Missouri Independent

The Missouri Independent is a nonprofit news organization that operates without political bias. It focuses on reporting about state government, political matters, and policy issues.

National

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#106767

United States

#22442

Law and Government/Government

#420

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

US Senate panel grills Trump CDC nominee on vaccines

2 days ago | missouriindependent.com | Ariana Figueroa

WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions pressed President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccine recommendations Wednesday after the Health and Human Services secretary fired members of a critical vaccine panel this month. Trump’s pick, former acting CDC Director Susan Monarez, said that she trusted vaccines while defending HHS Secretary Robert F.
Execution date set for man sentenced to die by a Missouri judge over 2005 murder

2 days ago | missouriindependent.com | Clara Bates

by Clara Bates, Missouri Independent June 25, 2025 A Missouri man who was sentenced to death by a trial judge in 2009 despite a jury deadlocking on whether he should be executed has been scheduled to undergo lethal injection in October. The Missouri Supreme Court last week issued a warrant for the execution of Lance Shockley, who recently exhausted his state and federal appeals and was convicted of the 2005 murder of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt.
Missouri school funding task force turns its attention to property tax inequities

4 days ago | missouriindependent.com | Annelise Hanshaw

A group tasked by the governor with reworking Missouri’s formula for funding public schools narrowed in on property tax revenue Monday, discussing how the 20-year-old formula creates inequities with an outdated assumption of local aid. In the second meeting of the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force, education officials led a conversation on property taxes.
Bill banning race-based hair discrimination in education awaits Missouri governor’s decision

4 days ago | missouriindependent.com | Annelise Hanshaw

Missouri could soon join 27 states with laws protecting natural hair textures, though the anti-discrimination provisions only apply to educational settings. The legislation, dubbed the CROWN Act, has been proposed in Missouri since 2020 and is part of a national movement to enshrine protections for curls and coils. The cities of St. Louis and Kansas City have local ordinances banning hair discrimination.
New Missouri child welfare leader looks for a clean break from the past

4 days ago | missouriindependent.com | Clara Bates

by Clara Bates, Missouri Independent June 23, 2025 In the nearly two decades Sara Smith spent working at Missouri’s Department of Social Services, she remembers nine different people running the agency in charge of investigating child abuse and neglect. In March, Smith took the helm herself. She hopes to provide more stability in leading the agency which has seen growing scrutiny over the last several years from nearly every direction — including lawmakers, judges, advocates and the media.
Five Missouri counties no longer have a license office. A fee hike seeks to fix that

1 week ago | missouriindependent.com | Rudi Keller

When the state announced the Caruthersville license office was going to close, residents needing to renew registrations or driver license were directed to the closest open offices in Kennett, New Madrid and Malden. Those communities are all at least an hour, round-trip, from Caruthersville. The inconvenience would be compounded if, after waiting in line, the transaction couldn’t be completed for lack of a required document.
Missouri lawmakers push state colleges to create 60-credit-hour transferable degree programs

1 week ago | missouriindependent.com | Annelise Hanshaw

Missouri students majoring in business, biology, elementary education, psychology and nursing may soon be able to transfer more college credits between the state’s public universities. State lawmakers negotiated a plan to make 60-credit-hour blocks in five degree programs universally transferable among public universities and community colleges in Missouri as part of a bill awaiting the governor’s signature or veto. The change is set to kick in by the 2028-29 school year.
US senators from Minnesota reflect on slain state legislator in Senate floor remarks

1 week ago | missouriindependent.com | Shauneen Miranda

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith honored Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, during remarks on the Senate floor. The Minnesota Democratic senators on Tuesday reflected on Melissa’s leadership, devotion to her community and many contributions to her state. The Hortmans were killed over the weekend in what has been called a political assassination. Minnesota state Sen.
Missouri judge rejects inmate claims that sentencing decision was illegal

1 week ago | missouriindependent.com | Rudi Keller

A Missouri man serving life without parole on Monday lost a bid to reopen his criminal case for an in-person resentencing he claims he was unconstitutionally denied. Deandra Buchanan, convicted in Boone County of three counts of first-degree in 2002, was originally sentenced to death. The Missouri Supreme Court reduced the sentence to life without parole in 2003.
Missouri Senate will hold hearing on MU Health, Anthem negotiations

1 week ago | missouriindependent.com | Jacob Richey

A Missouri Senate committee will hold a public hearing at the end of the month focused on failed negotiations between MU Health Care and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield that has impacted the coverage of 90,000 people. The Missouri Senate Insurance and Banking Committee will convene for the hearing at 1 p.m. June 30. Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Republican from Shelbina, wrote in a social media post that she asked the chair of the committee to organize the hearing.