Missouri

Missouri bill would slash state regulations over small streams and major aquifers • Missouri Independent

Published

2 years ago

March 6, 2024

Missouri bill would slash state regulations over small streams and major aquifers • Missouri Independent

Missouri’s leading agriculture groups are pushing legislation environmentalists and state regulators warn could jeopardize thousands of miles of streams and drinking water for 3.6 million people.

Members of a Missouri Senate committee on Tuesday heard testimony on a bill that would narrow the definition of “waters of the state,” slashing the state’s authority over small streams and major aquifers. Supporters say it’s necessary to clean up confusion in the law.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources warned in a fiscal analysis that the bill could jeopardize the state’s groundwater, which provides drinking water to almost 60% of Missourians, and 136,236 miles of small streams.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Rusty Black of Chillicothe, said he’s working with state regulators on updated language to ensure the legislation doesn’t threaten groundwater.

Black said he introduced the bill because of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act and limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority over wetlands. Black’s legislation would similarly limit the types of waters Missouri can regulate.

“I have wells at home. I don’t necessarily want those to get bad,” Black told the Senate’s Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee. “But at the same time, going past my home, past farms, my family farms…what out there on those properties really should be state waters?”

Black’s bill would define waters of the state as all “relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing rivers, streams, lakes and ponds” that are not confined to a single piece of property. Lakes, ponds, aquifers and wetlands would have to have a “continuous surface connection to a relatively permanent” body of water. Current law defines waters of the state as any body of water that crosses property lines.

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The term “waters of the state” is referred to throughout the state’s pollution control laws, meaning placing limits on its definition narrows the kinds of water Missouri regulators can protect. Agriculture groups supporting the legislation say it brings the state in alignment with the new federal authority.

“We have a current definition of waters of the state…that regulates basically grass waterways and other upland watercourses that I would rather call a ditch than a stream,” said Robert Brundage, an attorney for the Missouri Pork Association and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.

But environmental groups say there’s no reason to narrow Missouri’s definition. Federal pollution rules, they said, set minimum standards, but the state is free to further regulate water as it sees fit.

Critics fear the language requiring that lakes, ponds, aquifers and wetlands have a surface connection to another body of water in order to be protected would exclude numerous bodies of water.

Zach Morris, president of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, said he was concerned about streams that have surface connections during periods of high flow or wetlands that are disconnected from rivers at the surface but are connected underground.

“The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers are drinking water sources for millions of people and they have many, many wetlands along their banks that are permanently separated by man made structures but still have a subsurface connection,” Morris said, “and polluting those waters could certainly add pollution into that drinking water source.”

Melissa Vatterott, policy director for the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, told the committee the legislation “is seeking to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.

“It’s being pushed by a very few industries — or maybe one particular person — to create confusion,” she said.

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Stephen Jeffery, an environmental attorney, said the bill should be rejected because it conflates wetlands and subsurface waters and fails to take into account the huge differences in geology and hydrology between various parts of Missouri. Beyond that, he said, “there have been expressed, so far today, no significant compelling reasons to change the existing law.”

“There’s been no testimony at all today of any government overreach or government intrusion coming onto someone’s property to do something that is unlawful,” Jeffery said.

He then quoted President Ronald Reagan’s 1984 State of the Union address: “Preservation of our environment is not a liberal or conservative challenge. It’s common sense.”

The committee did not take action on the bill Tuesday.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for July 9, 2026

Published

6 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 9 drawing

Midday: 3-9-1

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 7-7-1

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 9 drawing

Midday: 0-5-3-2

Midday Wild: 8

Evening: 4-9-6-9

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 9 drawing

Early Bird: 11

Morning: 13

Matinee: 08

Prime Time: 05

Night Owl: 10

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from July 9 drawing

08-09-20-23-32

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

Missouri realtors hold statewide rally to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5

Published

16 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Missouri realtors hold statewide rally to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5

COLUMBIA — Hundreds of Missouri realtors were in Columbia Thursday to show their opposition to a couple of proposals on the August 4th ballot. The Missouri Association of Realtors hosted a statewide rally against Amendments 4 & 5. Realtors distributed tens of thousands of yard signs, bumper stickers, buttons, and literature.

