Missouri Politics Archives - Page 53 of 68

Gun rights rally in Missouri Capitol rotunda

‘Concerned citizens’ attend Second Amendment rights rally at Missouri Capitol

February 24, 2021 1:10 PM Matt Ragsdale

People packed into the rotunda Wednesday for a Second Amendment rights rally at the Missouri Capitol.

Voters will not be able to vote absentee because of COVID-19 concerns in April election

February 23, 2021 6:34 PM Sydney Olsen

Local clerks are preparing for the April 6 election. Tuesday was the first day people could vote absentee.

Missouri Senate OKs bill to limit COVID-19 lawsuits

February 23, 2021 6:55 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri senators have passed a bill to shield hospitals, manufacturers and other businesses from lawsuits over alleged wrongdoing during the pandemic. The GOP-led Senate voted 20-13 in favor of the bill. The measure now goes to the House for consideration. Republican Gov. Mike Parson has been pushing lawmakers to pass

Missouri Senate bill cracks down on road-blocking protesters

February 23, 2021 6:49 PM Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri protesters who repeatedly block traffic without permission could face felony charges under a bill advancing in the state Senate. Senators on Tuesday gave the measure initial approval. The measure follows protests last summer in the St. Louis area over the death of George Floyd, including demonstrations that blocked major highways.

2 formerly rejected medical marijuana applications approved

February 23, 2021 3:04 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two applications to grow medical marijuana will receive licenses after the state initially rejected them. The state Administrative Hearing Commission on Tuesday approved cultivation licenses for Heye Kirksville and Heya Excello. The decision comes after the state denied hundreds of medical marijuana business applications, many of which prompted challenges to

Missouri House opposes eminent domain for wind-energy line

February 23, 2021 3:02 PM Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican-led state House is trying to ban the use of eminent domain for a large wind-energy power line. Lawmakers in a voice vote Tuesday advanced a bill to prevent the use of property owners’ land for the Grain Belt Express power line without their permission. The high-voltage power line would

Missouri Capitol evacuated as a precaution

February 22, 2021 7:48 PM ABC 17 News Team

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Capitol was evacuated as a precaution just before 7 p.m. Monday. At least four House committee hearings were in progress at the time. Division Chief Jason Turner said a malfunctioning detector went off in the Capitol. There was no fire or no smoke.

Missouri House tries again with voter photo ID law

February 22, 2021 8:01 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Republican-led Missouri House is advancing another version of a Missouri voter photo identification law that was gutted by the state Supreme Court. Judges last year permanently blocked a central provision of the 2016 voter identification law that required voters without a photo ID to make a sworn statement in

Private bill seeks freedom for man living in Missouri church

February 22, 2021 3:05 PM Associated Press

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Cori Bush has introduced legislation to grant permanent residency to a Honduran immigrant who has spent more than three years inside a Missouri church to avoid deportation. The freshman congressman from St. Louis announced details on Monday of a private bill that would allow Alex Garcia to emerge

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should insurance companies have to cover pre-existing conditions?

February 22, 2021 3:27 AM ABC 17 News Team

An effort is on to ask Missouri voters whether insurance companies should have to cover pre-existing conditions.

Missouri bill would delay some public record access

February 18, 2021 5:27 PM Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A pending Missouri bill would put a pause on open-records requests when public agencies are closed. House members voted 149-1 in favor of the bill Thursday. It now goes to the state Senate for consideration. An amendment added to the bill last week would exempt closed government agencies from the three-day

Missouri leaders committed to coronavirus vaccination plan despite teacher criticism

February 18, 2021 11:21 AM Victoria Bragg

Missouri leaders reiterated their commitment to the state’s coronavirus vaccination plan and the lack of current vaccinations for teachers.

Rep. Hartzler raises concerns about President Biden’s $1.9 trillion dollars COVID-19 relief package

February 17, 2021 10:56 PM ABC 17 News Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Mid-Missouri Representative Vicky Hartzler (R) has not said how she’s planning to vote on President Joe Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion dollar coronavirus relief package. ABC 17 News spoke with the representative this morning about a number of issues regarding the pandemic. Hartzler raised concerns about the package saying it might be too

State health, education leaders to take part in ABC 17 News Q&A

February 17, 2021 3:49 PM Matthew Sanders

The heads of Missouri’s health and education departments will be part of a panel of experts taking part in a question-and-answer session Thursday on ABC 17 News at 6:30 p.m.

Rush Limbaugh, conservative media icon, dead at 70 following battle with cancer

February 17, 2021 11:44 AM CNN

Rush Limbaugh, the conservative media icon who for decades used his perch as the king of talk-radio to shape the politics of both the Republican Party and nation, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should Missourians have to pay back unemployment benefits received by mistake?

February 12, 2021 2:04 AM ABC 17 News Team

Gov. Mike Parson has said his administration expects Missourians who received extra unemployment benefits by mistake to pay the money back. However, legislators are opposing that approach. Several have filed bills to stop the state from collecting. What do you think? Vote in the poll below.

Missouri governor signs $324M rent assistance bill

February 11, 2021 3:31 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has approved $324 million to help renters and landlords struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. Parson on Thursday signed the funding bill into law. The money comes from a federal program that Congress passed in December. Both landlords and renters can apply for aid under the program.

Lawmakers consider bills on mistaken unemployment payments

February 11, 2021 3:27 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — State lawmakers are considering several bills to allow Missourians to keep unemployment benefits they were not entitled to. The House Special Committee on Government Oversight heard seven separate proposals Wednesday to forgive payments to people who were not intentionally committing fraud. Gov. Mike Parson has said people should return the

Missouri leaders plan to receive more vaccine doses next month

February 10, 2021 11:37 AM Victoria Bragg

The group coordinating Missouri’s coronavirus vaccine program will brief reporters in a closed-door meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Missouri lawmaker indicted on fraud kicked out of GOP caucus

February 8, 2021 7:10 PM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri House Republicans have kicked a state lawmaker indicted on federal fraud charges out of their caucus. Members on Monday voted Rep. Tricia Derges out of the caucus. GOP House leaders are calling on her to resign. A federal grand jury indicted Derges on fraud charges for falsely claiming a