By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>

WASHINGTON — The Senate Thursday failed to advance a Republican measure and rejected unanimous agreements on two related bills from Democrats that would have paid federal employees and contractors who have continued to work amid the government shutdown, which entered day 23.&nbsp;

The stalemate constituted the latest example of how dug in to their arguments both parties are as the shutdown that began Oct. 1 drags out, as well as the heightened political tensions in the upper chamber when it comes to striking a deal to resume government funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most federal employees will miss their first full paycheck on Friday or early next week. More than 42 million Americans, some 40% under the age of 17, are also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-likely-halt-food-benefits-42-million-just-days" target="_blank">at risk of delayed food assistance</a>&nbsp;if Congress doesn’t address a funding shortfall expected by Nov. 1 in the&nbsp;Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.&nbsp;

Senate Democrats Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_release_funding_to_continue_snap_into_novemberp.pdf" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins over concerns that the agency has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-likely-halt-food-benefits-42-million-just-days" target="_blank">warned states to hold off on processing SNAP benefits.</a>&nbsp;They contended the agency has the resources to keep payments flowing.

“We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent comments that the program will ‘run out of money in two weeks,’” according to the letter. “In fact, the USDA has several tools available which would enable SNAP benefits to be paid through or close to the end of November.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.,<a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Keep-SNAP-Funded-Act.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;introduced a bill</a>&nbsp;Wednesday to continue SNAP funding through the shutdown. During Thursday’s briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration would “absolutely support” the legislation.

In the Senate, a measure from Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00585.htm" target="_blank">54-45 vote</a>&nbsp;did not reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance in the chamber. Its failure means that federal employees who have continued to work will not be paid until the shutdown ends.

Democratic senators who agreed to the measure included Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman and Georgia’s Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota changed his vote in order to reconsider the measure.&nbsp;

“I don’t think it makes sense to hold these federal workers hostage,” Warnock told States Newsroom in an interview on his vote Thursday. “If I could have a path to give some of these folks relief while fighting for health care, that’s what I decided to do.”

A separate measure from Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen also failed to move forward after Johnson objected. Van Hollen requested unanimous consent to approve his bill that would have also protected federal workers from mass Reductions in Force, or RIFs, that President Donald Trump has attempted during the shutdown.&nbsp;

A second Democratic bill, from Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., was narrower, only including pay for federal workers. But when he requested unanimous approval for his measure, it was also blocked by Johnson.

Senators then left Capitol Hill for the weekend. On Wednesday, the Senate took&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-day-22-sets-record-second-longest-us-history-no-sign-deal" target="_blank">a failed 12th vote</a>&nbsp;to provide the federal government and its services with flat funding through Nov. 21.

Senate Republicans have pressed Senate Democrats to approve the GOP-written stopgap measure. But Democrats have maintained that they will not support the House measure because it does not extend tax credits that will expire at the end of the year for people who buy their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

Van Hollen argued his bill would protect workers from the president’s targeting of certain federal agencies and programs.

“We certainly shouldn’t set up a system where the president of the United States gets to decide what agencies to shut down, what they can open, who to pay and who not to pay, who to punish and who not to punish,” Van Hollen said on the Senate floor before asking for unanimous consent to move the bill forward.

Johnson objected to including Van Hollen’s provision to ban federal worker layoffs during a shutdown.&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal workers during the shutdown have been on hold since last week, after a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-blocks-trump-carrying-out-thousands-layoffs-during-shutdown" target="_blank">issued a temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-broadens-order-blocking-trump-administration-layoffs-during-shutdown" target="_blank">was later expanded</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, Johnson said he was willing to add into his own bill the provision from Van Hollen to pay furloughed workers.

“I’m more than happy to sit down with you. Maybe we should do that later today,” Van Hollen told Johnson during their debate on the floor.

Shortly after, Peters introduced a near-mirror version of Van Hollen’s bill, except that his measure would not prohibit layoffs — essentially what Johnson told Van Hollen he would agree to.

“We all say we agree on this, so let’s just pass this bill now,” the Michigan Democrat said before asking for unanimous consent to advance the legislation.

“It only solves a problem temporarily. We’re going to be right back in the same position,” Johnson said in an interview with States Newsroom about why he rejected Peters’ proposal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Johnson said he talked with Peters and Van Hollen after the vote and “we’ll be talking beyond this.”

Even if the Senate passed the bill sponsored by Johnson or Van Hollen, it’s unlikely the House, which has been in recess since last month, would return to vote on either measure.

At a Thursday morning press conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that Republicans already passed a stopgap measure to pay federal workers and that Senate Democrats should support that legislation.&nbsp;

Johnson said bringing back the House would be a “waste of time,” noting that Democrats would not vote on the Republican proposal.&nbsp;

“If I brought everybody back right now and we voted on a measure to do this, to pay essential workers, it would be spiked in the Senate,” said the Louisiana Republican. “So it would be a waste of our time.”

Duffy warns of flight delays due to shutdown

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joined Johnson and House Republicans during their press conference.&nbsp;

He said that flight delays have increased due to staffing shortages.

More than 50,000 TSA agents and more than 13,000 air traffic controllers have continued to work without pay during the government shutdown.&nbsp;

“They’re angry,” Duffy said of air traffic controllers. “I’ve gone to a number of different towers over the course of the last week to 10 days. They’re frustrated.”

Next Tuesday, air traffic controllers will not receive their full paycheck for their work in October, Duffy said.

He added that the agency is already short-staffed — by up to 3,000 air traffic controllers.

“When we have lower staffing, what happens is, you’ll see delays or cancellations,” Duffy said.&nbsp;

The FlightAware tracker said there were 2,132 delays within, into or out of the United States of unspecified length reported by Thursday afternoon, compared to 4,175 on Wednesday, 3,846 on Tuesday and 6,792 on Monday.

