Latest news with #Gragg
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Local state representative voices concerns over Ozarks Pridefest
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Missouri State Representative Jamie Ray Gragg — who represents Christian County — issued a statement to the media on Wednesday, May 14, expressing his concerns with the City of Springfield regarding the upcoming 2025 Ozarks Pridefest. The 2025 Ozarks Pridefest takes place in downtown Springfield on Saturday, June 14. As an annual celebration, Ozarks Pridefest is the largest LGBTQIA+ event in southwest Missouri, attracting over 5,000 attendees and growing annually, according to its website. The festival celebrates equality, diversity, and community, featuring a parade through downtown Springfield, live music, performances and a variety of vendors and educational opportunities. Gragg claims in a press release that the drag performances of the event will have 'detrimental effects' on children and families in the Ozarks community. 'I ask the City of Springfield and its sponsors to reconsider this type of event, as it will expose our children to performances and situations that are not age or developmentally appropriate,' said Gragg in the release. Gragg said his interest is in 'protecting our children' from themes and experiences that he alleges their minds 'are not prepared to comprehend.' Gragg said he strongly questioned the wisdom of the City of Springfield's leaders for allowing drag shows in public areas. Gragg said he believes if Springfield wants to allow the event, it should be hosted for adults only and in a location where children are not present or able to view. In the news release, Gragg tied his concerns to what he described as a broader public health issue, which he says is the rising incidence of mental illness among children and teens. 'Drag shows are inherently sexualized performances,' Gragg said. 'Allowing children to not only view but participate in these acts is only feeding into the mental illness they will have to deal with for a lifetime.' Gragg concluded by calling on the City of Springfield, event organizers and local sponsors to re-evaluate the implications of labeling drag events as family friendly. GLO Center responds Aaron Schekorra, Executive Director of the GLO Center — a local nonprofit that serves the LGBTQIA+ community in the Ozarks — told Ozarks First that Gragg has made this statement numerous times regarding Ozarks Pridefest in the past. 'His concerns continue to be unfounded, both about Ozarks Pridefest specifically and about drag shows,' Schekorra told Ozarks First on Wednesday. Schekorra said Ozarks Pridefest's organizers go out of their way to ensure the event is family friendly. 'Rep. Gragg routinely uses the LGBTQ+ community as a scapegoat to distract from his ineffectiveness as an elected official,' Schekorra said. 'In 2024, I believe he sponsored nearly 20 bills, and none of them passed into law. We would all be better off if the representative focused on the needs of his constituents, like rising food and healthcare costs, lack of access to affordable housing, and our underfunded public school system.' Schekorra invites folks to come out to Ozarks Pridefest this year and celebrate, as it is their constitutional right in a public space. 'The event is free,' Schekorra said. 'There are educational opportunities. It's a great time to come out and be a community with us and maybe learn a little bit.' For more information about Ozarks Pridefest, visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Where do Missouri lawmakers stand on ending daylight saving time?
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Missourians will be setting their clocks forward on March 9, losing an hour of sleep as daylight saving time begins. But some state lawmakers are trying to 'lock the clocks' and end the time change, with five bills currently introduced regarding the twice-a-year ritual, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Multiple legislators have filed these bills, with some attempting to exempt the Show-Me State from the time change altogether and others seeking exemption only if the federal government adopts daylight saving time as the new standard time: HB 490 (Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, R-Savannah) and HB 701 (Rep. Aaron Crossley, D-Independence): exempts the state from daylight saving time unless the federal government adopts daylight saving time as the new standard time. HB 1179 (Rep. Jame Gragg, R-Ozark) and SB 534 (Sen. Joe Nicola, R-Grain Valley): exempts the state from daylight saving time unless a change to federal law is made. Establishes the daylight saving as new standard time pact. SB 596 (Sen. David Gregory, R-Chesterfield): exempts the state from daylight saving time. Missouri is one of at least 31 states that are considering ending daylight saving time for good, but these are just the latest attempts at ending the time change. Past efforts In 2024, 31 bills proposing to end daylight saving time were introduced across the country. In Missouri, three bills (sponsored by Gragg, Van Schoiack and former Rep. Chris Sander) failed to make it out of the state House. The bills from Gragg and Sander would have established a new 'Daylight Saving as New Standard Time Pact', consisting of Missouri and any other state hoping to eliminate daylight saving time. It would have exempted the state from daylight saving time and made standard time permanent unless the federal government adopted daylight saving as the new standard time. Van Schoiack's bill would have prohibited Missouri from participating in daylight saving unless federal law is modified. Former Rep. Michael O'Donnell also attempted to create a 'Daylight Saving as New Standard Time Pact' in 2023. Either way, Show-Me State residents will be setting their clocks ahead come Sunday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ban on use of food stamps for candy, soda debated by Missouri lawmakers
