Latest news with #MikeParson
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missouri House backs return to presidential primary
A polling location in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). The Missouri House on Monday advanced legislation that would reinstate state-run presidential preference primaries and extend the no-excuse absentee voting period from two to six weeks. Supporters of House Bill 126 cited a widespread positive response to the recently enacted no-excuse voting period as a motivating factor. They also noted negative feedback on the 2024 party-run caucuses, which replaced the state-run primaries after they were eliminated as part of a law passed in 2022. The no-excuse absentee voting period has been in effect since August 2022 and allows voters to cast their ballot in elections in person or by mail starting two weeks before Election Day. Supporters of the bill said they hoped that extending the no-excuse voting period would further alleviate stress on election workers and encourage voters to cast their ballot. The state of Missouri ran March presidential primaries from 2000 until 2020. A 2022 law signed by former Gov. Mike Parson eliminated them. In 2024, the Republican Party held in-person caucuses in Missouri to select their delegates, while Democrats opted for a hybrid caucus with in-person voting and a mail-in ballot. Low participation in these caucuses, alongside vocal blowback from residents who preferred the state-run primaries, were cited as motivators for reinstating the primaries. 'I believe it's a lot simpler for our residents of our state going to cast a ballot like they do it in every other way for their preference for the presidential primary,' said state Rep. Brad Banderman, a Republican St. Clair. Under the bill primaries would be held on the first Tuesday of March during presidential election years. The estimated cost to the state for conducting the primaries is $8 million. The bill's supporters also noted that unlike previous years, where the primary results have not been binding to party delegates, both political parties have agreed to adhere to the results for the first ballot at their respective party conventions. The House needs to approve the legislation one more time before it heads to the Senate. This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Patty Prewitt: I finally got justice, but Missouri's legal system needs major reform
When you're accused of doing something you didn't do, that's bad enough. But when you're accused of a heinous act, arrested, convicted and locked away in prison for decades — that's brutal. But that's exactly what happened to me after my husband was murdered 41 years ago. I spent nearly 40 years in prison for a crime I didn't commit. During those years, my supporters and I petitioned every governor and every court asking for justice. These pleas, for the most part, fell on deaf ears. On Dec. 20, only a few months ago, I was released. Outgoing Gov. Mike Parson commuted my sentence of life with no parole for 50 years. Although I'm innocent, I'll be on parole forever, paying $30 a month for the privilege. I'm still a convicted murderer in the eyes of the law. Over half of my life was wasted behind razor wire. But freedom is a wonderful gift. I'm surrounded by loved ones, safe and warm in a beautiful home, and I enjoy every single minute of every day filled with unlimited hugs and snuggles, kisses, laughter, a soft bed, good and nutritious food, sweet dogs and cats that also are family, a bathtub, Alexa who knows all the songs, and quality time with my kids and fascinating grandchildren. People keep asking if I'm overwhelmed. No, I'm not. Going to prison was overwhelming. Coming home is what I've been training for all these decades. I have plenty of support, but many do not. How could I make it to parole meetings in Independence from Greenwood if I didn't have people with vehicles? I'm 75, so I don't have to find a job. How do younger parolees find work with no transportation and no suitable clothing? We need to do better for parolees who need help. I still haven't successfully signed up for Medicare. What a struggle. Missouri needs to create a better method for applying for clemency with accountability and transparency. The current method is cloaked in secrecy and bogged down by poor organization. There were governors who not once acknowledged my clemency application or the thousands of calls, letters or emails from taxpaying citizens demanding my freedom. My successful clemency application was filed in May of 2010. Before I experienced our justice system firsthand, I honestly believed that branch of government found and dispensed justice. The average person would be appalled at how poorly trials are conducted in America. The Midwest Innocence Project does the work that should have been done in the original court. Furthermore, our courts need to be more open to post-conviction appeals. For judges to deny DNA testing is ridiculous. What harm is a scientific test to a judge who is not paying for it? I won't even go into how awful our prisons are in every way. I feel bad for all the good women I left behind. Most female inmates are mothers who were the primary caregivers for their children. Either a family member or the state must take responsibility for these brokenhearted children. Inmates are hidden in the shadows and our children suffer. Now that I'm free, what am I doing now? I got my driver's license. I'm looking forward to good weather. I hope to be able to see a dentist and a primary care doctor soon. I'm studying to complete my bachelor's degree in humanities from Washington University in the fall. I'm also studying theater and literature with Prison Performing Arts in St. Louis. I'm petitioning for a pardon from Gov. Mike Kehoe, and my memoir 'Trying to Catch Lighting in a Jar,' describing my first 20 years in prison, will be published in May. Meanwhile, I'm thankful and ecstatic to be free. I send my gratitude to everyone who supports justice, but there are still many changes that must come about to prevent others from suffering the injustice that I did. Patty Prewitt is a native of Lone Jack and Lee's Summit class of 1967. She has four children, nine grandchildren and four great-grands.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Snow days stack up: How many more can Missouri schools take?
ST. LOUIS – Missouri schools may call for snow days on Wednesday and Thursday this week, following a major January snowstorm that shut down some districts for an entire week. As snow days pile up, some schools could be scrambling to make up lost time to meet state requirements. When a Missouri public school district or charter school closes due to inclement weather, the decision is made with careful consideration of state laws. Every year, schools that qualify for state funding are required by law to meet a minimum number of instructional hours. List: St. Louis area school & business closings For quite some time, Missouri law has required public school districts and charter schools to provide at least 1,044 instructional hours each school year. New this school year, however, is a provision that requires a minimum of 169 school days to meet criteria for additional funding, a condition that former Gov. Mike Parson signed into law last year. The legislation, approved as Senate Bill 727 last year, requires schools to meet both the 1,044-hour and 169-day requirements unless they operate on a state-approved four-day school week. Districts that comply will receive extra funding: 1% for the school terms in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, then 2% in fiscal years 2028 and beyond. If a school district falls short of the required days and hours, they will not be eligible for additional funding. That said, there are several ways that Missouri schools can prepare for challenges posed by snow days, including the possibility of adding extra days to the end of a school year. One big consideration is that to account for weather disruptions, Missouri schools must include at least 36 make-up hours in their calendars, roughly 5-6 extra days to offset closures. As a result, many districts already build schedules with 174-175 school days, ensuring they can absorb snow days while still meeting state requirements. If closures exceed the built-in snow days, districts must extend the academic year to make up lost time. Having the flexibility of built-in snow days, in theory, could help schools stay on track with state mandates while maintaining their planned academic calendar. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Additionally, some schools are turning to virtual learning days, which the state recognizes as alternative methods of instruction (AMI) days, to combat snow day disruptions. When schools use an AMI day, it generally counts as a regular school day, allowing schools to claim attendance hours if students complete assigned lessons within designated timeframes. Missouri law allows schools to claim up to 36 hours of AMI time toward their required instructional hours, provided that Missouri DESE pre-approved the school's plan. In a previous report, FOX 2 found that most Missouri schools can account for up to 96 hours of weather-related disruptions by: Building in snow days to take throughout the year into an upcoming school year's calendar. Planning up for 5-6 make-up days and adding them to the school year calendar as necessary. Using AMI days for some closures to reduce the need for some in-person make-up days. Following state guidelines to make up additional time (up to 60 missed hours) before DESE considers waiving extra snow days. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