A shortage of air traffic controllers helped play a role in ending the 2019 government shutdown, which lasted 35 days, after thousands of commercial flights were ground to a halt.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761249362665.png" alt="Counting votes Thursday in the U.S. Senate -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Counting votes Thursday in the U.S. Senate -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>WASHINGTON — The Senate Thursday failed to advance a Republican measure and rejected unanimous agreements on two related bills from Democrats that would have paid federal employees and contractors who have continued to work amid the government shutdown, which entered day 23.&nbsp;The stalemate constituted the latest example of how dug in to their arguments both parties are as the shutdown that began Oct. 1 drags out, as well as the heightened political tensions in the upper chamber when it comes to striking a deal to resume government funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most federal employees will miss their first full paycheck on Friday or early next week. More than 42 million Americans, some 40% under the age of 17, are also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-likely-halt-food-benefits-42-million-just-days" target="_blank">at risk of delayed food assistance</a>&nbsp;if Congress doesn’t address a funding shortfall expected by Nov. 1 in the&nbsp;Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.&nbsp;Senate Democrats Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_release_funding_to_continue_snap_into_novemberp.pdf" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins over concerns that the agency has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-likely-halt-food-benefits-42-million-just-days" target="_blank">warned states to hold off on processing SNAP benefits.</a>&nbsp;They contended the agency has the resources to keep payments flowing.“We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent comments that the program will ‘run out of money in two weeks,’” according to the letter. “In fact, the USDA has several tools available which would enable SNAP benefits to be paid through or close to the end of November.”Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.,<a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Keep-SNAP-Funded-Act.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;introduced a bill</a>&nbsp;Wednesday to continue SNAP funding through the shutdown. During Thursday’s briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration would “absolutely support” the legislation.<h2>Deadlock on federal worker pay</h2>In the Senate, a measure from Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00585.htm" target="_blank">54-45 vote</a>&nbsp;did not reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance in the chamber. Its failure means that federal employees who have continued to work will not be paid until the shutdown ends.Democratic senators who agreed to the measure included Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman and Georgia’s Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota changed his vote in order to reconsider the measure.&nbsp;“I don’t think it makes sense to hold these federal workers hostage,” Warnock told States Newsroom in an interview on his vote Thursday. “If I could have a path to give some of these folks relief while fighting for health care, that’s what I decided to do.”A separate measure from Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen also failed to move forward after Johnson objected. Van Hollen requested unanimous consent to approve his bill that would have also protected federal workers from mass Reductions in Force, or RIFs, that President Donald Trump has attempted during the shutdown.&nbsp;A second Democratic bill, from Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., was narrower, only including pay for federal workers. But when he requested unanimous approval for his measure, it was also blocked by Johnson.Senators then left Capitol Hill for the weekend. On Wednesday, the Senate took&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-day-22-sets-record-second-longest-us-history-no-sign-deal" target="_blank">a failed 12th vote</a>&nbsp;to provide the federal government and its services with flat funding through Nov. 21.Senate Republicans have pressed Senate Democrats to approve the GOP-written stopgap measure. But Democrats have maintained that they will not support the House measure because it does not extend tax credits that will expire at the end of the year for people who buy their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.<h2>Layoffs cited by Van Hollen</h2>Van Hollen argued his bill would protect workers from the president’s targeting of certain federal agencies and programs.“We certainly shouldn’t set up a system where the president of the United States gets to decide what agencies to shut down, what they can open, who to pay and who not to pay, who to punish and who not to punish,” Van Hollen said on the Senate floor before asking for unanimous consent to move the bill forward.Johnson objected to including Van Hollen’s provision to ban federal worker layoffs during a shutdown.&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal workers during the shutdown have been on hold since last week, after a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-blocks-trump-carrying-out-thousands-layoffs-during-shutdown" target="_blank">issued a temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-broadens-order-blocking-trump-administration-layoffs-during-shutdown" target="_blank">was later expanded</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, Johnson said he was willing to add into his own bill the provision from Van Hollen to pay furloughed workers.“I’m more than happy to sit down with you. Maybe we should do that later today,” Van Hollen told Johnson during their debate on the floor.Shortly after, Peters introduced a near-mirror version of Van Hollen’s bill, except that his measure would not prohibit layoffs — essentially what Johnson told Van Hollen he would agree to.“We all say we agree on this, so let’s just pass this bill now,” the Michigan Democrat said before asking for unanimous consent to advance the legislation.Johnson also objected to that proposal.“It only solves a problem temporarily. We’re going to be right back in the same position,” Johnson said in an interview with States Newsroom about why he rejected Peters’ proposal.&nbsp;&nbsp;Johnson said he talked with Peters and Van Hollen after the vote and “we’ll be talking beyond this.”<h2>‘Waste of time’ for House to meet</h2>Even if the Senate passed the bill sponsored by Johnson or Van Hollen, it’s unlikely the House, which has been in recess since last month, would return to vote on either measure.At a Thursday morning press conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that Republicans already passed a stopgap measure to pay federal workers and that Senate Democrats should support that legislation.&nbsp;Johnson said bringing back the House would be a “waste of time,” noting that Democrats would not vote on the Republican proposal.&nbsp;“If I brought everybody back right now and we voted on a measure to do this, to pay essential workers, it would be spiked in the Senate,” said the Louisiana Republican. “So it would be a waste of our time.”<h2>Duffy warns of flight delays due to shutdown</h2>Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joined Johnson and House Republicans during their press conference.&nbsp;He said that flight delays have increased due to staffing shortages.More than 50,000 TSA agents and more than 13,000 air traffic controllers have continued to work without pay during the government shutdown.&nbsp;“They’re angry,” Duffy said of air traffic controllers. “I’ve gone to a number of different towers over the course of the last week to 10 days. They’re frustrated.”Next Tuesday, air traffic controllers will not receive their full paycheck for their work in October, Duffy said.He added that the agency is already short-staffed — by up to 3,000 air traffic controllers.“When we have lower staffing, what happens is, you’ll see delays or cancellations,” Duffy said.&nbsp;The FlightAware tracker said there were 2,132 delays within, into or out of the United States of unspecified length reported by Thursday afternoon, compared to 4,175 on Wednesday, 3,846 on Tuesday and 6,792 on Monday.A shortage of air traffic controllers helped play a role in ending the 2019 government shutdown, which lasted 35 days, after thousands of commercial flights were ground to a halt.&nbsp;

US Senate fails to move ahead on bills extending pay to federal workers during shutdown

Update comes as district judge considers Friday whether to pause contract, which state attorneys say could harm Nebraska

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">Zach Wendling</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement inspectors have certified a Nebraska state prison to begin receiving federal detainees as it becomes a migrant detention facility.

Pillen said ICE inspectors completed a final walkthrough of the former McCook&nbsp;<a href="https://corrections.nebraska.gov/facilities/work-ethic-camp" target="_blank">Work Ethic Camp</a>&nbsp;this week, and the timeline for the first detainees to come to Nebraska is still being coordinated. Pillen said getting the final pieces together had been “a moving target” with the federal shutdown now on day 23.

“Given the many tasks that had to be completed, including the transfer of remaining inmates, building modifications, training of staff and other components, we have made significant progress,” Pillen said in a statement.

Final security upgrades will continue in McCook “over the next day or so,” Pillen said, and additional modifications will allow the facility to house up to 300 detainees, from a maximum of about 200.

Pillen’s update comes less than 24 hours before a Red Willow County District Court judge will hear arguments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/schimek-v-pillen_CI25137.pdf">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking to temporarily stop the Nebraska-ICE partnership. The lawsuit is from 13 McCook residents and former State Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln. It argues the&nbsp;<a href="https://corrections.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/Contract-NDCS-Department-of-Homeland-Security-ICE.pdf" target="_blank">Nebraska-ICE contract</a>&nbsp;is unconstitutional without legislative approval because of language they say&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=IV-19" target="_blank">delegates management</a>&nbsp;of the state’s prisons to the Legislature.

