Missouri funeral home board ousted amid inspections conflict

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH
Associated Press

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s office appointed four new members to a state board that oversees funeral homes amid complaints that the previous members had beefed up inspections too much after one crematory was found in such disrepair that body fluids were leaking onto the floor. In their first meeting in October, Parson’s new appointees fired two top officials. An attorney for the board had been terminated months earlier and an inspector was fired in the days that followed, leaving the board with very few experienced employees. The firings came as board members openly discussed suing the state to settle a dispute over whether they could hire and retain their own staff to conduct inspections.