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A special session of the Missouri Legislature to complete the budget may be needed if it is not finalized by Friday at 6 p.m.(luzitanija/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Critical child care funding hangs in balance as Missouri budget nears deadline

Child care advocates are pushing for increased funding as the budget deadline approaches this Friday. Robyn Schelp, director of policy and advocacy …

Corporate partners sign contracts to offer a graduate assistantship and pay the students. In turn, MSU pays the graduate assistant's tuition, fees and salary, so the assistantship is directly tied to the academic experience. (pressmaster/Adobe Stock)

MSU 'assistantships' give grad students an employment edge

By Victoria Lim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Missouri News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News Service Col…

Although food insecurity can be faced by anyone, Black and Latino children are twice as likely to face hunger. And in 2022, 33% of single-parent families experienced food insecurity. (LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe Stock)

MO gears up for participation in kids' summer food program

Missouri is planning ahead to make sure kids from lower-income families have enough to eat this summer. The state has opted into a federal food …

The increase in funding for community health centers also helps alleviate some of the burdens caused by threats to 340B, the low-cost prescription drug program. (1st footage/Adobe Stock)

New funding a boost for community health centers

Community health centers in Missouri and across the nation are getting a boost in funding thanks to Congress' passage of a bipartisan spending package…

Missouri's Senate Bill 1314, similar to House Bill 2365, prohibits funds from being expended by any state department for interdepartmental programs, staffing or other initiatives associated with

New report reveals high economic risk of anti-DEI laws in Missouri

A new report finds some Missouri laws and prospective laws are perceived as discriminatory regardless of their actual intent - and it outlines some bi…

Bryce Shanklin, a career rural mail carrier, in the U.S. Postal Service vehicle he uses for delivering mail. In the second year of USPS' 10-year 'Delivering For America' plan, 50,000 workers were converted from non-career positions to employee roles. (Adobe Stock)

Calls for increased rural Postal Service staffing grow louder

Across the country and especially in rural parts of Missouri, U.S. Postal Service staffing shortages are being blamed by some for delays in mail …

On average, the lowest-income 20% of taxpayers face a state and local tax rate nearly 60% higher than the top 1% of households in Missouri, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. (tirachard/Adobe Stock)<br />

Missouri's taxes require more from low and middle-income families

New data show Missouri has the 35th most regressive state and local tax system in the country. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found …

Part of the program allows taxpayers who donate to child-care facilities to receive the tax credits. Another portion would issue tax credits to employers who provide child care for their employees.(Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Child care tax credits gain momentum in MO

While Missouri's legislative session has just begun, child-care tax credits are at top of mind with a bipartisan House bill. HB 1488 takes a three-…

More than 180,000 rural students attend public pre-K-through-12 schools in Missouri, almost double the rural U.S. average. (Song_about_summer/Adobe Stock)

Where's the money for rural Missouri education?

Nearly half of Missouri's public schools are in rural areas, and they serve more than one in five of the Show-Me State's students. But Missouri …

The Missouri Rural Health Association reported rural Missouri communities and stakeholders are working together to addressing transportation, recruiting staff and reducing costs for clinical care. (StockRojoVerdeyAzul/Adobe Stock)

Report: Rural Missouri needs more health care attention, investment

About one-third of Missouri is considered rural, and people who live there often have health challenges. The latest research suggested overlooking …

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, reintroduced what is known as the

Livestock manure makes 'big stink' for MO family farmers

Congress passed a one-year extension of the current Farm Bill, which means the debate over a new bill will continue well into 2024. Advocacy groups …

The majority of adults, some 83%, believe online retailers should be required to provide country-of-origin labeling, up from 79% in 2022. (Maksym Yemelyanov/Adobe Stock)

Black Friday, holiday shopping focuses on American-made products

While you're out to find Black Friday and holiday shopping deals today, many "Made in America" items may be on your preferred list. A new poll by …

Gov. Mike Parson in June signed the fiscal year 2024 budget, which included an increase to the child-care subsidy rate from July 1 through next June 30. (Oksana Kuzmina/Adobe Stock)

Missouri gets jump in child-care subsidy rates

An increase in child-care subsidy reimbursement rates up to 58% of market rate is being hailed as a big win for providers in Missouri. Sarah Gould …

Proponents of regular dental care cite the case of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver of Maryland, who died of a toothache in February 2007. (Anna Kosolapova/Adobe Stock)

Greater access to dental care through MO HealthNet

More Missourians should be able to get routine dental care, with a recent change in the way providers are paid by the state. MO HealthNet is paying …

Many of Missouri's working parents have limited and often unaffordable access to quality child care, resulting in

MO loses $1.35 billion annually due to child care issues

Among Missouri parents surveyed, 30% reported they have limited their working hours or stopped altogether because of unreliable child care. The …

The 340B Drug Pricing Program, a part of the 1992 Public Health Service Act, provides outpatient drugs at deep discounts to safety net providers. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)