The lawsuit also argues that lawmakers had specified and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=72-801" target="_blank">funded</a>&nbsp;the purpose of the McCook facility in law. The detention center remains state-owned and operated.

Pillen and Rob Jeffreys, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, are named in the lawsuit.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of Pillen and Jeffreys in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/schimek-v-pillen_MTD-state-brief.pdf">court filings</a>&nbsp;this week, asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed and all but said the train has left the station.&nbsp;

“Should the court void the state’s contract with the federal government, that would release the federal government from its obligations to compensate the state for this work. Taxpayers would therefore suffer a greater injury from preliminary relief than without it,” the brief states. “Not to mention the damage that preliminary relief would do to the state’s relationship with the federal government.”

Under the contract, ICE plans to pay Nebraska around $2.5 million monthly. Pillen’s office estimates the deal could net Nebraska $14.25 million annually. The contract was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/23/pillens-office-defends-17-day-delay-in-releasing-nebraska-ice-detention-contract/">not publicly available until Oct. 17</a>. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/17/nebraska-signed-contract-with-ice-on-sept-30-to-turn-state-prison-into-migrant-detention-center/">signed Sept. 30</a>. Pillen&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/21/what-we-know-about-nebraska-ice-plan-to-retool-mccook-work-ethic-camp-lawmaker-reactions/">announced the initial plan Aug. 19</a>. The lawsuit was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/16/13-mccook-residents-former-lawmaker-sue-to-stop-nebraska-ice-detention-center/">filed Oct. 15</a>.

The AG’s Office said the Legislature “broadly” delegated the day-to-day operations of state facilities to the executive branch and said the contract doesn’t change McCook’s “overarching purpose” as a detention center, so “any change is one of degree, not kind.”

State attorneys said the McCook residents and Schimek are not best-suited to challenge the facility, suggesting a more proper lawsuit could come instead from the Legislature,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/16/ags-office-all-inmates-moved-from-nebraskas-mccook-prison-planned-ice-detention-center/">state inmates transferred from the Work Ethic Camp</a>&nbsp;to other state facilities or federal detainees. The AG’s Office said a better “check” on separation of powers concerns is the Legislature and the political process, not by going through the courts or by “random taxpayers.”

“Taxpayers who object to the defendants’ actions have the same remedy as any other Nebraskan: the ballot box,” the AG’s Office wrote.

Nick Grandgenett, an attorney for the McCook residents and Schimek, framed the case last week as “not about immigration” but “our constitutional republican form of government.”

The AG’s Office criticized the lawsuit for not including all “indispensable parties” —&nbsp;the U.S. government, as well as a fencing company contracted to build a razor wire around the facility.

“Plaintiffs cannot use purportedly illegal expenditures related to the McCook facility — costs that the federal government will reimburse — as a bootstrap to obtain the standing necessary to present their real challenge, which is aimed at the entire cooperative agreements and federal immigration enforcement activity,” the state’s attorneys wrote.

Jeffreys, in a Thursday statement, said his department’s “attention to detail” at the Work Ethic Camp and a strong partnership and cooperation with ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made certification possible.

“Passing these inspections is a testament to our team’s commitment to safety, security and professionalism,” Jeffreys said. He signed the initial two-year Nebraska-ICE contract Sept. 30 for the state.

Pillen said that once operational, the rebranded “Cornhusker Clink” will regionally support ICE officials “who are working tirelessly to identify illegal criminals and get them off our streets.”

“Every state is a border state,” Pillen said. “Nebraska is going to do its part to make sure that our nation and Nebraskans are safe and secure.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761252952549.png" alt="The state’s Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Neb., is set to become a detention center for migrants facing deportation proceedings. State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a vocal opponent, drove more than four hours from her home district to learn more about the facility than has been shared with Democratic lawmakers. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The state’s Work Ethic Camp in McCook, Neb., is set to become a detention center for migrants facing deportation proceedings. State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, a vocal opponent, drove more than four hours from her home district to learn more about the facility than has been shared with Democratic lawmakers. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Update comes as district judge considers Friday whether to pause contract, which state attorneys say could harm Nebraska</h2>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">Zach Wendling</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement inspectors have certified a Nebraska state prison to begin receiving federal detainees as it becomes a migrant detention facility.Pillen said ICE inspectors completed a final walkthrough of the former McCook&nbsp;<a href="https://corrections.nebraska.gov/facilities/work-ethic-camp" target="_blank">Work Ethic Camp</a>&nbsp;this week, and the timeline for the first detainees to come to Nebraska is still being coordinated. Pillen said getting the final pieces together had been “a moving target” with the federal shutdown now on day 23.“Given the many tasks that had to be completed, including the transfer of remaining inmates, building modifications, training of staff and other components, we have made significant progress,” Pillen said in a statement.Final security upgrades will continue in McCook “over the next day or so,” Pillen said, and additional modifications will allow the facility to house up to 300 detainees, from a maximum of about 200.Pillen’s update comes less than 24 hours before a Red Willow County District Court judge will hear arguments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/schimek-v-pillen_CI25137.pdf">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking to temporarily stop the Nebraska-ICE partnership. The lawsuit is from 13 McCook residents and former State Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln. It argues the&nbsp;<a href="https://corrections.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/Contract-NDCS-Department-of-Homeland-Security-ICE.pdf" target="_blank">Nebraska-ICE contract</a>&nbsp;is unconstitutional without legislative approval because of language they say&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=IV-19" target="_blank">delegates management</a>&nbsp;of the state’s prisons to the Legislature.The lawsuit also argues that lawmakers had specified and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=72-801" target="_blank">funded</a>&nbsp;the purpose of the McCook facility in law. The detention center remains state-owned and operated.Pillen and Rob Jeffreys, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, are named in the lawsuit.<h2>Attorney General’s Office arguments</h2>The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of Pillen and Jeffreys in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/schimek-v-pillen_MTD-state-brief.pdf">court filings</a>&nbsp;this week, asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed and all but said the train has left the station.&nbsp;“Should the court void the state’s contract with the federal government, that would release the federal government from its obligations to compensate the state for this work. Taxpayers would therefore suffer a greater injury from preliminary relief than without it,” the brief states. “Not to mention the damage that preliminary relief would do to the state’s relationship with the federal government.”Under the contract, ICE plans to pay Nebraska around $2.5 million monthly. Pillen’s office estimates the deal could net Nebraska $14.25 million annually. The contract was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/23/pillens-office-defends-17-day-delay-in-releasing-nebraska-ice-detention-contract/">not publicly available until Oct. 17</a>. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/17/nebraska-signed-contract-with-ice-on-sept-30-to-turn-state-prison-into-migrant-detention-center/">signed Sept. 30</a>. Pillen&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/21/what-we-know-about-nebraska-ice-plan-to-retool-mccook-work-ethic-camp-lawmaker-reactions/">announced the initial plan Aug. 19</a>. The lawsuit was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/16/13-mccook-residents-former-lawmaker-sue-to-stop-nebraska-ice-detention-center/">filed Oct. 15</a>.The AG’s Office said the Legislature “broadly” delegated the day-to-day operations of state facilities to the executive branch and said the contract doesn’t change McCook’s “overarching purpose” as a detention center, so “any change is one of degree, not kind.”State attorneys said the McCook residents and Schimek are not best-suited to challenge the facility, suggesting a more proper lawsuit could come instead from the Legislature,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/16/ags-office-all-inmates-moved-from-nebraskas-mccook-prison-planned-ice-detention-center/">state inmates transferred from the Work Ethic Camp</a>&nbsp;to other state facilities or federal detainees. The AG’s Office said a better “check” on separation of powers concerns is the Legislature and the political process, not by going through the courts or by “random taxpayers.”“Taxpayers who object to the defendants’ actions have the same remedy as any other Nebraskan: the ballot box,” the AG’s Office wrote.<h2>‘Every state is a border state’</h2>Nick Grandgenett, an attorney for the McCook residents and Schimek, framed the case last week as “not about immigration” but “our constitutional republican form of government.”The AG’s Office criticized the lawsuit for not including all “indispensable parties” —&nbsp;the U.S. government, as well as a fencing company contracted to build a razor wire around the facility.“Plaintiffs cannot use purportedly illegal expenditures related to the McCook facility — costs that the federal government will reimburse — as a bootstrap to obtain the standing necessary to present their real challenge, which is aimed at the entire cooperative agreements and federal immigration enforcement activity,” the state’s attorneys wrote.Jeffreys, in a Thursday statement, said his department’s “attention to detail” at the Work Ethic Camp and a strong partnership and cooperation with ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made certification possible.“Passing these inspections is a testament to our team’s commitment to safety, security and professionalism,” Jeffreys said. He signed the initial two-year Nebraska-ICE contract Sept. 30 for the state.Pillen said that once operational, the rebranded “Cornhusker Clink” will regionally support ICE officials “who are working tirelessly to identify illegal criminals and get them off our streets.”“Every state is a border state,” Pillen said. “Nebraska is going to do its part to make sure that our nation and Nebraskans are safe and secure.”

