Missouri State Senate President Dave Schatz running for US Senate

Two-and-a-half weeks into the Missouri Legislature’s session, a controversial K-12 public education package could come up for Senate debate soon. A Missouri Senate committee has passed a plan that would restrict the teaching of the 1619 Project or similar bodies of work that say racism and inequity are embedded in American institutions. Senator Andrew Koenig is the sponsor of the bill.

A Missouri man has asked the governor to block the state’s plan to execute him next month. Alisa Nelson reports. Sign up for local daily headlines delivered straight to your email inbox every weekday morning.

A member of Missouri’s congressional delegation has reintroduced abortion-related legislation. Anthony Morabith reports. Sign up for local daily headlines delivered straight to your email inbox every weekday morning.

A pair of bills looking to eliminate taxing social security benefits is being considered by the Missouri House Special Committee on Tax Reform. Representative David Evans says Missouri needs to follow the trend of other U.S. states exempting social security benefits from taxation. Missouri is one of 11 states taxing...

Missouri ranks 44th in the United States for its pregnancy-related death rate and the governor wants to lower that statistic. Governor Mike Parson is asking the Missouri Legislature to devote 4.3-million-dollars in the next state budget to launch a plan to reduce the state’s high pregnancy-related death rate. A...

Governor Mike Parson has signed an executive order in response to another expected blast of winter weather. Alisa Nelson reports. Sign up for local daily headlines delivered straight to your email inbox every weekday morning.

A Missouri House committee report about the state’s mental healthcare needs says there’s not enough inpatient beds and staffing shortages are a problem within the mental healthcare system. State Representative Patty Lewis says her committee’s report also shows a lack of access to housing and a need to increase support services in schools and with community faith leaders.

Extra funding is coming to Missouri to clean up abandoned coal mine sites. Anthony Morabith reports. Sign up for local daily headlines delivered straight to your email inbox every weekday morning.

Missouri has about 120-thousand people living with Alzheimer’s Disease – and that number continues to grow. A statewide task force has made its legislative recommendations to help serve the state’s Alzheimer’s patients and their families. Jerry Dowell, with the Greater Missouri Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says recommendations include campaigns to help the public and the medical community know what to look out for in the early stages of the disease.

Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn announced that 22 youth groups from across Missouri were awarded grants from the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s 2023 Building Our American Communities grant program. Eleven local chapters of the National FFA Organization and 11 Missouri 4-H clubs statewide have been awarded funds for their community service projects this year. Each of the 2023 awardees will receive $500 toward their projects, which may include upgrades or additions to existing facilities, grounds or buildings, such as fairgrounds, parks or community centers used by local organizations. Some of the 2023 grant recipients include Ste. Genevieve FFA, Fredericktown FFA, and Pocahontas 4H Club. The Building Our American Communities program has been supporting youth projects since the 1970s. Each year, youth organizations throughout Missouri submit proposals for consideration for the grants that support specific projects within each community. The grants are funded through Missouri’s Agriculture Development Fund under an agreement with the USDA. 4-H clubs and FFA chapters awarded grants this year must complete their projects no later than Aug. 1, 2023. For more information on the department and its programs, visit agriculture.mo.gov.

Missouri has awarded 30-million-dollars in federal virus-related funding to help companies address workforce shortages. Alisa Nelson reports. Sign up for local daily headlines delivered straight to your email inbox every weekday morning.