News from the South - Missouri News Feed
Missouri prison nursery opens to bipartisan fanfare with goal of keeping mothers with babies • Missouri Independent
SUMMARY: Tara Carroll, who gave birth while incarcerated in 2022, is now aiding pregnant women in Missouri’s newly launched prison nursery program. This initiative, the 10th in the U.S., aims to support incarcerated mothers by allowing them to bond with their newborns on-site, rather than relinquishing them post-birth. The nursery, featuring soft floors and colorful decor, separates from the main prison area. Eligibility is limited to women with no more than 18 months remaining in their sentence and who lack violent crime histories. The program promises year-long assistance post-release, emphasizing improved maternal and child well-being.
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News from the South - Missouri News Feed
Abortions to resume in Missouri after a judge blocks restrictions
SUMMARY: A Missouri judge has blocked restrictive abortion regulations, allowing abortions to resume in the state. The ruling follows a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November that enshrined abortion rights. Previous regulations required providers to perform unnecessary pelvic exams and meet strict facility requirements, which many clinics could not satisfy. Judge Jerri Zhang deemed these regulations discriminatory compared to other healthcare services. Planned Parenthood plans to restart abortion services soon, emphasizing that the licensing laws were politically motivated barriers to care. The ruling is temporary, pending the outcome of ongoing litigation over Missouri’s near-total abortion ban.
The post Abortions to resume in Missouri after a judge blocks restrictions appeared first on fox2now.com
News from the South - Missouri News Feed
Five bold predictions for the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals
SUMMARY: Spring training has begun for the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter, Florida, marking a new baseball season amid a roster reshaping focused on youth. With veterans departing and tenured manager Oli Marmol expected to remain through 2025, predictions suggest Nolan Arenado will be with the team for at least half the season, and multiple players might hit 30 home runs. Young pitchers could replace veterans in the rotation as the Cardinals commit to a youth movement. The Cardinals aim for an above .500 finish, building a foundation for future competitiveness after recent struggles.
The post Five bold predictions for the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals appeared first on fox2now.com
News from the South - Missouri News Feed
GOP legislator pushes tax hike on Missouri farmland used for renewable energy
GOP legislator pushes tax hike on Missouri farmland used for renewable energy
by Jana Rose Schleis, Missouri Independent
February 14, 2025
A Republican lawmaker is proposing to raise taxes on Missouri farmers who participate in wind or solar energy projects.
As utilities and energy developers increase solar and wind power, people in rural areas across the nation have been offered opportunities to lease their land to house a wind turbine or a field of solar panels.
A bill proposed by Rep. Danny Busick, a Newtown Republican, would change the tax rate for agricultural land that is leased for solar or wind energy generation by reassessing it as commercial property.
Busick’s district covers Kirksville and north central Missouri. His bill would nearly triple the assessment rate for agricultural land that hosts energy infrastructure.
“It is a tax increase,” Busick said, “but I think it is designed to try to be fair to the players in this game.”
According to the legislative research division, agricultural land is currently assessed at 12% of its value. Utility, industrial and commercial land is assessed at 32%. These baseline figures are then multiplied by the local county tax rate to determine a property tax bill.
In a hearing this week, Busick said farmers who participate in renewable energy projects shouldn’t be charged as if their land is only for agriculture.
“My purpose is not to attack farmers,” he said, “but when you repurpose your land for another purpose outside of agriculture, I think you should pay your fair share in that sense.”
Busick said the bill would exclude land where corn or soybeans is cultivated for biofuel production.
Scott Swain represents the Clean Grid Alliance, an advocacy group, and spoke in opposition to the bill. He said large-scale wind and solar power plants are an essential part of the state’s future energy generation.
“They’re putting a lot of money into communities and so we don’t want to necessarily tax them out,” Swain said. “If we do want to tax them out, then we need to raise the tax and nobody will come to the state, and that will probably settle a lot of concerns. I don’t think that’s where we want to go.”
This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.
Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com.
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