ICE certifies Nebraska prison to begin housing immigration detainees

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest following a pursuit.

Just before 10:30p.m.&nbsp;October 20, sheriff's deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle near Main and Liberty Street in Cherryvale, Kansas, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.

The vehicle did not display a visible rear license plate. The driver failed to stop, and a short vehicle pursuit ensued. The vehicle eventually came to a stop at a residence in the 200 block of Neosho Street in Cherryvale. 

Deputies made contact with the driver, later identified as Jacob Hamilton, of Cherryvale, Kansas. Hamilton resisted arrest but was quickly taken into custody without further incident. He was transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections. During the investigation, deputies determined that Hamilton had discarded approximately 48 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle during the pursuit. 

A loaded firearm was also located inside the vehicle. Deputies developed probable cause and obtained a narcotics search warrant for Hamilton’s residence. With the assistance of the Cherryvale Police Department, deputies executed the search warrant and located additional drug paraphernalia, evidence indicating narcotics had been destroyed, and multiple stolen items linked to thefts in Cherryvale, Coffeyville, Labette County, Wilson County, and Neosho County.

Hamilton was booked into the Montgomery County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine,&nbsp; Possession of drug paraphernalia, Interference with law enforcement, Fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, Transporting an open container, Failure to use a turn signal, No vehicle registration and No vehicle insurance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761254237537.png" alt="Hamilton photo Montgomery County" />
 <figcaption>Hamilton photo Montgomery County</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest following a pursuit.Just before 10:30p.m.&nbsp;October 20, sheriff's deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle near Main and Liberty Street in Cherryvale, Kansas, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.The vehicle did not display a visible rear license plate. The driver failed to stop, and a short vehicle pursuit ensued. The vehicle eventually came to a stop at a residence in the 200 block of Neosho Street in Cherryvale. Deputies made contact with the driver, later identified as Jacob Hamilton, of Cherryvale, Kansas. Hamilton resisted arrest but was quickly taken into custody without further incident. He was transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections. During the investigation, deputies determined that Hamilton had discarded approximately 48 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle during the pursuit. A loaded firearm was also located inside the vehicle. Deputies developed probable cause and obtained a narcotics search warrant for Hamilton’s residence. With the assistance of the Cherryvale Police Department, deputies executed the search warrant and located additional drug paraphernalia, evidence indicating narcotics had been destroyed, and multiple stolen items linked to thefts in Cherryvale, Coffeyville, Labette County, Wilson County, and Neosho County.Hamilton was booked into the Montgomery County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine,&nbsp; Possession of drug paraphernalia, Interference with law enforcement, Fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, Transporting an open container, Failure to use a turn signal, No vehicle registration and No vehicle insurance.

Kan. man accused of throwing meth from vehicle during chase

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

As Missouri lawmakers consider&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/21/missouri-house-committee-eyes-plan-to-silo-property-classes-for-taxation/">changes to property taxes</a>&nbsp;and look ahead to an election-year session where they again are likely to debate&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/27/bill-to-end-missouri-sales-tax-on-groceries-draws-resistance-from-local-agencies/">eliminating the sales tax</a>&nbsp;on groceries, they face the unanswered question of whether the constitution allows them to take away a source of local revenue.

Two southeast Missouri counties are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC07837&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">asking the courts</a>&nbsp;to answer that question after losing one-fifth of their sales tax revenue because of an exemption enacted in 2021. In a bill designed to capture&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/21info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=54245348" target="_blank">sales tax from online purchases</a>, the legislature expanded an exemption for mines and factories, first enacted in 2007, for utilities and equipment purchases.

Ste. Genevieve County, which has five voter-approved sales taxes, saw its total revenue from the levies decline from $6.1 million in 2022, the last full year without the exemption, to $4.8 million in 2024. Iron County, which has a single half-cent sales tax for general revenue, saw a revenue decline 20%, to $1.1 million from $1.35 million.

In a case filed last week in Cole County, Ste. Genevieve and Iron counties accuse lawmakers of violating the Missouri Constitution by taking away revenue required for bond payments, reducing the funds available for state-mandated functions and adding excessive new tax burdens on Missourians without a statewide vote.

“If you look at the 115 counties in Missouri, there’s probably several other counties in a similar boat here,” attorney Stephen Jeffrey, who is representing the counties, said in an interview with The Independent.

There are no large retailers in Ste. Genevieve County, Presiding Commissioner Randy Ruzicka said. The county of about 18,500 people has sand and gravel mining. Not only did the exemption mean the county lost sales tax on utilities used in the operations, the companies no&nbsp; longer pay sales tax on equipment and maintenance supplies purchased locally.