Missouri community healthcare centers face 340B uncertainty

While large hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers battle over drug costs, Missouri community health centers see themselves as collateral damage…

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing standards to regulate emissions from five unmeasured fugitive and intermittent particulate sources. The EPA is extending the comment period on the proposed rule to Sept. 29. (Natalie Schorr/Adobe Stock)

Comments About EPA's Proposed Blast-Furnace Rules Extended to Sept. 29

Emission standards for blast furnaces such as some iron and steel mills in Missouri have not been updated in years. The Environmental Protection …

An estimated 2.4 million people work on farms and ranches nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Census of Agriculture. (J�rgen F�lchle/Adobe Stock)

Outdoor Workers in Missouri Suffering from Heat Exposure

By Mónica Cordero, Investigate Midwest/Report for America and Eva Tesfaye, Harvest Public Media for Investigate Midwest.Broadcast version by …

Community health workers, as a profession, have a designated workforce classification by the U.S. Department of Labor, and are recognized health professionals by the Affordable Care Act. (N Felix/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Community Health Workers Take a Bow in Missouri

Some 450,000 Missourians get their medical care from Community Health Workers, and those workers are trying to raise public awareness about their …

The process of recertifying enrollment in Medicaid, which generally had been done on an annual basis before the COVID pandemic, was paused during the Public Health Emergency by federal law in early 2020. (zimmytws/Adobe Stock)

Half Those Losing Medicaid in MO are Children

With the pandemic era ending, Medicaid annual renewals are unwinding in Missouri. Eligibility for Medicaid is being verified and more than 54,000 …

According to the National Survey on Drug Use conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, 16.5% of construction workers reported

Peer Support Helps St. Louis Construction Workers Battling Addiction

Construction workers are more likely to die by suicide or of a drug overdose than workers in almost any other field, and a St. Louis-based peer …

In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency established a safe threshold for sulfur dioxide air concentrations at 75 parts per billion. (Adobe Stock)

Federal Grants Could Drive Economic Stability, Cleaner Energy in MO

With air quality an ongoing concern in New Madrid County, advocates are encouraging the local electric provider to seek federal funding. In recent …

Fighting Bad Health with Good Food in Missouri

Too many Missourians struggle with chronic health conditions and some are looking more closely at their diets to control or even prevent them…

According to Salary.com, Missouri child care workers typically earn between $32,581 and $41,250 annually. (lordn/Adobe Stock)

MO Child Care Experts Elaborate on Issues in 2023 Kids Count Report

The resounding theme of the 2023 Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book is child care shortages and unaffordability. In Missouri, the …

The U.S. Postal Service workforce is made up of 635,000 men and women. (Adobe Stock)

USPS Employees Highlighted on National Postal Worker Day

Saturday is National Postal Workers Day, and new initiatives at the U.S. Postal Service over the last few years have brought changes to the job…

Staffing shortages at the Department of Social Services have led to parents seeking child care assistance being placed on hold for as long as two or three hours. (Adobe Stock)

Praise for MO Early Childhood Funding; Concerns About Sustainability, Gaps

Missourians scored some big wins for child care and pre-K programs in the 2023 legislative session, although some said it is just a start. Brian …

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls well-child visits

Contentious 2023 MO Legislative Session Saw Wins for Struggling Families

Although Missouri's 2023 legislative session was contentious and resulted in a historically low number of bills being passed, advocates for children …

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates 5 million to 14 million people will lose Medicaid coverage as the public health emergency ends and states and resume the annual renewal process. (suthisak/Adobe Stock)

MO Medicaid Renewals Underway; Recipients Urged to Update Information

Missouri's Department of Social Services anticipates as many as 200,000 Missourians will lose their Medicaid benefits over the course of the next year…

Kaiser Family Foundation calcula que entre 5 y 14 millones de personas perder�n la cobertura de Medicaid ahora que la situaci�n de emergencia sanitaria ha terminado y los estados reanuden su proceso anual de renovaci�n. (suthisak/Adobe Stock)

Renovación de Medicaid en MO; insta a beneficiarios a actualizar información

El Departamento de Servicios Sociales de Missouri prevé que unos 200,000 ciudadanos perderán sus prestaciones de Medicaid el próximo a&…

According to the Center for American Progress, nearly nine in 10 employers, four in five landlords, and three in five colleges use background checks to screen for applicants' criminal records. (Yurii Kibalnik/Adobe Stock)

MO 'Clean Slate' Bill Would Make 'Expungement' Automatic

A large percentage of Missourians who could to have their criminal records "expunged" have not done so, despite the effects expungement -- referred …

Kiplinger rates Missouri, and nine other U.S. states, as

MO Lawmaker Proposes Raising "Circuit Breaker" Tax Credits

Every Missourian knows property values and property taxes have risen dramatically in the past 15 years, as well as the cost of rent. State lawmakers …

Small and medium-sized farms have gone from producing nearly half of U.S. agricultural products in the 1990s to less than a quarter today. (Aaron/Adobe Stock)

