November 21, 2009
Alyson E. Raletz - State House Reporter
Schaaf’s plan for Amtrak study derailed in Senate
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
H1N1 Flu Confirmed In Platte County
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Biden: Stimulus spurred wind farm
Friday, April 17, 2009
Guns on campus?
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Bingo bill stirs gambling debate
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Senate rejects 4-day school week
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Lifeline funding in jeopardy
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Senate budget committee on Tuesday derailed a possible Amtrak study for passenger service connecting Kansas City to St. Joseph on its way to Omaha, Neb.
Amtrak study still chugging alongMonday, May 4, 2009
The Missouri House raised eyebrows last week with a surprise rejection of a $336 million federal stimulus bill, but hope remains for a chance at passenger rail service to St. Joseph.
Project funding up in the airSaturday, May 2, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Core funding for universities in Northwest Missouri is holding steady as lawmakers enter the final laps of the state budget process. But some local higher education money has lost ground or remains in question.
Still up in the air are a $27 million expansion of Potter Hall at Missouri Western State University and a $19.7 million building project at Northwest Missouri State University. The universities could see the funding under an $800 million bonding proposal for higher education construction projects. The House already has backed HJR 32, a constitutional amendment that would go before voters. The full Senate has yet to debate it, however.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, thanked his critics and continued to advise school groups to avoid the Capitol on Friday.
Dr. Schaaf on Thursday wore a face mask on the Missouri House of Representatives floor while asking lawmakers to practice cough etiquette to prevent the spread of swine flu.
On Friday afternoon, Dr. Schaaf backed his comments in a statement to media despite criticism from fellow Republican Rep. Jason Brown for being “insensitive.” Mr. Brown represents Platte County, the origin of Missouri’s first confirmed case of swine flu.
Friday, May 1, 2009
A St. Joseph doctor wore a face mask on the Missouri House floor Thursday to illustrate a point about swine flu that didn’t sit well with all lawmakers.
Missouri health officials discovered the first probable case of the virus Wednesday in a specimen from a Platte County resident. A second suspected case was disclosed Thursday for a 19-year-old Missouri resident who was getting treatment in Nebraska.
“Sometimes the best way to draw attention to a very serious issue is to use a little bit of levity,” Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, a Republican, told representatives while donning a mask that covered his nose and mouth during a point of personal privilege. The House procedure allows members to speak on topics of their choice, regardless of the current debate.
Dr. Schaaf urged lawmakers to practice “cough etiquette” to prevent the spread of the virus.
Friday, May 1, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins called on lawmakers Thursday to hold the legal system more accountable to respecting crime victims’ rights.
Schaaf models face mask, attempts swine flu levityThursday, April 30, 2009
A St. Joseph doctor wore a face mask on the floor of the Missouri House of Representatives’ floor Thursday morning to illustrate a point about swine flu that didn’t sit well with all lawmakers.
Missouri health officials discovered the first probable case of the virus Wednesday in a specimen from a Platte County resident.
H1N1 Flu Confirmed In Platte County
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Swine Flu strain is confirmed as close as 30 miles from St. Joseph.
Psychiatric center funding off the listThursday, April 30, 2009
Even if funding that’s been proposed for the new wing at the Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center doesn’t come through, the facility will still continue to operate efficiently.
Swine flu suspected in Platte CountyThursday, April 30, 2009
The global outbreak of swine flu apparently has penetrated Missouri, possibly as close as 30 miles south of St. Joseph.
State health lab officials discovered Missouri’s first probable case in a specimen from a Platte County resident, Gov. Jay Nixon announced Wednesday evening. He declined to divulge where in Platte County, the resident’s age or how he or she contracted the virus because the patient hadn’t yet been notified.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A St. Joseph lawmaker steered clear of a legislative reprimand Tuesday for equating a proposal to increase children’s health care coverage to slavery. A House ethics committee rejected, 6-4, a remonstrance resolution House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Independence, filed earlier this month that would have formally admonished Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, for the March 25 comparison. “It’s nice to know I have the freedom of speech to say what I need to do for my job,” Dr. Schaaf told the News-Press.
Schaaf says sorryTuesday, April 28, 2009
Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf voiced a change of heart Tuesday in the Missouri House of Representatives.
The St. Joseph Republican apologized for his prior statements about slavery and a children’s health care proposal despite repeated refusals to do so.
Dr. Schaaf said as recent as Monday that he wouldn’t apologize for the comments, but the contrition came Tuesday several hours after a morning House ethics committee rejected, 6-4, a remonstrance resolution, or grievance, against the St. Joseph Republican for his controversial comparison.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The House of Representatives panel Tuesday morning voted down, 6-4, a remonstrance Minority Leader Paul LeVota filed against Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf for comments he’s made this spring concerning slavery and a Democratic health care proposal.
Committee to discuss Schaaf commentTuesday, April 28, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A controversial comparison to slavery a St. Joseph lawmaker uttered a month ago is set to headline a closed legislative ethics committee meeting this morning.
Sewer resolution sees new lifeMonday, April 27, 2009
A call on Congress to bring some relief to St. Joseph’s sewer lament all but disappeared this year, but it may be floating back to the top of legislative attention.