Ste. Genevieve County is paying for a water park and community center financed by a $10 million bond issue in 2018. The revenue loss from the exemption means the tax dedicated to bond payments is $300,000 to $400,000 short of the funds needed to meet the debt service, Ruzicka said.

So far, he said, the payments have been made by tapping reserves. That can’t continue, he said.

“If every year you have to pull money out of what you have put aside, there comes that point where you don’t have any more money,” Ruzicka said.

It will likely be many months before the lawsuit comes to a resolution, so lawmakers will meet next year with the questions it raises pending.&nbsp;

“This would have an implication if the legislature tries to get rid of the local tax on food,” said Elias Tsapelas, director of state budget and fiscal policy for the Show-Me Institute, a conservative think tank. “Just more broadly, in the discussion of what to do with Missouri’s tax policy, I think it’s pretty big.”

In 2018, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/17-494_j4el.pdf" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;that states could require residents to pay sales tax on purchases shipped to them from retailers outside the state. The decision reversed earlier precedents that determined a retailer had to have a physical presence within a state before it had to collect tax on retail sales.

The decision required each state to add language to its sales tax law to capture the revenue. Missouri was the last state to do so when the 2021 bill passed. Under the bill, Missourians who make online or catalog purchases must pay the state tax of 4.225%, while local governments were required to ask voters if they wanted to extend the sales tax to those goods.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2021-1/0752S.01I.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">fiscal note</a>, the legislature’s official estimate of each bill’s financial impact, pegged the additional state revenue from online sales at $111 million to $170 million annually, with local revenue expected to grow by $41 million to $62 million if enacted in every taxing jurisdiction.

As part of the deal to capture the new revenue, business lobbyists convinced lawmakers that they also had to extend every exemption from state sales tax to local sales taxes to simplify collections.

“One of the key parts of the United States Supreme Court decision in the Wayfair case was the fact that they have made it simple for businesses to comply,” said Ray McCarty, executive director of Associated Industries of Missouri.

That means local governments cannot tax anything that is not taxed at the state level, McCarty said.

The sales tax on food is an example. While the state does not impose the 3% general revenue sales tax on grocery purchases, it does collect a 1.225% tax — earmarked money for schools, conservation, state parks and soil conservation.

The 2021 bill did not have to include an exemption for food sales, McCarty said, because the state taxes it even if it is not the full tax imposed on other goods.

“You can imagine the complexity if you have different sales tax bases for state and local governments,” McCarty said. “If you’re not located in the state of Missouri, then you could have issues with that.”

Along with the exemption for purchases by manufacturers and mining companies, the bill enacting the online tax for Missouri extended state exemptions for purchases by broadcasters, defense contractors and commercial laundries to local sales taxes.

The Wayfair decision did not require any state to change how it levied sales tax or to make exemptions uniform, Jeffrey said.&nbsp;

“I have read the Wayfair decision on more than one occasion, and nowhere in the language, in that opinion, does it say a state must do this,” he said. “There is never this requirement that you have to do it this way.”

The case filed by Ste. Genevieve and Iron counties alleges three violations of the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=X++++16&amp;bid=32052&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">Hancock Amendment</a>, the tax limitation provisions added to the Missouri Constitution in 1980.

Those provisions are the guarantee that local governments will be able to impose the taxes necessary to pay voter-approved bond debt, that the state cannot reduce its support for any state-financed service or activity and that the state enacted revenue increases that exceed the limits.

The lawsuit asks the courts to order lawmakers to make appropriations to replace the lost revenue and declare the legislation void, restoring the taxes.

The Hancock Amendment bars the legislature from imposing any new duties on local governments without an appropriation to pay the costs. But that hasn’t stopped lawmakers from doing so, said Jim Scaggs, presiding commissioner of Iron County.

The lawsuit lists some of those new duties without state support as “increasing compensation and training for officials, mandating law enforcement disciplinary proceedings, mandating assessment maintenance, and mandating administration of a new senior citizens property tax program.”

Any individual item “has not been that costly, but when we add them all together, the cost is pretty substantial,” Scaggs said.

At the same time that lawmakers are adding costs and taking away revenue, Scaggs and Ruzicka said, their small counties are losing businesses.

“My stores have closed down because they can’t compete with the big box stores,” Scaggs said. “So we just keep losing and losing.”

Ste. Genevieve, which once had three auto dealerships, lost its final one last year, Ruzicka said.

And neither has a marijuana dispensary, a substantial source of new revenue in many other locations, they said. Marijuana dispensaries pay regular sales taxes and a special tax just for pot sales.

Marijuana revenue, plus successful use tax elections, has spared some counties the pain as mining and manufacturing revenue is removed, Ruzicka said.

“A lot of other counties have, like our neighbors to the south Perryville, tons of retail,” he said. “They also have dispensaries, and there’s a 3% tax on dispensary stuff, so it has sort of papered over the problem for them.”

The lawsuit’s accusation that lawmakers exceeded their authority for increased taxes and fees is based on two bills, the Wayfair fix and an&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/10/02/motorists-give-mixed-reaction-to-refund-plan-for-missouri-fuel-tax-hike/">increase to the state gas tax</a>, also passed in 2021.

The constitutional limit for new taxes and fees in fiscal 2022 was $111.8 million, according&nbsp;<a href="https://auditor.mo.gov/AuditReport/CitzSummary?id=932" target="_blank">to the 2023</a>&nbsp;annual Hancock Amendment review from the state auditor. The allowable new revenue for fiscal 2024, according to a review&nbsp;<a href="https://auditor.mo.gov/AuditReport/CitzSummary?id=1038" target="_blank">issued earlier this year</a>, was $144 million.

The Wayfair revenue was about equal to the allowable revenue, the lawsuit states, and the gas tax — 12.5 cents per gallon, phased in over five years — pushed the total of new taxes above the limit.

Local governments will be watching the lawsuit, said Steve Hobbs, executive director of the Missouri Association of Counties, because the Wayfair bill represents a shift in how lawmakers interact with local governments.&nbsp;

In the past, large sales tax exemptions excluded local governments or gave them an option on whether to participate, such as on back-to-school tax holidays.

“Now we’re seeing a trend at the state level where they’re saying, ‘No, voluntarily is not enough, we’re going to tell you that you’re going to roll this revenue stream back, even though the local citizens have voted on it,’” he said. “That’s the biggest discussion we’re having in the General Assembly and in the state right now.”

The lawsuit was a last resort, Scaggs said.

If Iron County voters approved a use tax, it would about make up the shortfall, he said. But that represents a shift of the tax burden from businesses to individuals that he opposes, he said.

“This is not something I want to be involved in,” Scaggs said. “This is not good government, in my mind. But at the same time, we can’t continue to go down this road where these small, third class counties will not have enough revenue to support themselves.”

The biggest sales tax exemption on the books at the state level that is not allowed at the local level is for food sales in grocery stores. Enacted in 1999 when state revenues were exceeding the Hancock Amendment allowance, it removed the 3% general revenue portion of the tax.

