Ezra Bitterman

2 weeks ago | kfvs12.com | Avery Martinez |Harshawn Ratanpal |Ezra Bitterman

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Once, earthquake insurance was so common and cheap, agents just added it on to policies in southern Missouri, remembers Missouri Farm Bureau Agency Sales Manager Jason Ginder. But, because the prices have gone up so much -- that’s no longer the case. He works in New Madrid, a small town in southern Missouri that was home to the worst earthquake in Midwestern history.

2 weeks ago | firstalert4.com | Avery Martinez |Harshawn Ratanpal |Ezra Bitterman

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Once, earthquake insurance was so common and cheap, agents just added it on to policies in southern Missouri, remembers Missouri Farm Bureau Agency Sales Manager Jason Ginder. But, because the prices have gone up so much -- that’s no longer the case. He works in New Madrid, a small town in southern Missouri that was home to the worst earthquake in Midwestern history.

3 weeks ago | kcur.org | Harshawn Ratanpal |Ezra Bitterman

If you lived near New Madrid, Missouri in 2000, it cost just $57 a year to insure your home against an earthquake. With seismic faultlines under foot that could – and two hundred years ago, did – decimate the area, that was a steal. But today, insurance costs have become unaffordable for many. According to state data from 2023, it's now $569 a year on average - ten times as much as at the turn of the century. So why have prices skyrocketed in the last couple of decades?

1 month ago | stltoday.com | Ezra Bitterman

JEFFERSON CITY — Here’s how major pieces of legislation fared during the Missouri Legislature’s 2025 session. Passed, signed by governorUtilities: Gov. Mike Kehoe approved a massive utility bill that consumer advocates warn will raise rates at least $600 annually for most St. Louis residents. The policy allows utility companies to charge ratepayers for construction projects while they’re being built instead of once they are completed.

1 month ago | stltoday.com | Ezra Bitterman

JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House on Thursday sent Gov. Mike Kehoe legislation expanding access to women’s health care and providing health care options for Missouri farmers. Women will be able to access a year’s worth of birth control at a time under the bill. Another provision increases access to telehealth options. Pregnant women will get blood tests more frequently and be tested for more conditions under the proposal. Rep.