The purpose of the SNAP program is to help low-income families supplement their grocery budgets to afford nutritious food (). Low-income Missourians who receive food assistance would be prohibited from buying soda and candy with their benefits under a bill debated Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jamie Gragg, a Republican from Ozark, would restrict food purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously called food stamps, if approved by the federal government. The bill would 'get us back to where the original program was meant to go,' Gragg argued in Tuesday afternoon during a hearing of the House Committee on Government Efficiency. 'The program's been bastardized.' The purpose of the SNAP program is to help low-income families supplement their grocery budgets to afford nutritious food. As of last month, over 320,000 households in Missouri received SNAP benefits, loaded onto electronic benefits transfer cards used to purchase groceries. The average value of benefits per household was $396. Proponents argue that taxpayer dollars, through the SNAP program, shouldn't subsidize unhealthy food and beverages, which worsen people's health. Opponents called the proposal government overreach — limiting low income families' freedom to choose their food — and overly broad, potentially banning SNAP access for things like granola bars and electrolyte drinks. State Rep. Jim Murphy, a Republican from St. Louis, asked whether 'any pre-process food could be deemed unhealthy' and added to the list of banned purchases. 'Do we want to be the nanny state that says, 'you can eat this and you can't eat that?'' Murphy said. 'Where does that end?' Rep. Darin Chappell, a Republican from Rogersville, said the list of unhealthy foods could keep growing. 'My concern is we can add to this list ad infinitum,' Chappell said. 'The United Nations tells us that red meat is a carcinogen…at what point do we stop micromanaging this list?' Similar bills have been proposed in other states, including Arizona, West Virginia, Idaho and Kansas. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., health and human services secretary, has said he supports restricting SNAP for junk food, and the agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, has signaled interest. The conservative national think tank Foundation for Government Accountability has helped push for the change. 'Food stamps have fueled the junk food epidemic, with soda ranking as the number one commodity bought with food stamps,' Gragg told the committee — a direct quote from a report published by the Foundation for Government Accountability earlier this year. James Harris, a lobbyist for the Foundation for Government Accountability, called the bill common sense. 'If this were to pass and it helps one child have a little more milk or something of actual nutrition in their home, that's great,' Harris testified. '…This just would allow Missouri to hopefully help some children have access to more nutritional food, besides maybe what they get at school.' Those testifying in opposition included the progressive anti-poverty nonprofit Empower Missouri, along with industry groups such as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Missouri Grocers Association and the Missouri Beverage Association. Nationally, beverage groups have been lobbying to keep sodas in the program, the Wall Street Journal reported late last year. A 2016 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, found that the households that rely on the program have similar spending patterns to non-SNAP households. For both SNAP and non-SNAP households, the report stated, 'more money was spent on soft drinks than any other item.' SNAP households spent 5% of their grocery budget on soft drinks, and non-SNAP households spent 4%. The percent spent on candy, 2%, was the same between both groups. The bill defines candy as a food product 'containing sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruit, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the forms of bars, drops, or pieces.' It defines a soft drink as 'nonalcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners' but does not contain milk or milk substitutes or beverages that are more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume. The definition would prevent the purchase of Powerade with SNAP funds, but allow sugary bottled coffee drinks with milk, said Katie Gamble, a lobbyist for Missouri Beverage Association. State Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, a Republican from Savannah, said it seems that granola bars would fall under the candy definition, 'and I always thought they were supposed to be healthy.' Christine Woody, director of food policy for Empower Missouri, said individuals could cross the border into neighboring states and spend their SNAP dollars on banned items there. She added that a better strategy would be to incentivize the purchase of healthy food, by 'really investing in some of the programs that are successful,' such as by incentivizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables. Those opposed said any changes should be federally decided, rather than having each state determine what is healthy or not. Missouri would submit a waiver to the federal government requesting this change, if the bill is passed, but there's no guarantee it'd be approved. States' previous attempts to limit SNAP purchases in this way have been rejected by the federal government, including because of being complex to implement, having vague standards of what is defined as healthy, and failing to show they would reduce obesity. No action was taken on the bill Tuesday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Chicago Tribune