The state continues to charge 1.225%, with 1% dedicated to public schools and the remainder for conservation, state parks and soil conservation. Local taxes are also charged at the grocery check-out.

Expanding the exemption would reduce funding available for schools by about $200 million annually. The loss to local governments, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2025-1/0134S.02I.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">a fiscal note</a>&nbsp;for a bill filed in this year’s session, would be about $850 million.

A loss like that would be devastating to local governments, Hobbs said.&nbsp;

“I am starting to wonder if the state believes that we actually need local services, like firefighters, ambulance districts, libraries, levy districts and special road districts,” Hobbs said.

Every attempt to expand the general revenue exemption to local taxes has been met with stiff resistance. It helps that there is unity among local governments large and small to lobby to protect that revenue, Ruzicka said.

“That helps us, because they generally have the ear of the powers that be,” he said. “The small counties, it is kind of like, they nod and say whatever, and then it’s like, ‘just go away.’”

Legislative committees in both chambers are studying property taxes. The goal is to write legislation that can be enacted next year to make tax bills more predictable.

There are some conservatives who have pushed to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/23/bill-eigel-missouri-governor-immigration-budget-taxes/">eliminate personal property taxes</a>&nbsp;— the tax on vehicles and other high-value goods that are not real estate. That would eliminate about 20% of the statewide property tax base.

Tax rates on other property would have to rise or local governments would have to do without the revenue if that is included in the final bill.

“It’s going to get to the point where these counties are not going to be able to pave their roads or provide the services for their people,” Ruzicka said.

The lawsuit over legislative powers to change taxes in ways that reduce revenue is flawed, McCarty said, because the taxes were created by the General Assembly and can be changed by it.

“I do believe that the state has the ability to control what is included in the sales tax base, and the local ability to tax flows from the state,” McCarty said.

The lawsuit, if it survives a motion for dismissal, could set a firm boundary for the legislature and how far its powers extend over local revenue.

