JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Two Mexican nationals have admitted in federal court their role in a large marijuana-growing operation at a central Missouri federal wildlife refuge. Twenty-seven-year-old Carlos Horacio Vasquez-Duarte and 24-year-old Rigaberto Camacho Reyes pleaded guilty Tuesday in Jefferson City. Federal prosecutors say law enforcement officers discovered the marijuana-growing operation last October on…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A class-action lawsuit says the lack of funding and staff for Missouri’s public defender system has left overwhelmed public defenders unable to provide adequate defense for indigent clients. The ACLU of Missouri and the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center at St. Louis filed the lawsuit Thursday against Gov. Eric…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri House lawmakers have passed a bill to block St. Louis from raising the local minimum wage. The GOP-led House on Thursday voted 112-46 to send the measure to the Senate. Republican lawmakers are fast-tracking the legislation to prevent a higher minimum wage from taking effect in St. Louis. At…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri lawmakers are considering repealing a tax break for low-income seniors and disabled residents who live in rental housing. The bill debated in a Wednesday House hearing would set aside savings for other services for low-income seniors and those with disabilities. The proposal comes amid a budget crunch that led…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri senators have voted against a proposal to ban discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Senators voted 20-10 against the protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people early Wednesday morning. The plan would have banned discrimination against LGBT people in employment, housing and public accommodations. Democratic Sen.…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill says that President Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall along the Mexican border might not be the most effective solution for keeping out immigrants seeking to enter the U.S. illegally. The Missouri Democrat said in a conference call Tuesday that she toured the border by…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Missouri public defender system says Gov. Eric Greitens’ proposal to restore some of its budget cuts still won’t cover all of its costs for defending people too poor to afford a private attorney. The director of the public defender’s office, Michael Barrett, asked the House Budget Committee on Monday…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri House members have passed a bill to reduce the duration of state jobless benefits to one of the shortest periods nationally. House members voted 100-56 Thursday to send the measure to the Senate. The bill is a revival of a failed 2015 plan to cut the maximum benefits to…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri lawmakers are considering proposals to update state driver’s licensing procedures to comply with federal law. The House voiced initial approval Tuesday for a bill that would bring licenses into compliance with the federal Real ID Act signed in 2005 by President George W. Bush. The Real ID law bolstered…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Vice President Mike Pence is visiting Missouri Wednesday to tour an equipment and engine dealer and talk about job growth. Pence will be joined by Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens at the Fabick Cat headquarters in Fenton, Missouri, outside of St. Louis. Pence will meet with workers, get a tour of…