Missouri
‘Critical’ Medicaid renewal looms over Missouri legislature with 8 weeks left in session
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (WGEM) – Missouri lawmakers entered their annual spring break on Friday, marking what is seen as the “halfway point” of the legislative session, though 11 weeks have passed with just eight remaining.
State lawmakers have yet to complete the renewal of a $4.5 billion funding mechanism which expires this fall.
The Federal Reimbursement Allowance, or FRA, in simple terms, is how the state of Missouri draws down federal dollars to cover its Medicaid program.
If it is not renewed, lawmakers predict catastrophe for Missouri health care, including widespread closures of rural hospitals that depend on those funds.
“We all understand that we’re not going to not renew a $4.5 billion fund that pays for our nursing homes and our rural hospitals and people that are really vulnerable,” said State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, the Senate’s majority leader.
“Everyone in this chamber knows how essential and critical that FRA is to healthcare, especially in rural Missouri, and to the state’s budget being solvent,” said State Sen. John Rizzo, the Senate minority leader.
The last time the FRA was up for renewal in 2021, a handful of Republicans stalled the bill, demanding it include language which prohibits Medicaid funds from going to abortion providers.
The Senate failed to pass the measure before the close of the session, forcing the governor to call a special session to see the program renewed.
It was eventually completed without the language demanded by the small group of Republicans.
Many of the same members, now known as the “Freedom Caucus,” have promised to block the bill again unless it contains that same language
“If we’re able to defend those that are doing harm and be able to help fund those that aren’t, we’re willing and able to make that happen,” said State Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville. “But until that happens, it’s going to be an issue with this Freedom Caucus.”
The Missouri Budget Project predicts any scenario in which the FRA is not renewed would result in roughly $1.5 billion in cuts to K-12 and higher education and mental health services.
Copyright 2024 WGEM. All rights reserved.
Missouri
Missouri ice cream shop named best in the state. Here’s why.
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Think you know the best ice cream shop in Missouri? Ask ten people, and you’ll likely get ten different answers.
Cheapism, a website focused on budget living, is weighing in on the debate with its recently released list of the best ice cream shops in every state. Here’s what it selected as Missouri’s best ice cream spot:
What’s the best ice cream shop in Missouri, according to Cheapism?
The media outlet selected the winners by scouring through Reddit threads, Yelp reviews, Google ratings and local favorites to find the best ice cream shop in every state.
Factoring all of that in, the honor of Missouri’s best ice cream shop goes to Clementine’s Ice Cream in St. Louis.
Clementine’s is a locally owned artisanal ice cream shop founded in 2015, known for its “naughty” (alcohol-infused) and “nice” (nonalcoholic) offerings, as well as non-dairy options.
The company has expanded from its beginnings as a single shop to multiple locations, boasting 11 shops across the Midwest, with three more on the way.
What’s Clementine’s best ice cream flavor?
Clementine’s also landed on Food & Wine’s list of essential ice cream flavors for all 50 states with its gooey butter cake ice cream.
The magazine praised the “super creamy” texture of the cream cheese ice cream and appreciated the large chunks of Clementine’s homemade gooey butter cake mixed throughout.
What is gooey butter cake?
For those not in the know, gooey butter cake is one of the Show Me State’s best-kept secrets, with its origins tracing back to St. Louis in the 1930s.
The cake allegedly came about when a baker accidentally reversed the butter-to-flour ratio while making a batch of coffee cake, resulting in a gooey, custard-like filling. Given it was the Great Depression, the bakery decided to sell the resulting cake rather than waste it, making it a hit with locals in the process.
It became so popular, in fact, that other bakeries in the city soon began making their own versions, and an iconic Missouri treat was born.
How to find a Clementine’s near you
Clementine’s has more than a dozen locations, mostly centered around St. Louis. It also has locations in Kansas City and Bentonville, Arkansas.
A Clementine’s is scheduled to open in Columbia this summer.
Check out this map to find the nearest Clementine’s location near you:
You can also get Clementine’s shipped directly to your front door via Goldbelly.
Missouri
Missouri lawmaker pushes for more transparency from data center developments
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – As more data centers are announced across Missouri, one state lawmaker wants to get rid of non-disclosure agreements.
Republican State Rep. Tricia Byrnes from St. Charles County organized a public hearing for Sept. 16 at the Missouri Capitol for lawmakers to discuss data center regulations. Any legislation that comes out of the hearing will have to wait until January to be introduced in the General Assembly. Byrnes said she hopes local communities take action before January.
The effort comes after Amazon and Google announced multibillion-dollar data center projects in Montgomery County, which Byrnes represents.
Montgomery County farmer Harry Cope said residents have concerns about how the projects have been handled.
“The transparency that’s gone on with all of this stuff in our county has been about like looking through muddy water,” Cope said.
Byrnes said Missourians are looking for state leaders to respond.
“Missourians should never take a bad deal. And right now, folks are waiting for Jefferson City to stand up and pay attention,” Byrnes said.
Byrnes is not proposing a complete statewide stop to data center projects. She said she wants to get rid of nondisclosure agreements for data center projects and create specific noise standards and water permits. She said she wants the process to happen in public.
Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, has said he supports more data centers in Missouri, saying they are better for the economy.
“It’s about opportunity, good-paying jobs, investment in our community, better efficiency. And it’s about making sure Missouri remains on the forefront of next-generation technology,” Kehoe said.
Byrnes did not directly comment on whether Kehoe will support her legislation. She addressed a comment the governor made last week, when he implied foreign adversaries such as China are spreading misinformation about data centers.
“We have extremely intelligent people all across Missouri, and what I’m hearing now is this spin that they’re hearing stuff from China. I can tell you, no one from China asked me to have you here today,” Byrnes said.
Missouri House Democratic Leader Ashley Aune said there is an opportunity for lawmakers to craft legislation based on what Missourians want.
“I don’t have a proposal top of mind about what regulation would, should, can look like across the state. But what I will say is that we have a real opportunity to work with our voters,” Aune said.
Copyright 2026 KFVS. All rights reserved.
Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, police search for missing woman who needs daily medications
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is searching for a missing woman who needs daily medication.
Keyauna Wilson, 24, is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 289 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.
Police said she was last seen getting into a newer model gray sedan around 11:45 p.m. Monday near the 8700 block of East 92nd Place in KCMO.
She was wearing a strapless white top, light-colored shorts and a white headband.
Wilson has multiple medical diagnoses that require daily medication.
If you know her whereabouts, please call the KCPD Missing Persons Unit at 816-234-5043 or 911.
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