“Well,” Hobbs said, “it’s about time.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759143619646.jpeg" alt="- A new lawsuit filed in Cole County argues lawmakers violated the Constitution by creating a sales tax exemption used by manufacturers and&nbsp;mining companies (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>- A new lawsuit filed in Cole County argues lawmakers violated the Constitution by creating a sales tax exemption used by manufacturers and&nbsp;mining companies (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>As Missouri lawmakers consider&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/21/missouri-house-committee-eyes-plan-to-silo-property-classes-for-taxation/">changes to property taxes</a>&nbsp;and look ahead to an election-year session where they again are likely to debate&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/27/bill-to-end-missouri-sales-tax-on-groceries-draws-resistance-from-local-agencies/">eliminating the sales tax</a>&nbsp;on groceries, they face the unanswered question of whether the constitution allows them to take away a source of local revenue.Two southeast Missouri counties are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC07837&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">asking the courts</a>&nbsp;to answer that question after losing one-fifth of their sales tax revenue because of an exemption enacted in 2021. In a bill designed to capture&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/21info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=54245348" target="_blank">sales tax from online purchases</a>, the legislature expanded an exemption for mines and factories, first enacted in 2007, for utilities and equipment purchases.Ste. Genevieve County, which has five voter-approved sales taxes, saw its total revenue from the levies decline from $6.1 million in 2022, the last full year without the exemption, to $4.8 million in 2024. Iron County, which has a single half-cent sales tax for general revenue, saw a revenue decline 20%, to $1.1 million from $1.35 million.In a case filed last week in Cole County, Ste. Genevieve and Iron counties accuse lawmakers of violating the Missouri Constitution by taking away revenue required for bond payments, reducing the funds available for state-mandated functions and adding excessive new tax burdens on Missourians without a statewide vote.“If you look at the 115 counties in Missouri, there’s probably several other counties in a similar boat here,” attorney Stephen Jeffrey, who is representing the counties, said in an interview with The Independent.There are no large retailers in Ste. Genevieve County, Presiding Commissioner Randy Ruzicka said. The county of about 18,500 people has sand and gravel mining. Not only did the exemption mean the county lost sales tax on utilities used in the operations, the companies no&nbsp; longer pay sales tax on equipment and maintenance supplies purchased locally.Ste. Genevieve County is paying for a water park and community center financed by a $10 million bond issue in 2018. The revenue loss from the exemption means the tax dedicated to bond payments is $300,000 to $400,000 short of the funds needed to meet the debt service, Ruzicka said.So far, he said, the payments have been made by tapping reserves. That can’t continue, he said.“If every year you have to pull money out of what you have put aside, there comes that point where you don’t have any more money,” Ruzicka said.It will likely be many months before the lawsuit comes to a resolution, so lawmakers will meet next year with the questions it raises pending.&nbsp;“This would have an implication if the legislature tries to get rid of the local tax on food,” said Elias Tsapelas, director of state budget and fiscal policy for the Show-Me Institute, a conservative think tank. “Just more broadly, in the discussion of what to do with Missouri’s tax policy, I think it’s pretty big.”<h2>The ‘Wayfair fix’</h2>In 2018, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/17-494_j4el.pdf" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;that states could require residents to pay sales tax on purchases shipped to them from retailers outside the state. The decision reversed earlier precedents that determined a retailer had to have a physical presence within a state before it had to collect tax on retail sales.The decision required each state to add language to its sales tax law to capture the revenue. Missouri was the last state to do so when the 2021 bill passed. Under the bill, Missourians who make online or catalog purchases must pay the state tax of 4.225%, while local governments were required to ask voters if they wanted to extend the sales tax to those goods.The&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2021-1/0752S.01I.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">fiscal note</a>, the legislature’s official estimate of each bill’s financial impact, pegged the additional state revenue from online sales at $111 million to $170 million annually, with local revenue expected to grow by $41 million to $62 million if enacted in every taxing jurisdiction.As part of the deal to capture the new revenue, business lobbyists convinced lawmakers that they also had to extend every exemption from state sales tax to local sales taxes to simplify collections.“One of the key parts of the United States Supreme Court decision in the Wayfair case was the fact that they have made it simple for businesses to comply,” said Ray McCarty, executive director of Associated Industries of Missouri.That means local governments cannot tax anything that is not taxed at the state level, McCarty said.The sales tax on food is an example. While the state does not impose the 3% general revenue sales tax on grocery purchases, it does collect a 1.225% tax — earmarked money for schools, conservation, state parks and soil conservation.The 2021 bill did not have to include an exemption for food sales, McCarty said, because the state taxes it even if it is not the full tax imposed on other goods.“You can imagine the complexity if you have different sales tax bases for state and local governments,” McCarty said. “If you’re not located in the state of Missouri, then you could have issues with that.”Along with the exemption for purchases by manufacturers and mining companies, the bill enacting the online tax for Missouri extended state exemptions for purchases by broadcasters, defense contractors and commercial laundries to local sales taxes.The Wayfair decision did not require any state to change how it levied sales tax or to make exemptions uniform, Jeffrey said.&nbsp;“I have read the Wayfair decision on more than one occasion, and nowhere in the language, in that opinion, does it say a state must do this,” he said. “There is never this requirement that you have to do it this way.”<h2>The lawsuit</h2>The case filed by Ste. Genevieve and Iron counties alleges three violations of the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=X++++16&amp;bid=32052&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">Hancock Amendment</a>, the tax limitation provisions added to the Missouri Constitution in 1980.Those provisions are the guarantee that local governments will be able to impose the taxes necessary to pay voter-approved bond debt, that the state cannot reduce its support for any state-financed service or activity and that the state enacted revenue increases that exceed the limits.The lawsuit asks the courts to order lawmakers to make appropriations to replace the lost revenue and declare the legislation void, restoring the taxes.The Hancock Amendment bars the legislature from imposing any new duties on local governments without an appropriation to pay the costs. But that hasn’t stopped lawmakers from doing so, said Jim Scaggs, presiding commissioner of Iron County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761252636913.png" alt="Customers keep the fuel pumps flowing at a Columbia convenience store near Interstate 70 on the day a gas tax hike took effect Oct. 1, 2021 (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Customers keep the fuel pumps flowing at a Columbia convenience store near Interstate 70 on the day a gas tax hike took effect Oct. 1, 2021 (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>The lawsuit lists some of those new duties without state support as “increasing compensation and training for officials, mandating law enforcement disciplinary proceedings, mandating assessment maintenance, and mandating administration of a new senior citizens property tax program.”Any individual item “has not been that costly, but when we add them all together, the cost is pretty substantial,” Scaggs said.At the same time that lawmakers are adding costs and taking away revenue, Scaggs and Ruzicka said, their small counties are losing businesses.“My stores have closed down because they can’t compete with the big box stores,” Scaggs said. “So we just keep losing and losing.”Ste. Genevieve, which once had three auto dealerships, lost its final one last year, Ruzicka said.And neither has a marijuana dispensary, a substantial source of new revenue in many other locations, they said. Marijuana dispensaries pay regular sales taxes and a special tax just for pot sales.Marijuana revenue, plus successful use tax elections, has spared some counties the pain as mining and manufacturing revenue is removed, Ruzicka said.“A lot of other counties have, like our neighbors to the south Perryville, tons of retail,” he said. “They also have dispensaries, and there’s a 3% tax on dispensary stuff, so it has sort of papered over the problem for them.”The lawsuit’s accusation that lawmakers exceeded their authority for increased taxes and fees is based on two bills, the Wayfair fix and an&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/10/02/motorists-give-mixed-reaction-to-refund-plan-for-missouri-fuel-tax-hike/">increase to the state gas tax</a>, also passed in 2021.The constitutional limit for new taxes and fees in fiscal 2022 was $111.8 million, according&nbsp;<a href="https://auditor.mo.gov/AuditReport/CitzSummary?id=932" target="_blank">to the 2023</a>&nbsp;annual Hancock Amendment review from the state auditor. The allowable new revenue for fiscal 2024, according to a review&nbsp;<a href="https://auditor.mo.gov/AuditReport/CitzSummary?id=1038" target="_blank">issued earlier this year</a>, was $144 million.The Wayfair revenue was about equal to the allowable revenue, the lawsuit states, and the gas tax — 12.5 cents per gallon, phased in over five years — pushed the total of new taxes above the limit.Local governments will be watching the lawsuit, said Steve Hobbs, executive director of the Missouri Association of Counties, because the Wayfair bill represents a shift in how lawmakers interact with local governments.&nbsp;In the past, large sales tax exemptions excluded local governments or gave them an option on whether to participate, such as on back-to-school tax holidays.“Now we’re seeing a trend at the state level where they’re saying, ‘No, voluntarily is not enough, we’re going to tell you that you’re going to roll this revenue stream back, even though the local citizens have voted on it,’” he said. “That’s the biggest discussion we’re having in the General Assembly and in the state right now.”The lawsuit was a last resort, Scaggs said.If Iron County voters approved a use tax, it would about make up the shortfall, he said. But that represents a shift of the tax burden from businesses to individuals that he opposes, he said.“This is not something I want to be involved in,” Scaggs said. “This is not good government, in my mind. But at the same time, we can’t continue to go down this road where these small, third class counties will not have enough revenue to support themselves.”<h2>Food sales and property taxes</h2>The biggest sales tax exemption on the books at the state level that is not allowed at the local level is for food sales in grocery stores. Enacted in 1999 when state revenues were exceeding the Hancock Amendment allowance, it removed the 3% general revenue portion of the tax.The state continues to charge 1.225%, with 1% dedicated to public schools and the remainder for conservation, state parks and soil conservation. Local taxes are also charged at the grocery check-out.Expanding the exemption would reduce funding available for schools by about $200 million annually. The loss to local governments, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2025-1/0134S.02I.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">a fiscal note</a>&nbsp;for a bill filed in this year’s session, would be about $850 million.A loss like that would be devastating to local governments, Hobbs said.&nbsp;“I am starting to wonder if the state believes that we actually need local services, like firefighters, ambulance districts, libraries, levy districts and special road districts,” Hobbs said.Every attempt to expand the general revenue exemption to local taxes has been met with stiff resistance. It helps that there is unity among local governments large and small to lobby to protect that revenue, Ruzicka said.“That helps us, because they generally have the ear of the powers that be,” he said. “The small counties, it is kind of like, they nod and say whatever, and then it’s like, ‘just go away.’”Legislative committees in both chambers are studying property taxes. The goal is to write legislation that can be enacted next year to make tax bills more predictable.There are some conservatives who have pushed to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/23/bill-eigel-missouri-governor-immigration-budget-taxes/">eliminate personal property taxes</a>&nbsp;— the tax on vehicles and other high-value goods that are not real estate. That would eliminate about 20% of the statewide property tax base.Tax rates on other property would have to rise or local governments would have to do without the revenue if that is included in the final bill.“It’s going to get to the point where these counties are not going to be able to pave their roads or provide the services for their people,” Ruzicka said.The lawsuit over legislative powers to change taxes in ways that reduce revenue is flawed, McCarty said, because the taxes were created by the General Assembly and can be changed by it.“I do believe that the state has the ability to control what is included in the sales tax base, and the local ability to tax flows from the state,” McCarty said.The lawsuit, if it survives a motion for dismissal, could set a firm boundary for the legislature and how far its powers extend over local revenue.“Well,” Hobbs said, “it’s about time.”

