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UPDATE: Highway 24 near Madison remains closed, following deadly collision and train derailment

May 22, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

A truck driver from Higbee has been killed after Sunday afternoon’s collision and train derailment near Madison in mid-Missouri’s Monroe County. Madison is about 43 miles northeast of Columbia and is east of Moberly.

Our news partner KMIZ’s Joshua Blount is on-scene this morning, and reports Highway 24 near Madison remains closed at this hour.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s crash report says 65-year-old Russell Minnis failed to stop at a railroad crossing on Highway 24 and struck the Norfolk Southern train. The Patrol crash report says the crossing was equipped with a crossbar, bell and warning light.

Troopers say Minnis was pronounced dead at the scene by the Monroe County coroner. The train’s driver was not injured.

(AUDIO): Missouri women’s veteran appreciation legislation approved by Legislature

May 12, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Bipartisan legislation that designates June 12 of each year as Women Veterans Appreciation day is heading to Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s (R) desk. The bill is sponsored by State Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia). It’s personal for him.

“My grandmother was in the World War II in the U.S. Navy. She actually flew over the Atlantic looking for downed pilots. But yeah, so I filed Women’s Appreciation Day and it got onto Senate Bill 139 which passed. I was on the conference committee to help usher it through and it is headed to the governor’s desk,” Tyson Smith says.

Senate Bill 139 is a bipartisan bill that includes numerous state designations, including Albert Pujols day, breast cancer awareness day and UFO capital legislation.

Representative Tyson Smith’s grandmother also worked on bombers when they came in. He says his bill also highlights the growing number of women in the U-S military and the National Guard.

“June 12 comes from President Harry Truman. That was the day in 1948 that he allowed all women to serve permanently in the armed forces. So it has a great attachment to our state because of Harry Truman,” says Tyson Smith.

Representative Smith notes at least ten other states have this designation. He says the bill says let’s appreciate American’s female veterans.

Meantime, Smith is pleased with how Missouri’s 2023 session has gone. He tells 939 the Eagle that it’s been a good session.

“Every session is different, every year is different, every year has a different feel. But I’m excited moving forward, again Women Veterans Appreciation Day hopefully is going to get signed soon,” says Smith.

One of Smith’s bills that did not pass this session would have prohibited the selling or purchasing of semiautomatic and fully automatic firearms by anyone under 20 years old.

Hoskins: Missouri gaming legislation would be impacted by Hammerschmidt; final day of session is today

May 12, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Sports wagering could be dead for Missouri’s 2023 session, which wraps up at 6 this evening in Jefferson City.

Senate Economic Development and Tax Policy Committee chairman Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg) tells 939 the Eagle that there are no bills currently under consideration that have Sportsbook on them. Senator Hoskins says any bill that passed with Sportsbook on it would be a clear Hammerschmidt multiple subject violation and would be thrown out by the courts. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) and House Speaker Dean Plocher (R-Des Peres) have been trying to get the bill through. The clock is the biggest factor facing them now.

Lawmakers have approved a total of 23 bills, which include budget bills. The governor has already signed bipartisan physical therapy legislation. Missouri lawmakers have also passed bipartisan distracted driving legislation, a crime package and two transgender bills. The texting while driving bill heading to Governor Mike Parson’s (R) desk would create a hands-free driving requirement for all Missourians.

Anti-hazing legislation appears to be dead at the Missouri Capitol for the 2023 session, due to language concerns about the bill. House Speaker Plocher tells “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that he doesn’t like fellow State Rep. Travis Smith’s (R-Dora) bill that says any person who renders aid to a hazing victim or the first to call 911 is immune from prosecution. Speaker Plocher notes that under the bill’s language, you could haze someone before calling 911 and be immune. The Speaker says it should be a duty for people to help each other.

Former Mizzou student Danny Santulli’s family members say that he’s blind and unable to walk, after an alleged October 2021 hazing incident at a Mizzou fraternity house.

(AUDIO): U.S. House Agriculture Committee to hold farm bill listening session in August in Sedalia

May 5, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raymore), who serves on the House Agriculture Committee, speaks at the April 6, 2023 ribbon-cutting for Swift Foods’ $200-million Columbia plant (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

A west-central Missouri congressman who serves on the House Agriculture Committee on Capitol Hill says the committee will hold a listening session at the state fair in Sedalia this summer about the federal farm bill.

U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Raymore) tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that the committee wants to hear from you and farmers across the state.

“I got a commitment two weeks ago from Chairman GT Thompson (of Pennsylvania). They will be coming, we will be having a listening tour at the (Missouri) state fair (in Sedalia) August 14. Chris Chinn is going to be there, we’re hoping to have the governor there, we’re waiting on his confirmation for that. But this is going to be a big deal. We want as many people there as possible,” Congressman Alford says.

Congressman Alford, whose sprawling district includes Columbia, Centralia and Sedalia, says child nutrition should be a key part of the farm bill. The current farm bill expires in September.

“And we’re trying to get some others there, some other key players. (U.S. House Speaker) Kevin McCarthy is not committed yet, but we’re working on him. But we do have confirmation. We will have several key agriculture board members, ag committee members. I will be there,” Alford says.

Congressman Alford is pushing child nutrition in the farm bill, which expires in September. Child nutrition has traditionally been a bipartisan issue on Capitol Hill.

(AUDIO): Powerful Missouri congressman trying to obtain federal funding for massive I-70 project

May 4, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher (R-Town and Country) introduces U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) to the full House in Jefferson City on May 1, 2023 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

A $2.8 billion bipartisan plan to six-lane I-70 across Missouri has been approved by a conference committee of Missouri Senate and House budget negotiators and is heading back to the two respective chambers.

The measure from State Sen. Lincoln Hough (R-Springfield) has been a top priority for Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia). U.S. House Transportation Committee chair Rep. Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) met with state senators in Jefferson City this week about I-70. Congressman Graves tells 939 the Eagle that he’ll support whatever I-70 bill the Legislature approves.

“We’ll see if we can get the (state) Legislature to provide that seed money. (We’ll) see if we can find more money in Washington for this,” Congressman Graves says.

Under Senator Hough’s I-70 measure, the state would pay about $132-million a year for 15 years to pay off the expansion.

Congressman Graves also warns the Biden administration could have issues with the I-70 plan.

“The (Biden) administration has tried to stop any addition of extra lanes to clear up congestion around the country. So we’re pushing back on that at the federal level because it literally runs headlong into what we’re trying to do here in Missouri,” says Graves.

The Missouri Constitution requires state lawmakers to approve a balanced budget by Friday evening at 6.

Meantime, obtaining federal funding for rural lettered routes is a top priority for Chairman Graves, whose district includes Moberly, Mexico and Macon in the 939 the Eagle listening area. He says he’s trying to find federal dollars to offset state dollars and describes the rural lettered routes in north Missouri as critical farm-to-market roads.

“Which continue to be plagued with problems and potholes. I know the governor (Mike Parson) has found that extra $100-million to do that and we’re trying to find more money to be able to allow the state to move more resources over there,” says Graves.

Congressman Graves also says there are a lot of deficient bridges in rural Missouri, including many in his massive 39-county district, which contains more square miles than nine states.