Missouri Politics Archives

Holts Summit employer celebrates Supreme Court ruling on vaccine mandates

January 13, 2022 6:01 PM Hannah Falcon

Doolittle Trailer Manufacturing Inc. tells ABC 17 the Supreme Court ruling blocking the vaccine mandate for large workplaces was a sigh of relief.

Missouri state and federal officials react to Supreme Court blocking testing and vaccine mandate

January 13, 2022 4:04 PM Karl Wehmhoener

Missouri state and federal elected officials react to the Supreme Court blocked nationwide vaccine and testing mandate for large businesses.

Supreme Court blocks nationwide vaccine and testing mandate for large businesses, allows health care rule to take effect

January 13, 2022 1:41 PM CNN Newsource

(CNN) — The Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden’s vaccine or testing requirement aimed at large businesses, but it allowed a vaccine mandate for certain health care workers to go into effect nationwide.

A resident processes a self-administered at-home Covid-19 test

Shortage of antigen tests continues in Missouri

January 12, 2022 12:41 PM Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on across the country and here in Missouri, the amount of at-home tests available to Missourians is scarce and people are facing long lines at testing centers. This comes as Governor Mike Parson put an end to the state of emergency on December 31st, 2021.

Missouri House special committee on redistricting approves congressional redistricting map

January 12, 2022 4:25 PM Karl Wehmhoener

Legislation that will establish new boundaries for Missouri’s eight congressional districts is one step closer to consideration on the House floor.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you support bills such as the ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights?’

January 12, 2022 2:32 AM ABC 17 News Team

A hearing room was packed in the Missouri Capitol on Tuesday as scores of people showed up to support or oppose legislation known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights.”

Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation breaks record for most public testimony submitted in Missouri House

January 11, 2022 2:06 PM Hannah Falcon

Before the Missouri House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education recessed at 10 a.m., committee staff shared that the House record for most public testimony submitted in person or in writing was broken.

RET. Navy SEAL Captain announces run for Missouri Fourth Congressional District

January 7, 2022 8:10 PM ABC 17 News Team

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. (KMIZ) Retired Navy Seal Captain and former Lee’s Summit Police Officer Bill Irwin announced he is running for Congress. “Today I am announcing my campaign for US Congress to push back against the lies and cons of socialism and oppressive government. I’ve been told we need experienced politicians and only experienced politicians

Supreme Court appears poised to block Biden’s vaccine and testing rules for businesses

January 7, 2022 4:30 PM CNN Newsource

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Friday appeared ready to reject one of President Joe Biden’s most aggressive attempts so far to combat the spread of Covid-19 — a vaccine or testing requirement aimed at large businesses.

Missouri state senators look to repair relationships heading into general assembly

January 6, 2022 7:14 PM ABC 17 News Team

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri Senate leaders will have relationships to repair this new year. Republican lawmakers in the senate are once more at odds with each other. There seems to have been a loss of trust among the members of the Senate as the session begins. State Senator Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, says, “The point

Hawley, who became a central figure of Jan. 6, says most protesters at Capitol were peaceful

January 6, 2022 1:08 PM Matthew Sanders

Hawley became a central figure in the violence in the minds of many after his vote objecting to Pennsylvania’s presidential count and an infamous photo circulated showing him raising a fist into the air toward Trump supporters outside the Capitol.

Missouri legislators speak out on the upcoming 2021 general assembly session

January 5, 2022 7:09 PM ABC 17 News Team

As lawmakers return to the capital, bills ranging from redistricting, education, funding, all the way to vaccine mandates are expected to be debated.

Over 30 COVID-related bills pre-filed ahead of 2022 Missouri legislative session

January 4, 2022 4:19 PM Hannah Falcon

The 2022 Missouri legislative session begins Wednesday at noon. Ahead of this year’s session, 32 bills mentioning COVID-19 have been pre-filed; 14 in the House and 18 in the Senate.

Proposed House district map would move counties into Fourth District

December 30, 2021 4:09 PM Matthew Sanders

Chariton County, which is currently in the Sixth Congressional District represented by Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, would move into the Fourth District, which includes Columbia and other Mid-Missouri counties.

Attorney general drops lawsuit against Columbia Public Schools mask mandate

December 30, 2021 10:48 AM Matthew Sanders

The case was dismissed at the agreement of both parties Thursday, according to online court records.

Gov. Parson: 'We are going to push back against the federal mandates.'

Parson names new directors, fields coronavirus questions

December 29, 2021 12:37 PM Matthew Sanders

Questions during the news conference turned to the coronavirus pandemic and measures to control the spread of the more transmissible omicron variant.

Patrol completes investigation of Post-Dispatch

December 28, 2021 6:28 AM Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri State Highway Patrol has completed an investigation of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that began after a journalist exposed a state database flaw. Patrol Capt. John Hotz told the Post-Dispatch Monday that results of the investigation were turned over to Cole County Prosecuting Attorney Locke Thompson. It remains unclear

Cole County judge shoots down counties’ request to appeal health order decision

December 22, 2021 12:18 PM Matthew Sanders

Judge Daniel Green issued the order after counties including Cooper, Jackson and St. Louis asked to appeal Green’s November ruling that said nonelected officials cannot issue health orders, like those meant to fight coronavirus spread, under state law.

Missouri attorney general joins 24-state lawsuit to block mask, vaccine mandates for Head Start students

December 21, 2021 9:43 PM ABC 17 News Team

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri’s attorney general has joined 24 other states in a lawsuit to stop a mask and vaccine mandate on Head Start students and volunteers.“Head Start Programs provide much-needed resources for underserved communities, single moms, and other parents who may be struggling to provide care. Forcing children to wear masks all day

Politicians have different approaches to universal preschool for Missourians

December 15, 2021 6:03 PM Hannah Falcon

The estimated cost for a family to send their child to preschool in Missouri is $8,600 a year, according to a White House study, and only 14% of Missouri families have access to publicly funded preschool. State and federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have floated proposal about how to make preschool more accessible to those who can’t afford it.