Missouri
Federal court rules Missourians were illegally denied food aid by the state • Missouri Independent
A federal judge ruled Thursday that Missouri’s social services agency violated the law in the way it has administered its food assistance program.
U.S. District Court Judge M. Douglas Harpool ruled that the state’s practices — including long call center wait times and a lack of accommodations for those with disabilities — violate the laws governing the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Missouri Department of Social Services’ call center issues ultimately denied eligible Missourians meaningful access to benefits.
“While call wait times fluctuate and have shown some improvement, the record demonstrates too little progress,” Harpool wrote. “Consequently, Missourians who suffer food insecurity have been forced to either go hungry or seek alternative sources of food when their applications are denied.”
In February 2022, a federal lawsuit was filed against the social services department arguing the state’s “dysfunctional” call center deprives eligible Missourians of SNAP benefits, more commonly known as food stamps.
‘Broken system’: Call center backlogs impede Missouri families seeking food assistance
Plaintiffs described subsisting on little food while using up prepaid phone minutes waiting on hold for an interview, and, due to disability, struggling to understand the application forms but being unable to get through the call center for help.
An interview is required to sign up for or recertify SNAP benefits.
Without interviews, SNAP applications and renewals are automatically denied after 30 days — even if applicants have tried and been unable to get through. Around half of all SNAP denials in the state are due to failure to complete an interview, according to data obtained in litigation. The average call center wait time for the SNAP interview line, as of late last year, The Independent found, was over an hour.
“The high percentage of denials based on failure to interview is a direct consequence of the failed administration of defendant’s SNAP program,” Harpool wrote in his order.
“These denials are not based on the applicant’s eligibility but on the inadequacies of [the Department of Social Services’] process,” he wrote.
The lawsuit was filed by New York-based National Center for Law and Economic Justice, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and Stinson LLP, on behalf of individual low-income Missourians and the advocacy group Empower Missouri.
“Today’s decision is a vindication of the rights of Missourians,” said Katharine Deabler-Meadows, attorney with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice.
“The Court has recognized the immense harm that DSS is causing to people who depend on SNAP to feed themselves and their families,” she said. “We are excited that DSS will now have to implement systems that ensure all Missourians can access SNAP.”
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The decision orders the social services agency to come into compliance with federal SNAP law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and outlines several steps the agency must take, under the court’s supervision.
The steps the state must follow, as outlined in the order include:
- submitting a report with specific changes it will make to comply with the law within 30 days;
- filing monthly reports with the court with detailed data on SNAP applications and wait times, and filing that report with several members of Missouri state government outlined in the order;
- submitting a proposed plan of action and timeline of implementation “to address shortcomings in the administration of SNAP as identified” within 90 days, including a reduction in call wait times and denials based on failure to receive an interview and compliance with the ADA.
After the state complies with the order, the court “will determine what, if any, further actions, orders, remedies, or proceedings are appropriate,” Harpool wrote.
Harpool has been candid in previous hearings about his concerns over the state’s progress since the lawsuit was first filed.
“I continue to be amazed that it’s been since this case started,” he said in a January motion hearing, “that the state’s whole focus is how can we avoid liability rather than how can we get these benefits to our citizens.”
Hardin Haynes, the attorney representing DSS, rejected that characterization, according to court transcripts.
“The whole time this has been going on,” he said in the January hearing, “DSS has been doing what it can to increase its ability to do interviews throughout this process. That has never stopped.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Social Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
DSS has previously said it is doing all it can to hire more staff, grant overtime, move to automate assistance and contract with private call centers.
Agency leaders pointed to resource issues and challenges getting more staff as it requested $4 million this year for a “call center bot” to increase automation and reduce the need for staff on the general call center line.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing
02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 1-3-9
Midday Wild: 5
Evening: 8-5-4
Evening Wild: 0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 8-1-4-4
Midday Wild: 0
Evening: 2-6-7-0
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 7 drawing
Early Bird: 09
Morning: 08
Matinee: 15
Prime Time: 01
Night Owl: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from July 7 drawing
12-16-17-28-31
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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GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (WDAF) – Authorities said an explosion reported early Tuesday morning was caused by a school employee hitting a firework with a lawn mower in Missouri.
According to the Grain Valley Police Department, officers responded shortly after 7 a.m. to an area near Grain Valley South Middle School, about 23 miles east of Kansas City, for a reported explosion and a person with injuries.
After arriving at the scene, law enforcement discovered a Grain Valley School District employee had been mowing near the school when they struck an apparent explosive device. The explosion caused damage to the mower, and the employee was originally reported to have suffered minor injuries.
Authorities later said the employee is reported to be in good condition with no injuries.
⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com
The area surrounding the school was blocked to the public for three hours to ensure there were no additional devices or safety concerns. The roads have since reopened, and investigators said there is no known threat to the public.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been called to the scene to help with the investigation.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) -Missouri teachers are criticizing Gov. Mike Kehoe’s plan to assign A-F letter grades to the state’s public and charter schools, saying the money would be better spent on classroom learning.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education submitted the proposed A-F School Grading Framework to the governor’s office in response to his January executive order. The order directs DESE to create yearly A-F grade cards reflecting student outcomes.
Under the framework, DESE would produce annual grade cards for districts, schools, and charter schools. Grades would be based on scores from students’ Missouri Assessment Program tests and college-readiness exams, including the ACT and SAT.
For Kindergarten through middle schools, grades would factor in student academic achievement, value-added growth, and growth toward proficiency in English Language Arts, literacy, mathematics, and science. High school grades would also include Success Ready Graduate measures and four-year graduation rates.
DESE Interim Commissioner of Education Stacey Preis, PhD, said the framework is designed to give families a clearer picture of school performance.
“The goal for the A–F school grading framework is to provide families and communities with a simple, comparable, and rigorous picture of school performance,” Preis said.DESE plans to present the proposal to the State Board of Education in August. If approved, schools could receive their first grades under the new system in the spring of 2027. The plan remains subject to change based on any revisions requested during the review process.
Setting up the program would cost $1.2 million in the first year and $715,000 each year after that. That money has not been allocated in the current state budget. That money was not allocated in the fiscal year 2027 state budget, which began July 1. The Missouri State Teachers Association said the funds should go elsewhere.
“We’re currently underfunding schools by almost $200 million, and so I think priority number one should be to make sure that we’re fully funding schools to meet the needs of those students,” said Matt Michelson of the Missouri State Teachers Association.
Michelson also questioned the emphasis on standardized testing.
“I think Missourians have wanted to move away from high-stakes testing, and to place even more emphasis on those one-time statewide tests is really concerning for a community as they look at how they can best educate their students,” Michelson said.
Kehoe said the grading system is about transparency and improvement, not punishment.
“It’s not to admonish any school; it’s to give everybody a target on how do you all get to a better level,” Kehoe said. “You have to know where you stand if you’re going to improve, and you have to have some sort of measuring tool, and that’s what A through F is.”
A bill to codify the plan into state law failed during the most recent legislative session. Kehoe said he wants to see it return.
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Copyright 2026 KY3. All rights reserved.
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