Missouri Independent
The Missouri Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization covering state government, politics and policy. It is staffed by veteran Missouri reporters and is dedicated to its mission of relentless investigative journalism that sheds light on how decisions in Jefferson City are made and their impact on individuals across the Show-Me State.
Our journalists adhere to the ethics guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Press Photographers Association, as well as the practices embraced by organizations like the Associated Press, ProPublica and The Center for Investigative Reporting.
The Independent is a member of the Missouri Capitol News Association and a “Friend of the Missouri Press” member of the Missouri Press Association.
Our work is provided free of advertising and free to readers. We welcome other news outlets to republish the work of our journalists. All we ask in exchange is that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website.
The Independent is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.
We retain full editorial independence, and all editorial decisions are made by our journalists. Donors have no influence over content.
The Independent also features informed commentary, though we generally do not accept submissions from declared candidates for public office or sitting elected officials. Contact Editor-in-Chief Jason Hancock at Info@MissouriIndependent.com with submissions. Please include links and sourcing to expedite fact-checking.
-
The 444 individuals on the Department of Mental Health’s waitlist have been charged with crimes but not convicted. -
Legislation to void non-disclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases was signed into law by Gov. Mike Kehoe. -
From 2010 through 2024, it took an average of 16 days to approve federal disaster requests for Missouri. One declaration for Missouri this year took 49 days, another 20, and two are pending. -
Investment in medicines like Narcan, an overdose-reversing drug, has allowed many Missourians to respond to opioid overdoses quickly. But more work is needed to address barriers to care and other stigmas, especially in rural areas. -
State lawmakers return to work this week to tackle tax breaks for sports stadiums against a backdrop of sluggish revenues and a declining surplus -
The legislation has a 12-year history in Missouri, with little movement until recently. -
The vehicle stops report issued for 2023 did not include a ‘disparity index’ showing whether police stopped drivers in minority groups more frequently than white drivers -
Bayer is reportedly considering dropping signature product as litigation costs mount and company fails in effort to obtain legal shelter from lawmakers. -
The Missouri Assessment Program’s current thresholds cause confusion on whether students are reading at grade level. -
As House Republicans continue to wrangle over the “one big beautiful bill,” a new analysis released late Tuesday projects the massive reconciliation package would decrease resources for low-income families over the next decade while increasing resources for top earners.
