Missouri

Organic certification funding available for Missouri producers

Published

2 years ago

August 25, 2022

Organic certification funding available for Missouri producers

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Division of Agriculture introduced new funding this Wednesday in an effort to help Missouri farmers and meals processors in acquiring natural certifications for his or her companies.

Producers could now be reimbursed as much as $500 of their certification prices throughout this system yr by way of the U.S. Division of Agriculture’s Nationwide Natural Price Share Program.

The Missouri Division of Agriculture’s Enterprise Growth Division has participated on this program for the reason that USDA launched it over 10 years in the past.

Missouri obtained $32,950 this yr to reimburse as much as 50% of producers’ and handlers’ certification value with a most of $500 per certification scope.

Companies should acquire or renew their natural certification, full an software and doc any certification prices incurred from Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022 to be able to take part in this system.

Purposes for value share funds will likely be reimbursed within the order they’re obtained till funds run out or the eligibility interval ends relying on which comes first.

With every certification being reimbursed individually, one software should be submitted per scope.

Purposes for the fee share program will likely be accepted by way of Nov. 1, 2022.

For an software or to study extra, go to the Natural Price Share Program webpage. To search out different monetary help alternatives out there by way of the Missouri Division of Agriculture, go to the Division on-line at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.

Source link

Click to comment

Missouri

Several Missouri lawmakers introduce legislation aimed at tracking, recording number of undocumented immigrants in state

Published

7 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Several Missouri lawmakers introduce legislation aimed at tracking, recording number of undocumented immigrants in state

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – It took less than an hour of being in office for Missouri’s new Gov. Mike Kehoe to issue some new laws on undocumented immigration.

Next, the legislative branch is introducing bills to increase those efforts.

It’s estimated there are about 70,000 undocumented immigrants in Missouri, according to Pew Research Center. But there’s no avenue for the state to collect accurate numbers. Several pieces of legislation have been introduced in the Missouri General Assembly that aim to make it easier to track how many undocumented immigrants are in Missouri.

St. Louis Republican Representative Jim Murphy is one of several lawmakers sponsoring a bill that aims to collect more information on undocumented immigration. His bill would require private employers and businesses to verify the employment eligibility of every employee who is hired. Currently it’s just public employers who are required to do this.

“They’re taking union jobs, they’re taking American jobs, because they’re being paid under the table,” Murphy said.

Another bill introduced would modify Missouri driver’s licenses to include a symbol that indicates the holder is a U.S. citizen. Since it’s early in the session, bills are still being referred to committees for hearings and have not had much traction or discussion.

Missouri’s new governor, Mike Kehoe, focused on immigration in the executive orders he issued just moments after swearing into office. Kehoe’s executive orders allow for some State Troopers to train with federal law enforcement on finding undocumented immigrants, and requires law enforcement to collect immigration statuses from people accused of crimes.

Independence Democratic Representative Aaron Crossley tells me he’s tired of the discussions on immigration, which he says are not truly productive. He calls Kehoe’s and other Republicans’ efforts to legislate on immigration “political pandering.”

“They’re not lowering the cost of living, they’re not getting our roads paved, they’re not making our schools perform better,” Crossley said.

When asked about the governor’s executive orders, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol said in an email they do not discuss executive orders in detail, but, “will remain focused on carrying out our mission of enforcing laws and providing services to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone in Missouri.”

Source link

Missouri

Missouri AG to Regulate Social Media Algorithims – Ozark Radio News

Published

15 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Missouri AG to Regulate Social Media Algorithims – Ozark Radio News

44th Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In an effort to protect free speech and safeguard consumers from censorship, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced he is issuing a regulation requiring Big Tech companies to offer algorithmic choice for social media users in Missouri. The first of its kind in the nation, Attorney General Bailey’s regulation will ensure Big Tech companies are transparent about the algorithms they use and offer Missouri consumers the option to select alternatives. Social media algorithms quietly control the news feed and content received by millions of users and have been used by tech companies to both censor speakers and manipulate the information they receive.