Forward progress on Chiefs campWednesday, April 22, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Doubts that the Kansas City Chiefs’ summer training camp in St. Joseph could fold because of a small business loan program dissolved Tuesday, but the deal has yet to maneuver around another brick wall.
Guest’s anti-Real ID bill passes HouseMonday, April 20, 2009
A King City legislator last week began to see major opposition to his crusade against the Federal Real ID Act of 2005, but he still clinched support from the Missouri House of Representatives.
Biden: Stimulus spurred wind farm
Friday, April 17, 2009
Vice President Joe Biden told a crowd at a mid-Missouri factory Thursday what Tom Carnahan hesitated to admit to himself about a Northwest Missouri wind energy project.
A $300 million, 100-turbine wind farm slated for DeKalb County “was on hold” until recently, Mr. Biden said. Banks and investors were turning away the Wind Capital Group, which has been eyeing a location six miles south of King City for its next farm, because of economic conditions.
Guns on campus?
Friday, April 17, 2009
When Missouri college students head off to class next fall with their backpacks crammed with school supplies, a cell phone and perhaps an MP3 player, they might have the option to stuff a handgun in there, too.
Currently, the boards that govern university campuses have the discretion to allow individuals to carry guns on campus, but a bill passed by the Missouri House on Thursday seeks to make it a legal right. Law enforcement associations are opposing the measure.
By a vote of 105-50, the House approved a bill that would allow people with concealed-carry endorsements to wear firearms on college campuses. Some speakers Thursday said they thought the guns on campus provision would be eliminated in the Senate.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Senators gave a green thumbs-up to legislation aimed at promoting private and public investment in energy efficiency Wednesday.
Western, Chiefs closer to finalized agreementThursday, April 16, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Western State University and the Kansas City Chiefs are on the eve of wrapping up negotiations over the summer training camp, but all signs point to a less-than-straight-10-year commitment in St. Joseph.
Senate OKs money for alternative fuel fundWednesday, April 15, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A St. Joseph ethanol plant that depends on a Missouri incentive to keep its doors open crossed another hurdle in the state budget process Tuesday, despite heated scrutiny.
Chiefs camp continues to spur debateMonday, April 13, 2009
Frustrations over a $25 million state tax credit deal with the Kansas City Chiefs came to a head this week in the Missouri Legislature.
Bingo bill stirs gambling debate
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Competition from a local casino and a flurry of state rules forced a local American Legion post commander to say B-I-N-G-NO in 2007.
The decision to stop the weekly bingo games at the St. Joseph Legion hall on Frederick Boulevard, which had proved a staple fundraiser for 20 years, was a difficult but inevitable one, Jim Laderoute said.
“It was either that or go bankrupt,” he said.
The American Legion isn’t alone. The once-prevalent bingo scene has dwindled in St. Joseph and across the state.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Whether it’s an ice storm in Missouri’s Bootheel or a wildfire in the Ozarks, emergency personnel from the Midland Empire and other outlying regions could end up leaving their borders more frequently to offer help, under pending legislation.
Is Chiefs camp really in danger?Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A dispute over how many summers the Kansas City Chiefs will train at Missouri Western State University could sweeten or endanger the deal for St. Joseph, depending on who’s talking. In recent weeks, Western and Chiefs officials have been wrapping up negotiations on a final contract for the team’s annual summer training camp. Both parties have agreed it will take place in St. Joseph for at least five years, with five one-year renewal options after that. But a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Economic Development said the state won’t issue the $25 million in tax credits to the Chiefs unless they agree to a full 10-year contract with Western.
Chiefs training camp plan runs into obstacleTuesday, April 7, 2009
A hitch has arisen in the Kansas City Chiefs’ plans to move their training camp facility from Wisconsin to Missouri in exchange for state tax credits. At issue is how long the Chiefs must commit to hold their annual camp in Missouri. The Missouri Development Finance Board in December approved $25 million in tax credits for the Chiefs. Part of that money is to help build a Chiefs training facility at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
Chiefs deal hitting some frictionMonday, April 6, 2009
The Missouri Department of Economic Development could be using its weight to bring negotiations between the Kansas City Chiefs and Missouri Western State University to a close.
Guest using ‘pre-emptive tactic’Monday, April 6, 2009
A Congressional move to mandate gun registration is putting Missouri lawmakers on edge.
Child-care legislation continues to struggleMonday, April 6, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — An effort to start a state rating system of child-care centers continues to receive bad reviews from a group of Missouri lawmakers.
While Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, remains hopeful that his proposal stands a chance, recent debate in the Senate has cast some doubt.
Mr. Shields for at least three years has sought the endorsement of a five-star quality rating system for early childhood centers across the state as a way to encourage centers to increase their educational standards. The system is based on a model out of the University of Missouri that it piloted in St. Joseph.
Friday, April 3, 2009
U.S. Highway 36 is one step closer to becoming a permanent memorial to Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Kelley.
Leave them officers aloneFriday, April 3, 2009
Representatives have backed language from a St. Joseph politician that ups the stakes for people who harass juvenile officers.
