Missouri Politics Archives

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should concealed guns be allowed on public transportation?

April 12, 2021 2:05 AM ABC 17 News Team

The measure has already passed the House and is working its way through the Senate.

Biden’s new gun laws send gun sales soaring in Columbia

April 9, 2021 7:42 PM Leila Mitchell

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) While many Missourians are not happy with President Joe Biden’s gun control measures and are pushing back, there are some people who believe gun safety comes first before anything. After recent mass shootings, Biden announced his first gun control measures since taking office. He announced a half-dozen executive actions aimed at controlling

Ex-GOP leader confirmed as University of Missouri curator

April 7, 2021 4:13 PM Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The Senate has confirmed the appointment of a former state Republican party chairman to the University of Missouri governing board. The GOP-led Senate voted 19-13 to confirm Todd Graves as a curator Wednesday. The vote followed a multi-day effort by a group of Republicans and Democrats to stall his confirmation. Senators

Missouri joins other states not planning to mandate vaccine passports

April 7, 2021 2:56 PM Zola Crowder

Gov. Mike Parson announced Missouri will not mandate coronavirus vaccine passports, joining several other states in opposition of the credentials.

Missouri officials expect fewer coronavirus vaccine doses than originally anticipated

April 7, 2021 11:50 AM Chanel Porter

The state anticipates getting roughly 157,040 doses in total next week — a decline of about 351,460 doses from last week’s projection for the same time period.

Missouri Senate passes opioid database bill

April 6, 2021 6:58 PM Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is one step closer to joining 49 other states in creating a database so doctors can catch possible opioid misuse. The Republican-led Senate voted 20-12 in favor of the bill. The vote is significant because the proposal has for years failed to pass that chamber. The purpose of prescription drug

Biden picks Missouri’s Robin Carnahan for agency appointment

April 6, 2021 5:21 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — President Joe Biden says he plans to nominate former Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan to administrator of the federal General Services Administration. The White House on Tuesday announced Carnahan’s nomination. Carnahan served as Missouri secretary of state from 2005 to 2012. The Democrat previously led a tech consulting office

Boone County accepting absentee ballots ahead of Tuesday’s election

April 3, 2021 5:39 AM Ben Fein

The Boone County Clerk’s Office is hosting an in person absentee voting event Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s election.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should lawmakers block Medicaid expansion?

April 1, 2021 3:45 AM ABC 17 News Team

Voters last year approved a measure to expand Medicaid’s health-care coverage to low-income, working adults.

Senate committee hears testimony on bill to limit local health order power

March 31, 2021 11:11 AM Chanel Porter

The Senate rejected a similar proposal on an initial vote last week. Nine Republicans and 10 Democrats voted against that proposal.

Missouri House condemns Dred Scott ruling

March 31, 2021 6:54 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers have formally condemned the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1857 ruling denying U.S. citizenship to Dred Scott and other Black Americans. The GOP-led state House voted 152-0 to denounce the decision Wednesday. The court ruled that Scott, a slave, was not an American citizen and therefore could not sue for

Former state lawmaker sentenced for misusing campaign funds

March 31, 2021 6:43 PM Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A former Democratic state representative from St. Louis County has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for misusing campaign money for personal expenses. A federal judge in St. Louis on Wednesday also ordered 39-year-old Courtney Curtis to repay nearly $48,000. He pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire

Protestors demonstrate at Sen. Hawley event in Columbia

March 30, 2021 7:13 PM ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Protesters have gathered to demonstrate against Republican Senator Josh Hawley at the corner of Forum Blvd and Woodrail avenue at the Country Club of Missouri entrance. Protestors gathered both in support and against Hawley. One demonstrator said she was unhappy with comments the senator made surrounding the January 6th capitol riots. Rebecca

Missouri House votes against funding Medicaid expansion

March 30, 2021 5:38 PM Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s House has voted against paying for thousands more low-income adults to get Medicaid. The Republican-led House on Tuesday voted down several Democratic proposals to fund Medicaid expansion. Missouri voters last year amended the state Constitution to expand eligibility for the government health care program. But the GOP-led House Budget Committee

Missouri Senate votes to ban police chokeholds

March 29, 2021 6:37 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A bill to ban police chokeholds has passed the Missouri Senate. Senators voted 30-4 in favor of the measure. The bill also would allow Kansas City police to live up to 30 miles outside of the city’s limits in Missouri. Democratic Sen. Brian Williams says he doesn’t like everything in

State lawmaker faces more charges accused of multiple fraud schemes

March 26, 2021 11:10 AM ABC 17 News Team

A Missouri state representative faces additional federal charges linked to a COVID-19 fraud scheme involving a Springfield charity.

Missouri House committee votes down Medicaid expansion

March 25, 2021 8:51 PM Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers have voted against funding a voter-approved expansion of Medicaid health care for low-income adults. The GOP-led House Budget Committee on Thursday voted 20-9 against paying to extend the program. Republicans argued it’s financially irresponsible to commit to expanding the expensive program. But Democrats argued Medicaid expansion is required by

Missouri House approves voter ID, other election changes

March 25, 2021 5:30 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri House has approved election law changes that include requiring residents to show photo IDs before voting. The measure also would prohibit counting absentee ballots until all Election Day ballots are collected, and bars election law changes within six months of a presidential election. All but one Republican House

EPA urged to reconsider listing Missouri lakes as ‘impaired’

March 25, 2021 4:41 PM Associated Press

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — The eight Republican members of Missouri’s congressional delegation are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider listing 40 Missouri waterways as “impaired.” That list that includes the Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Reservoir. A letter from Reps. Blaine Luetkemeyer and Vicky Hartzler and signed by the other GOP delegation members

Missouri bill for limits on COVID shutdowns fails in Senate

March 25, 2021 2:01 PM Associated Press

A legislative attempt to put checks on local Missouri health officials’ powers during emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic has failed.