“Social media companies are supposed to provide a space where users can share views, content and ideas. Instead, Big Tech oligarchs have manipulated consumers’ social media feeds for their own purposes and exercised monopoly control over content moderation. To that end, I am invoking my authority under consumer protection law to ensure Missourians get to control the content they consume on social media,” said Attorney General Bailey. “With this rule, Missouri becomes the first state in the nation to enshrine transparency and accountability for Big Tech into law at this scale. Big Tech companies who run afoul of this regulation will be held accountable.”

This rule will follow the roadmap laid out by the Supreme Court in the NetChoice decision issued last term. Under the authority of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, the new rule will clarify that it is an unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful practice for any person to operate a social media platform unless the platform permits users the opportunity to select a third-party content moderator of their choice, rather than rely on the content moderation provided directly by the social media platform.

Social media platforms can satisfy Attorney General Bailey’s algorithmic choice requirements if:

Users are provided with a choice screen upon account activation and at least every 6 months thereafter that gives them the opportunity to choose among competing content moderators;

No selection is chosen by default;
The choice screen does not favor the social media platform’s content moderator over those of third parties;
When a user chooses a content moderator other than that provided by the social media platform, the social media platform permits that content moderator interoperable access to data on the platform in order to moderate what content is viewed by the user; and
Except as expressly authorized below, the social media company does not moderate, censor, or suppress content on the social media platform such that a user is unable to view that content if their chosen content moderator would otherwise permit viewing that content.

As part of the rule promulgation process, Attorney General Bailey will be taking public comments and will announce forums to collect additional evidence about the deceptive practices of the social media companies.

“This is the first prong of a comprehensive offensive to protect free speech in 2025,” said Attorney General Bailey. “Now that we have a presidential administration coming into office that will not silence disfavored speech, we’re turning our focus to corporate censorship. Missouri will continue to lead the way in defense of our most fundamental freedoms.”

Source link

Missouri

Missouri’s new governor hopes to reduce recidivism

Published

23 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Missouri’s new governor hopes to reduce recidivism

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Missouri’s new governor set a goal to reduce the number of people reoffending after they get out of prison.

Within minutes of swearing in, Missouri’s new Governor, Mike Kehoe, signed an executive order commanding the Department of Corrections to assemble a board that will review and revise the state’s parole rules. These rules have not been updated since 2017.

State officials said it’s too soon to know what implementing this executive order will look like, but blueprints are being drawn up right now. The Department of Corrections faces an October 1 deadline to complete a report on reducing recidivism.

The other executive orders issued are:

— Create new regional operation to arrest known criminals

— Provide state grants to local law enforcement

— Train select officers to assist federal efforts to find illegal immigrants

— Collect immigration data on those charged with crimes

— Reduce time required to reach top salary with Missouri State Highway Patrol

The Reentry Opportunity Center in Columbia helps those fresh out of prison reacclimate. It’s one of five state-funded facilities of its kind in Missouri. Director Jessica Chambers helps them build resumes, apply for jobs and find transportation.

“We don’t give them a handout,” Chambers said. “We give them a hand up so they can make it in the community here.”

For Chambers, it’s personal. She watched many of her family members go to jail growing up. However, through her six years of helping people readjust to life after prison, Chambers is proud every time she sees someone succeed.

“It does move to heart to see somebody be able to overcome the struggles of being attached with the stigma that comes with being incarcerated,” Chambers said.

Not everyone can be so fortunate, though. Within three years of getting out of prison, 31.6% of Missouri offenders find themselves back behind bars, according to a report from the Missouri Dept. of Corrections.

The good news is that Missouri’s recidivism rate has decreased more than 10% over the last 10 years, according to Department of Corrections data. Chambers believes places like the ROC help.

“Having a support system is the best thing that people getting out of prison could do in order to stay from going back so to keep that recidivism rate going down,” Chambers said.

Source link