21-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Former Northwestern athletic director Derrick Gragg sells Glenview home for $2.45M
Former Northwestern University athletic director Derrick Gragg, who oversaw the university's athletics from 2021 until 2024, on Wednesday sold his six-bedroom, 5,770-square-foot house in Glenview for $2.45 million. Gragg, 55, was the longtime athletic director at the University of Tulsa before joining Northwestern in 2021. He weathered a hazing scandal in Northwestern's football program and the eventual firing of the school's longtime head football coach, Pat Fitzgerald. Last year, Gragg shifted to a new role as vice president for athletic strategy at Northwestern. Built in 2008, the house that Gragg sold has 7-1/2 bathrooms, three fireplaces, a two-story foyer, a bridal staircase, a living room with a marble hearth and a library with cherry millwork and built-ins. The kitchen has a large flamed granite working island, two Miele dishwashers, an apron-style kitchen sink, twin Sub-Zero refrigerators, four Sub-Zero freezer drawers, a commercial-grade six-burner Wolf stove and griddle, a pot filler faucet and a warming drawer. The house also has two laundry rooms, a primary bedroom suite with tray ceilings and two walk-in closets and a balcony. Other features include an attached four-car garage and a lower level with heated floors, a large rec room with a full bar, a 1,000-bottle wine cellar, an exercise room and a theater room with stadium theater seating. The house sits on a 0.8-acre property. In Glenview, Gragg listed the house in January for $2.4 million an agents-only network. He found a buyer just three days later. Public records show that an opaque land trust was the buyer. The house had a $42,455 property tax bill in the 2023 tax year. Listing agent Paul Gorney of eXp Realty could not be reached for comment.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missouri lawmakers seek to restrict cell-phone use in high schools statewide
State Rep. Ed Lewis, a Republican from Moberly, chairs the House Elementary and Secondary Education committee (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Missouri lawmakers are hoping to reduce cell-phone usage in schools with bipartisan legislation that would require school districts make a policy restricting mobile devices during instructional time. State Reps. Kathy Steinhoff, a Columbia Democrat, and Jamie Gragg, a Republican from Ozark, presented similar bills in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee Wednesday afternoon. The committee's chair, GOP state Rep. Ed Lewis of Moberly, also has legislation that is nearly identical to Steinhoff's. CONTACT US 'This is not a partisan issue,' Steinhoff told committee members. 'When you look around our country, there are eight states that have initiated some kind of restriction on cell phones already. Some of them are red states. Some of them are blue states.' According to Education Week, three states have a law restricting cell-phone use during instructional time, and five states have requirements that districts set policies restricting use. An additional 11 states have recommended policies and incentive programs for districts to establish restrictions. Steinhoff and Gragg plan to combine their bills into a version that recommends or requires school districts to set policies prohibiting cell-phone use during instructional hours while allowing exceptions, like for students who use a mobile device for health reasons. 'I do believe in local control,' Gragg said. 'I believe our school districts are all unique in their own special way, just like our communities are, and they need to make the policy that fits them the best.' Gragg said he heard from teachers that have cell-phone policies in their classrooms that test scores improved. Steinhoff, a retired math teacher, believes the bill will lead to 'better engagement.' 'As somebody who was leading a classroom just two years ago, I can attest to the fact that some of our students really are almost addicted to their cell phones,' she said. Administrators from the Cape Girardeau School District told committee members they established a zero-tolerance policy for cell phones in high schools in 2024. James Russell, assistant superintendent of academic services for the district, said it has provided a 'culture shift.' 'This year, after a full year of implementation at the high school, kids really came back ready to learn,' he said. Lewis said the districts who have already established the policies can assist others. 'We aren't going to be the ones that are going to be telling what policies those local school districts should implement,' Lewis said. 'We've already got multiple pilots around the state that are already doing this, and that's where they're going to get those pilot policies from.' State Rep. Ann Kelley, a Republican from Lamar, said the state should allow the districts leniency to create their own policies while giving support when needed. 'It needs to be in the school district's hands. It should not be the state dictating anything, just offering a suggestion that they have a plan in place and offering them that support,' she said. 'Because it is a big thing whenever school districts do this, and they get a lot of grief from parents and students.' State Rep. Kem Smith, a Democrat from Florissant and a former English teacher, said parents often have valid points, like security concerns in case of a school shooting. 'I've been on lockdown with students who have survived that, and their parents have wanted to talk to them while we were in lockdown,' she said. Gragg said schools would be able to decide 'what they feel is best for their community,' so cell phones do not necessarily have to be out of the students' possession. The committee plans to combine the three lawmakers' bills before voting to send them to the full House in a future hearing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
