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.
Close, but no cigar. A bill that was close to passing this legislative session would have raised the legal age to marry in Missouri. The bipartisan effort from Sens. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Scott City, and Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, would have banned marriages for anyone under 18 without exceptions.
Currently, in Missouri, you can get married at age 16 with a parent’s consent.
Rehder lamented the fact that House Republicans took such a hardline stance on the issue.
“When you look at the statistics that show for a girl that gets married as a teenager before she’s an adult, the divorce rate is almost 80%,” she told Missourinet. “Why would we do that? Why would a parent knowing that, why would the legislators in this building not want to ban child marriage?”
House Republicans like Rep. Mitch Boggs, R-LaRussell, were concerned that the bill gives the government an excuse to “intrude” in family marriage.
Arthur expressed embarrassment over this stalling in the House of Representatives.
“My friends who are apolitical or live in different parts of the country send me messages and say, ‘What is happening in Missouri?’ It makes Missouri look bad, but more importantly, we are not doing enough to protect young girls who are forced into marriages and whose lives are worse in every way as a result,” she said.
The legislation would not have affected any marriages that have already taken place.
Rehder explained that the issue will be reintroduced next year due to a national push from women’s groups.
“Women want to, number one, help solve the problems that we have with sex trafficking,” she said. “Women, today, in 2024, realize that we have so much more opportunity, our girls have so much more opportunity. We want them to be able to make lifetime commitment decisions when their brains are fully developed.”
Rehder’s reasoning for wanting the bill’s passage is due to the divorce rate being “incredibly high” among couples who got married when they were children.
“It’s shameful, in my opinion, and I think it represents the very ugliest parts of politics and I am hopeful that this is not the last attempt that they make to do right and raise the age to 18,” Arthur added.
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COLUMBIA, Missouri. (WOWT) – Omaha softball’s historic NCAA tournament run came to an end Sunday after two losses to regional hosts Missouri. The Mavericks entered the first regional final undefeated on the weekend, having defeated Mizzou on Friday and Washington on Saturday.
UNO all-time leader in strikeouts Kamryn Meyer started in the circle for Omaha for her third game in three days. The Mavericks took the lead in the bottom of the sixth after an overthrow to third by Missouri sent Marra Cramer home for the first run of the game.
With their season on the line, the Tigers surged back in the top of the seventh. Shortstop Jenna Laird grounded out but sent the tying run home. Missouri immediately followed up with a two-run home run off the bat of Alex Honnold. Missouri plated two more in the frame and went on to win the game, 5-1, forcing a winner-take-all game two.
Elkhorn native Sydney Nuismer stepped into the circle for Omaha with the program’s first-ever trip to a super regional on the line. The senior tossed eight scoreless innings with the Mavs’ dominant defense backing her up. Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, the game still scoreless, Missouri’s Madison Walker made contact and sent Honnold home from third to walk it off, 1-0.
UNO finished the program’s most successful season of the Division I era with an overall record of 43-15. The Mavs’ two NCAA Tournament wins in Columbia were also a program best.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
They took the long way round, but the Tigers are competing for the regional championship.
Missouri softball survived two elimination games in the NCAA Columbia Regional on Saturday, and now faces Omaha — the undefeated regional four-seed — on Sunday afternoon at Mizzou Softball Stadium for a spot in the NCAA Super Regional round.
Mizzou (45-16), the No. 7 national seed, lost in its regional opener to Omaha (43-13) on Friday evening. The Mavericks followed up that upset win by taking down Washington in the winners bracket Saturday afternoon.
That means MU, which eliminated Indiana and Washington in succession to keep its season alive, must beat Omaha twice Sunday to advance.
More: ‘Gutsy’ Missouri softball survives two elimination games in regional. How the Tigers dug deep
Mizzou last advanced to an NCAA Super Regional in 2021, when the Tigers fell to James Madison. Missouri has fallen in the regional round in every other full season of coach Larissa Anderson’s tenure, which began in 2019.
You can find live score updates from Missouri’s regional final against the Mavericks here:
More: Missouri softball: Complete schedule for NCAA Columbia Regional
What channel is Missouri softball vs. Omaha softball on today?
- Stream: ESPN+ | ESPN app
- Date: Sunday, May 19
- Time: First game: 1 p.m. CT; Second game, if necessary: 3:30 p.m.
ESPN+ will have the exclusive stream of the Tigers and Mavericks’ title bout.
Full NCAA Columbia Regional softball schedule
Friday, May 17
Game 1: Washington 8, Indiana 7
Game 2: Omaha 3, Missouri 1
Saturday, May 18
Game 3: Omaha 3, Washington 2
Game 4: Missouri 5, Indiana 1
Game 5: Missouri 4, Washington 1
Sunday, May 19
Game 6: Omaha vs. Missouri at 1 p.m.
Game 7: If necessary at 3:30 p.m.
Live score updates for Missouri vs. Omaha in NCAA Columbia Regional championship
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