More than 26,000 Missouri realtors want Missourians to vote no on Amendments 4 & 5. They said the proposals ignore tax restrictions that Missouri voters put into the Missouri Constitution. Amendment 4 would modify the current requirements for a simple statewide majority vote. Amendment 5 would require the phase out of the individual state income tax. Matthew Becker is the Treasurer-Elect for the Missouri Board of Realtors and said Amendment 5 would give too much power to state government.

Becker said, “Amendment 5 is nothing more than a bait and switch. Amendment 5 literally wants to go out and give our legislature a blank checkbook for the next 5 years.”

Jefferson City Realtor Logan Gratz said Amendment 4 favors politicians and destroys majority rule for Missourians.

Gratz said, “Realtors have always been major advocates of property owners, of property rights, good business, and good tax policy.”

Springfield area State Representative Bishop Davidson said Missouri realtors were wrong when they opposed Amendments 4 & 5. Davidson said Amendment 5 would improve Missouri’s tax system.

Davidson said, “Right now, the way our tax structure works is old and archaic. It discourages economic growth. When it comes to Amendment 4, what I would say is protecting our Missouri Constitution is important.”

Governor Mike Kehoe’s communication director sent KRCG a statement that said, “Governor Kehoe supports Amendment 5 because it is a revenue-triggered, constitutionally protected path to eliminating Missouri’s individual income tax, allowing workers to keep more of every paycheck.”

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Missouri Farm Bureau to host agritourism conference in Hermann | Fulton Sun

Published

1 day ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Missouri Farm Bureau to host agritourism conference in Hermann | Fulton Sun

Missouri Farm Bureau’s 2026 Agritourism Conference will be held Sunday through Tuesday in Hermann, bringing together agritourism stakeholders to explore opportunities in Missouri’s growing agritourism sector.

The conference usually draws 60-70 attendees annually, said Janet Adkison, director of public affairs and advocacy with Missouri Farm Bureau. This includes farmers, agribusiness leaders, tourism professionals and local economic development partners.

At the conference, participants will see firsthand how farms, wineries, orchards and other value-added agriculture business and rural destinations are connecting tourists and consumers with the state’s agriculture scene, while diversifying revenue streams for farm families and rural communities.

“Whenever folks think of agritourism, they think of a pumpkin patch or a flower farm,” Adkison said. “But agritourism is really anything that gets folks to connect with the agriculture industry. So from your Airbnbs that are out in rural Missouri to the wineries that you see across the countryside, to even a tree farm or just a simple orchard, those are all part of Missouri’s agritourism industry.”

The conference kicks off Sunday with welcome remarks by Missouri Farm Bureau president Garrett Hawkins and a dinner at Hermann Farm Store Barn. Participants will spend the nights at The Inn at Hermannhof.

Monday will include an agritourism bus tour, with stops at Thierbach Orchard, Heritage Valley Tree Farm, White Mule Winery & BNB and Cool Cow Cheese, where participants have the opportunity to speak to business owners.

It will be followed by a farm-to-table, wine-pairing dinner at Hermannhof Winery Court with the Missouri Wine & Grape Board.

“If you are somebody who’s interested in agritourism, you get to hear from somebody who’s been there and done that, and some of the hurdles that they may have experienced along the way,” Adkison said. “You’ll have that exposure both on the tour and also during the programs that they’ll provide on Tuesday.”

On the final day of the conference, participants will attend educational workshops and network with other vendors at Hermannhof Festhalle. Topics discussed in the workshops include marketing, risk management, USDA Rural Development resources for agricultural businesses.

“You’ll hear from some folks as far as the missteps or wins that they had while trying to market and get those crowds to come to the farm, and sometimes something might work, (or) something surprises you and it doesn’t work,” Adkison said.

The conference location rotates around the state each year — past stops have included northeast and west central Missouri, which Adkison said gives the conference a chance to showcase how agritourism looks based on the terrain and agricultural strength of each region.

Find out more about the event or register for it at mofb.org/event/2026-agritourism.

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