Recreation tax picks up steamFriday, April 3, 2009
The Missouri Senate endorsed a bill this week that would allow real property owners in Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess and DeKalb counties to potentially pursue a quarter-cent sales tax to raise money for a recreation center in Cameron.
Senate votes up massive education packageThursday, April 2, 2009
The Missouri Senate on Thursday passed an omnibus education bill from Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph.
House advances prescription-drug billWednesday, April 1, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — An attempt to make sure pharmacists dispense the same medicine that doctors prescribe received a thumbs-up from the Missouri House Tuesday.
Activists sound off against pregnancy legislationTuesday, March 31, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Both pro-life and pro-choice activists spoke out Monday night against Buchanan County-inspired legislation that would allow criminal prosecution of mothers who knowingly take illegal drugs during pregnancy.
Brown wants to give license plates the birdMonday, March 30, 2009
Missouri lawmakers are considering another fowl license plate idea.
A little from there for more hereMonday, March 30, 2009
The Missouri House of Representatives last week approved a $22.8 billion state budget for the 2009-2010 year.
Among the debate was a successful pitch from Rep. Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph, to nearly double state Technology Investment Funds for Missouri Western State University’s Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Science and Technology Incubator.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Teasing senators appeared to not know how to refer to Sen. Brad Lager last week on the Missouri Senate floor.
Concerns still exist in Chiefs dealMonday, March 30, 2009
It’s no secret that Missouri Western State University continues to negotiate fees involving the $25 million tax credit package that’s set to bring the Kansas City Chiefs’ summer training camp to St. Joseph.
Mayor seeks audit advice from attorney generalFriday, March 27, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — St. Joseph Mayor Ken Shearin plans on walking into the Missouri attorney general’s office with a copy of the city’s audit in hand today.
Schaaf lands in hot waterFriday, March 27, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A lawmaker who compared Democratic health care proposals to slavery drew the ire of the minority party this week, including a fellow member of the St. Joseph delegation.
Statements Rep. Dr. Rob Schaaf made during a House of Representatives debate on the governor’s push for increased funding for Medicaid resulted in face-to-face discussions between the St. Joseph Republican and the chairman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, Rep. Martin Rucker, D-St. Joseph, on Wednesday and Thursday.
Senate rejects 4-day school week
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Lawmakers debated a bill that said yes to fixing a technical glitch with Proposition A casino money for K-12 education, no to a four-day school week and a slew of proposals in between late into Wednesday night.
The Missouri Senate was expected to vote after the News-Press’ deadline on legislation from a local senator aimed at virtual classrooms that burgeoned into a multi-faceted education bill this week.
The underlying proposal from Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, would provide state attendance dollars to school districts that offer online classes, but virtually no debate took place on the issue.
Monday, March 16, 2009
State lawmakers have returned to a debate that gets under the skin of privacy advocates.
Jobs-creation bill’s stall angers lawmakersFriday, March 13, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State lawmakers adjourned for a spring break Thursday with members of both parties incensed they didn’t send a jobs-creation bill to the governor’s desk by the session’s midpoint.
Gov. Jay Nixon challenged the General Assembly for such during his State of the State address in January.
A bill that would expand a $60 million cap on a popular state incentive for employers, the Quality Jobs program, HB 313, passed out of the House in February, but now is tied up in the Senate. Several senators, including Brad Lager, a Savannah Republican, are holding up debate on the bill unless it is paired with tax-credit reform.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Legislation is in the works to honor a recently fallen U.S. Army pilot via U.S. Highway 36 in Northwest Missouri.
Lifeline funding in jeopardy
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A St. Joseph ethanol plant that opened in 2007 could close its doors or slash jobs if the proposed state budget goes untouched. Industry leaders and St. Joseph politicians look to a House budget committee this morning at the Capitol for possible relief. Lifeline Foods is one of four ethanol plants that receives monthly payments based on its production from the Missouri Ethanol Producer Incentive Fund, which the House budget chairman has recommended cutting nearly in half from the governor’s original recommendation.
Emergency services legislation gaining groundMonday, March 9, 2009
Legislation from two local lawmakers aimed at emergency services picked up speed last week.
House OKs Schaaf's ambulance billThursday, March 5, 2009
The Missouri House of Representatives today backed an effort from a St. Joseph Republican to recoup costs for ambulance services.
The House in a 146-8 vote just after 2 p.m. passed HB 459, which would allow ambulance services to drawn down federal dollars when they transport Medicaid patients by requiring the ambulances to pay a federal reimbursement allowance tax.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Efforts to solve a multi-generational train headache in the South Side almost veered off track this week.
The General Assembly in 2008 slated nearly $500,000 for the St. Joseph Regional Port Authority to buy land needed for a railroad crossing at U.S. Highway 59 (Lake Avenue) and Missouri Highway 759 (Stockyards Expressway) because of traffic pileups during train travel.
Unbeknownst to the port authority, those funds came into jeopardy this winter after Gov. Jay Nixon called for an examination of all state construction projects that hadn’t broken ground.
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