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.
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More than 600 Missourians on Medicaid have given birth with help of doula since late 2024, when the program was launched as part of an effort to combat the state's poor birth outcome. -
Voters earmarked the money for veterans services, public defenders and substance use treatment, but Missouri budget plans would leave tens of millions unavailable for some programs -
The decision lands weeks after a scathing audit of Missouri’s cannabis agency and may unsettle other licensing appeals built on the same scoring system -
Only about 200,000 of the 300,000 signatures submitted to force a statewide vote on the gerrymandered congressional map are being checked. Backers of the referendum are less than 200 signatures short of making the ballot but want all signatures reviewed -
Some local and state officials across the country want to halt development of the facilities -
The supplemental spending bill, which pushes total state appropriations to almost $55 billion, was the first legislation sent to Kehoe's desk. -
The proposed cuts came out of a 'core reduction exercise' requested by Gov. Mike Kehoe. Lawmakers from both parties vow to undo the reductions, but warned the governor could still veto any restoration. -
A law passed last year requiring clearer test score reports could be scrapped after Gov. Mike Kehoe’s budget dropped funding for the change. -
After providing more than $100 million in free plays to lure customers, FanDuel and Draftkings, the sports books dominating the state market, paid no taxes -
Advocates and incarcerated people say prisoners were ordered outside during a winter storm and punished with segregation or discipline if they refused