2,000+ Urge Biden to Enforce Exec-Order Antitrust Pledge

A petition signed by more than 2,000 farmers, ranchers and consumers urging enforcement of antitrust laws has been sent to the White House by the …

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Service reports there have been more than 8,200 flu cases so far this season. (Tyler Olson / Adobe Stock)

Missouri Health System Facing Potential 'Tripledemic' Amid Staffing Challenges

As winter looms in Missouri, health officials are expressing concern over the potential for three viruses to impact facilities. This season has …

LPI reports annual teacher turnover rates are highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast. (Adobe Stock)

Missouri School Districts Face Ongoing Teacher Shortage

School districts nationwide are struggling to meet student needs with a teacher shortage made worse by COVID. The Missouri Department of Elementary …

KFF reports MO HealthNet covers two thirds of all Missouri nursing home residents. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: Missouri Medicaid Expansion Helping Citizens, Saving Jobs

With health care as a hot topic of debate in the contest for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat, attention is being drawn back to the state's Medicaid …

Community Health Centers in Missouri serve a disproportionate level of uninsured and Medicaid patients. (Adobe Stock)

Celebrating the Medical Home of 600,000 Missourians

During National Health Center Week, health-care advocates are highlighting the work Community Health Centers are doing to improve access to care …

Missouri has no waiting period to enroll children in the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Adobe Stock)

Pediatricians Celebrate CHIP Turning 25, Urge Improvements

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Children's Health Insurance Program. Since its start in 1997, the child uninsured rate in the U.S…

The St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield regions are set to lose the largest number of affordable housing units in the next year. (sommart/Adobe Stock)

MO Group Warns of Rental Units Losing Affordability Requirements

In the next five years, roughly 8,000 affordable housing units in Missouri may no longer be affordable. The state's Low Income Housing Tax Credit …

Nearly 40% of meat-packing workers in the United States are immigrants. (Artem Merzlenko/Adobe Stock)

MO Group Receives Grant to Support Immigrant, Refugee Meat-Plant Workers

An organization in rural Missouri is getting a funding boost to empower workers at meat-processing plants, especially immigrants and refugees…

A proposed economic-recovery payment tax credit would be non-refundable, and leave out about a third of Missouri residents. (Natee Meepian/Adobe Stock)

MO Group: Economic-Recovery Payment Plan Excludes Too Many

As the Missouri Senate considers a proposal for economic-relief payments passed by the House, advocates for working families urge lawmakers to make …

Some 20% of respondents to a diaper bank survey said they've used a payday or other short-term loan to purchase diapers. (laboko/Adobe Stock)

MO Groups Urge Federal Support for Diaper Banks

Groups in Missouri are urging Congress to pass a full-year, fully funded appropriations bill, instead of a parade of stopgap continuing resolutions …

Missouri has been taking up to 70 days to process Medicaid applications, despite the federal requirement that they be processed within 45 days. (niyazz/Adobe Stock)

Groups Push Back Against Attempt to Repeal Medicaid Expansion

Groups advocating for health-care access for all Missourians urged the state Senate to reject a proposed constitutional amendment to undermine Medicai…

Missouri residents can fill out a waiver form for federal unemployment overpayments, and a bill before the Legislature seeks to allow the same for state payments. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Adobe Stock)

MO Bills Would Provide Relief to Recipients of Unemployment Overpayments

During the pandemic, the Missouri Department of Labor paid out too much unemployment compensation to more than 45,000 residents, and two bills before …

Nearly 30% of Missouri families reported paying more than $1,000 a month for child care, according to a report from United WE. (santypan/Adobe Stock)

MO Budget Proposal Includes Dispersing Federal Funds for Child Care

More than half of Missouri families report paying more than $500 a month for child care, and child-care providers have been struggling to keep their …

The prices of beef and veal in the last year have skyrocketed 20%. Fresh fruits and vegetables cost 4% more than this time last year. (goodmanphoto/Adobe Stock)

Missourians, Food Banks Face Inflation, Supply-Chain Issues

Supply-chain issues, inflation and job loss during the pandemic have put many families' food security at risk. In Missouri, hunger remains higher …

Nationally, more than 4.5 million households reported being at risk of eviction in the next two months, according to recent Census surveys. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Adobe Stock)

Groups Identify Barriers to Rental Assistance in MO

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Groups working to keep Missouri residents in their homes since the pandemic began are trying to identify the barriers to receiving …

The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, despite inflation. (Missouri Workers Center)

MO Workers Group Launches to Bridge Racial, Geographic Divides

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A new group aims to bridge racial and geographic divides between Missouri workers, to help bring economic prosperity to everyone…

In August the Missouri Supreme Court upheld Medicaid expansion, after lawmakers attempted to block the voter-approved measure. (Adobe Stock)

Health Experts: Find Best Option Before Open Enrollment

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missourians have a little more than a month until open enrollment for health-care coverage at healthcare.gov, and medical experts …

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