicated on $200 million in revenue growth, are also in state law.

Missouri Governor proposes record $52.7 billion state budget

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Nissan Titan driven by Trenton A. Mcelvain, 23, Cameron, was northbound on Interstate 35 one mile south of Lathrop.

The vehicle traveled off the west side of the road, struck the emergenciy crossover, became airborne, struck the ground and rolled. Tri-County EMS transported Mcelvain to Liberty Hospital.&nbsp; He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Nissan Titan driven by Trenton A. Mcelvain, 23, Cameron, was northbound on Interstate 35 one mile south of Lathrop.The vehicle traveled off the west side of the road, struck the emergenciy crossover, became airborne, struck the ground and rolled. Tri-County EMS transported Mcelvain to Liberty Hospital.&nbsp; He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man injured after violent pickup rollover crash

DAVIESS COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Wednesday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a northbound 2007 Ford F150 driven by Wyatt W. Thompson, 18, Pattonsburg, was northbound on Forest Avenue at U.S. 69 one mile south of. Pattonsburg.

The pickup struck a southbound 2012 Dodge Journey driven by Kristina A. Sandborg, 38, Pattonsburg, head-on, who had turned from southbound U.S. 69 to Forest Avenue.

NTA ambulance transported Sandbord and a 17-year-old Pattonsburg boy in her vehicle to Cameron Regional Medical Center. Thompson was not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

DAVIESS COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Wednesday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a northbound 2007 Ford F150 driven by Wyatt W. Thompson, 18, Pattonsburg, was northbound on Forest Avenue at U.S. 69 one mile south of. Pattonsburg.The pickup struck a southbound 2012 Dodge Journey driven by Kristina A. Sandborg, 38, Pattonsburg, head-on, who had turned from southbound U.S. 69 to Forest Avenue.NTA ambulance transported Sandbord and a 17-year-old Pattonsburg boy in her vehicle to Cameron Regional Medical Center. Thompson was not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Mo. woman, teen hospitalized after head-on crash

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on new allegations after an arrest.

On Tuesday, police arrested 37-year-old Cecilia A. Westmoreland of Atchison, was arrested on a Community Corrections detain order, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

In October she was jailed for allegedly driving under the influence and assault of a law enforcement officer.

In 2015, she was booked into jail on requested charges of interference with law enforcement and later for assault and battery, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706106515127.png" alt="Westmoreland" />
 <figcaption>Westmoreland</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on new allegations after an arrest.On Tuesday, police arrested 37-year-old Cecilia A. Westmoreland of Atchison, was arrested on a Community Corrections detain order, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.In October she was jailed for allegedly driving under the influence and assault of a law enforcement officer.In 2015, she was booked into jail on requested charges of interference with law enforcement and later for assault and battery, according to online jail records.

NE Kansas woman ordered back to jail

As planting season approaches, Missouri corn growers are getting the opportunity to air their concerns to officials with the Missouri Corn Growers Association.  

The association will hold its District One winter meeting tomorrow in Mound City. 

Missouri Corn CEO Bradley Schad says these meetings are an opportunity to let growers know their voices are being heard 

"We just want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to help them on their farm to where they can stay in their seat on the tractor or combine whatever that be, we're getting into planting season," Schad tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And just before we get in there, we want to reach out to them and see if there's anything at all that we need to be doing more of for them, we're doing everything we can that we know of." 

The association has held a series of meetings throughout the month and will have more coming over the next month to hear growers ahead of planting season. 

Schad says one of the biggest challenges growers face is the markets. 

Despite a lingering drought that plagued last year's growing season, Schad says Missouri saw a great corn harvest 

"We still averaged 153 according to USDA and we're going to produce 561 million bushels supposedly from what USDA says," Schad points out. "So, it's really exciting that we had a monumental drought and still came out with yields like that." 

The District One meeting will be held at 6pm at the Mound City Distillery.   

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post As planting season approaches, Missouri corn growers are getting the opportunity to air their concerns to officials with the Missouri Corn Growers Association. The association will hold its District One winter meeting tomorrow in Mound City. Missouri Corn CEO Bradley Schad says these meetings are an opportunity to let growers know their voices are being heard "We just want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to help them on their farm to where they can stay in their seat on the tractor or combine whatever that be, we're getting into planting season," Schad tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And just before we get in there, we want to reach out to them and see if there's anything at all that we need to be doing more of for them, we're doing everything we can that we know of." The association has held a series of meetings throughout the month and will have more coming over the next month to hear growers ahead of planting season. Schad says one of the biggest challenges growers face is the markets. Despite a lingering drought that plagued last year's growing season, Schad says Missouri saw a great corn harvest "We still averaged 153 according to USDA and we're going to produce 561 million bushels supposedly from what USDA says," Schad points out. "So, it's really exciting that we had a monumental drought and still came out with yields like that." The District One meeting will be held at 6pm at the Mound City Distillery.

With planting season nearing corn growers concerns will be heard during local meeting

Added as an amendment in committee, a public hearing on the proposal has not taken place in the Senate this year

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

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=246">Legislation</a>&nbsp;seeking to create a “parents bill of rights” in Missouri was amended in committee Tuesday morning to add prohibitions on transgender students accessing restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.

<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/18/missouri-lawmakers-debate-permanent-ban-on-transgender-care-for-minors/">A House hearing</a>&nbsp;on standalone bills that sought to regulate school bathrooms took up the majority of a nearly nine-hour meeting last week.&nbsp;Missourians haven’t had a chance to testify on bathroom restrictions in the Senate this year, a fact that irked Democrats as the committee’s chairman — Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester — briefly introduced the amendment.

Koenig added the bathroom amendment shortly before he was removed as chairman of the education committee. He lost his chairmanship Tuesday along with other members of the Senate’s Freedom Caucus following&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/18/tempers-flare-in-missouri-senate-during-gop-fight-over-initiative-petition-changes/">weeks of open warfare</a>&nbsp;with the chamber’s GOP leadership.

Sen. Nick Schroer, a Republican from Defiance, said adding the bathroom amendment was an important step.

“It is a statewide issue that your biological sex matches which locker room and which restroom you’re going into,” Schroer said. “I know several of the school districts in St. Charles County have addressed it, but there’s still a need.”

Greg Razer, a Kansas City Democrat and the Senate’s only openly gay member, attempted to remove it, but his efforts fell short when only Republican Sen. Elaine Gannon of De Soto joined the Democratic committee members in favor of Razer’s proposal.

The original bill would require school staff to report to parents, within 24 hours, if a minor expresses “discomfort or confusion about the student’s documented identity” or desires to change their pronouns.

The bill also specifies that school personnel cannot “encourage a student under the age of 18 years old to adopt a gender identity or sexual orientation.”

Razer offered another amendment Tuesday that would require staff to contact the Missouri Department of Social Services whenever a parent is contacted regarding students’ LGBTQ status. The school would tell the agency that the child was at-risk of becoming homeless. His fear, Razer said, is that disapproving parents may kick a child out of their home.&nbsp;

“I think we all can agree that we don’t want children to be homeless,” Razer told fellow committee members.

Sen. Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, added that there was a risk of child abuse as well, stacking another amendment atop Razer’s.

“If the parent is going to be notified,” Razer said, “the department needs to be notified that they may have a homeless child or an abused child on their hands.”

Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, said he thought the Democratic amendments were unnecessary.

“Doesn’t the current existing law mandate reporting if they believe there is abuse or anything already going on?” he said. “So this is just redundancy.”&nbsp;

Brattin said the amendments assume abuse, saying parents should be “innocent until proven guilty.” Razer thought it was best to be precautionary.

“You want to wait until the child is abused?” he asked. “You’re going to put a certain unacceptably large percentage of children at risk.”

Brattin argued with him, saying it was a “very small portion of children.”

“If the law says ‘sexual orientation or gender identity,’ say a boy says, ‘I want to take this girl on a date to the dance,’ then do they have to call?” Razer asked. “If that’s not the case, then what we’re saying in your bill is you only call if the student is like me.”

Koenig said he was open to clarifying the bill’s language.

“What we don’t want is, we don’t want the teacher indoctrinating the child to make one decision or the other, or to specifically change names or pronouns,” he said.

State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat, said teachers are not trying to change students’ sexuality or gender identity.

“Without teachers indoctrinating students, there are still conversations about students’ personal lives, who they like, who they want to take to the dance and how they’re feeling at that moment,” she said. “By putting in statute requirements of the teachers to notify parents in conversations where I think we should allow them a little discretion to make the right call, it creates all sorts of additional problems.”

Brattin said he thought the discussion of sexual orientation was “muddying the waters.” He said the bill addresses situations where teachers help children transition by providing clothes or changing their name without parental consent.

“To say that a teacher should have those sorts of conversations, I think is beyond the scope of a teacher,” he said.

Koenig’s bill passed, with the committee’s Democratic members and Gannon in opposition.

The committee’s new chairperson Sen. Curtis Trent, a Republican from Springfield, will be responsible for reporting the bill as “passed” on the Senate floor for it to continue forward. He voted in favor of the legislation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706118159642.png" alt="Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, offers amendments to a bill that would bar transgender students from restrooms aligning with their gender identity in the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee Tuesday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, offers amendments to a bill that would bar transgender students from restrooms aligning with their gender identity in the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee Tuesday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Added as an amendment in committee, a public hearing on the proposal has not taken place in the Senate this year</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">ANNELISE HANSHAW</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=246">Legislation</a>&nbsp;seeking to create a “parents bill of rights” in Missouri was amended in committee Tuesday morning to add prohibitions on transgender students accessing restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/18/missouri-lawmakers-debate-permanent-ban-on-transgender-care-for-minors/">A House hearing</a>&nbsp;on standalone bills that sought to regulate school bathrooms took up the majority of a nearly nine-hour meeting last week.&nbsp;Missourians haven’t had a chance to testify on bathroom restrictions in the Senate this year, a fact that irked Democrats as the committee’s chairman — Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester — briefly introduced the amendment.Koenig added the bathroom amendment shortly before he was removed as chairman of the education committee. He lost his chairmanship Tuesday along with other members of the Senate’s Freedom Caucus following&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/18/tempers-flare-in-missouri-senate-during-gop-fight-over-initiative-petition-changes/">weeks of open warfare</a>&nbsp;with the chamber’s GOP leadership.Sen. Nick Schroer, a Republican from Defiance, said adding the bathroom amendment was an important step.“It is a statewide issue that your biological sex matches which locker room and which restroom you’re going into,” Schroer said. “I know several of the school districts in St. Charles County have addressed it, but there’s still a need.”Greg Razer, a Kansas City Democrat and the Senate’s only openly gay member, attempted to remove it, but his efforts fell short when only Republican Sen. Elaine Gannon of De Soto joined the Democratic committee members in favor of Razer’s proposal.The original bill would require school staff to report to parents, within 24 hours, if a minor expresses “discomfort or confusion about the student’s documented identity” or desires to change their pronouns.The bill also specifies that school personnel cannot “encourage a student under the age of 18 years old to adopt a gender identity or sexual orientation.”Razer offered another amendment Tuesday that would require staff to contact the Missouri Department of Social Services whenever a parent is contacted regarding students’ LGBTQ status. The school would tell the agency that the child was at-risk of becoming homeless. His fear, Razer said, is that disapproving parents may kick a child out of their home.&nbsp;“I think we all can agree that we don’t want children to be homeless,” Razer told fellow committee members.Sen. Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, added that there was a risk of child abuse as well, stacking another amendment atop Razer’s.“If the parent is going to be notified,” Razer said, “the department needs to be notified that they may have a homeless child or an abused child on their hands.”Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, said he thought the Democratic amendments were unnecessary.“Doesn’t the current existing law mandate reporting if they believe there is abuse or anything already going on?” he said. “So this is just redundancy.”&nbsp;Brattin said the amendments assume abuse, saying parents should be “innocent until proven guilty.” Razer thought it was best to be precautionary.“You want to wait until the child is abused?” he asked. “You’re going to put a certain unacceptably large percentage of children at risk.”Brattin argued with him, saying it was a “very small portion of children.”Razer became visibly upset.“If the law says ‘sexual orientation or gender identity,’ say a boy says, ‘I want to take this girl on a date to the dance,’ then do they have to call?” Razer asked. “If that’s not the case, then what we’re saying in your bill is you only call if the student is like me.”Koenig said he was open to clarifying the bill’s language.“What we don’t want is, we don’t want the teacher indoctrinating the child to make one decision or the other, or to specifically change names or pronouns,” he said.State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat, said teachers are not trying to change students’ sexuality or gender identity.“Without teachers indoctrinating students, there are still conversations about students’ personal lives, who they like, who they want to take to the dance and how they’re feeling at that moment,” she said. “By putting in statute requirements of the teachers to notify parents in conversations where I think we should allow them a little discretion to make the right call, it creates all sorts of additional problems.”Brattin said he thought the discussion of sexual orientation was “muddying the waters.” He said the bill addresses situations where teachers help children transition by providing clothes or changing their name without parental consent.“To say that a teacher should have those sorts of conversations, I think is beyond the scope of a teacher,” he said.Koenig’s bill passed, with the committee’s Democratic members and Gannon in opposition.The committee’s new chairperson Sen. Curtis Trent, a Republican from Springfield, will be responsible for reporting the bill as “passed” on the Senate floor for it to continue forward. He voted in favor of the legislation.

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