Loss of sales tax revenue spurs lawsuit by two Missouri counties 

On Thursday, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging six defendants — Eric Earnest, also known as “Spook,” Marves Fairley, also known as “Vez,” “Vezino,” and “Vezino Locks”, Shane Hennen, also known as “Sugar,” Damon Jones, also known as “D Jones,” and “Dee Jones,” Deniro Laster, also known as “Niro,” “Payso,” and “Peso,” and Terry Rozier, also known as “Scary Terry” and “Chum” — with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for their alleged roles in a scheme to use inside information from National Basketball Association (NBA) players and coaches to profit from illegal betting activity, according to the United State's Attorney.

The defendants, who are located across the country, will be arraigned at a future date in the Eastern District of New York.

Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Kash Patel, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office; and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.

“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, using private locker room and medical information to enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.&nbsp;“This was a sophisticated conspiracy involving athletes, coaches, and intermediaries who exploited confidential information for profit.&nbsp; Insider betting schemes erode the integrity of American sports, and this Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”

Mr. Nocella thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office for their invaluable assistance in the investigation.

“Today the FBI arrested six people, including current and former NBA players, for their alleged role in illegal sports betting and money laundering conspiracy – the result of a sweeping investigation conducted by outstanding FBI professionals and partners. Using private information and positions of power to rig sports gambling outcomes is not only illegal, but destroys the integrity of the game and will never be tolerated. We will continue following the money to ensure gambling operations of all kinds stay within the law and bring to justice those who take advantage of innocent victims,” stated FBI Director Patel.

“Former and current NBA players and coaches, including Terry Rozier, Damon Jones and additional co-conspirators, allegedly informed the defendants and others of confidential information relating to upcoming NBA games and player performances, such as pre-release medical information and a player’s intention to alter their upcoming game performance, which favored certain bettors within their inner social circle,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.&nbsp; “This alleged collusion resulted in the defendants secretly pocketing their lavish winnings and corrupting NBA games. The FBI will never turn a blind eye to any insider betting scheme within sporting industries – regardless of title or professional affiliation – to protect its integrity and afford all participants a fair chance to win big.

“Rigging a professional basketball game for personal profit is as immoral as it is illegal,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.&nbsp; “This investigation exposed a gambling ring built around the NBA, where players and associates allegedly used inside information and even faked injuries to fraudulently manipulate bets on games.&nbsp; The fact that some players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to ensure these bets paid out is an offense to every player and fan. Thanks to the incredible work of the NYPD detectives and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this illegal sports betting operation has been benched for good.”

As set forth in the indictment, between December 2022 and March 2024, the defendants and their associates obtained and misused non-public information about upcoming NBA games to place fraudulent sports wagers for profit and then laundered the proceeds.

The conspirators allegedly obtained insider information from several NBA players and coaches, including Rozier and Jones, and distributed that information through a network of bettors.&nbsp; These bettors placed wagers through online sportsbooks and retail betting outlets, falsely representing that their wagers complied with the betting companies’ rules—which included, as relevant here, not betting on non-public information or using straw bettors—while concealing that their wagers were based on confidential team information.&nbsp; Some of the co-conspirators’ activities alleged in the indictment are described below:&nbsp;March 23, 2023 – Charlotte Hornets Game

As alleged, Rozier, then an active player for the Hornets, tipped off longtime friend Laster that Rozier planned to leave the game early due to a purported injury.&nbsp;Rozier provided this information to Laster for the purpose of enabling Laster to place wagers based on this information.&nbsp; Laster, Fairley, and Hennen, among others, used that confidential information to place and direct more than $200,000 in wagers predicting Rozier’s “under” statistics (i.e., that Rozier would underperform).&nbsp; Rozier exited the game after nine minutes, and many of the bets paid off, generating tens of thousands of dollars in profits.&nbsp; Laster collected the cash and drove through the night to Rozier’s house, where together they counted the profits together.

March 24, 2023 – Portland Trail Blazers Game

As alleged, Earnest received, and then passed on, insider information from a longtime friend, an NBA coach at the time, that several of the Blazers’ top players would sit out a game against the Chicago Bulls.&nbsp; Before that information became public, Fairley and his associates wagered over $100,000 against the Blazers. When the lineup change was later confirmed, betting lines shifted dramatically and the group’s early bets yielded major winnings.

As alleged, Fairley profited from a tip obtained through an inside connection to a then Orlando Magic player.&nbsp; A co-conspirator leveraged a relationship with the Magic player to learn that several of the team’s top players would sit out a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers—information that had not yet been made public.&nbsp; The co-conspirator relayed the tip to Fairley, who placed an approximately $11,000 bet that the Cavaliers would outperform the point spread.&nbsp; When the lineup change was later confirmed and the Cavaliers went on to beat the Magic by 24 points, Fairley and the co-conspirator pocketed the winnings.

February 9, 2023 and January 15, 2024 – Los Angeles Lakers Games

As alleged, former NBA player and coach Jones shared and sold insider information on numerous occasions about undisclosed information relating to NBA games, such as lineup decisions and pre-release medical information, to his co-conspirators, who then placed significant wagers based on the tips.&nbsp; For example, on February 9, 2023 and January 15, 2024, respectively, Jones provided insider information to co-conspirators about pre-release medical information concerning star players on the Los Angeles Lakers for the purpose of enabling the co-conspirators to place wagers based on this information.

January 26, 2024 and March 20, 2024 – Toronto Raptors Games

As alleged, Jontay Porter, who was then an NBA player with the Toronto Raptors, informed co-conspirator Long Phi Pham and others that he would prematurely exit the games he was scheduled to play on January 26, 2024 and March 20, 2024,&nbsp;due to purported injuries.&nbsp; Porter agreed to exit the games early so that Pham and others could place bets on this non-public information.&nbsp; Pham, in turn, provided this information to Hennen, who also provided the information to Fairley.&nbsp; Subsequently, Hennen placed bets on Porter’s unders, or underperformance, in connection with the games through a network of straw bettors.&nbsp; When Porter exited both games early, numerous of the fraudulent wagers were successful.

Porter and Pham, among others, have previously pleaded guilty in connection with their participation in the scheme related to these two games.

ERIC EARNEST (also known as “Spook”)Age: 35Missouri

MARVES FAIRLEY (also known as “Vez,” “Vezino,” and “Vezino Locks”)Age: 33Mississippi

SHANE HENNEN (also known as “Sugar”)Age: 31NevadaDAMON JONES (also known as “D Jones” and “Dee Jones”)Age: 49California

DENIRO LASTER (also known as “Niro,” “Payso,” and “Peso”)Age: 30Ohio

TERRY ROZIER (also known as “Scary Terry” and “Chum”)Age: 31Florida

On Thursday, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging six defendants — Eric Earnest, also known as “Spook,” Marves Fairley, also known as “Vez,” “Vezino,” and “Vezino Locks”, Shane Hennen, also known as “Sugar,” Damon Jones, also known as “D Jones,” and “Dee Jones,” Deniro Laster, also known as “Niro,” “Payso,” and “Peso,” and Terry Rozier, also known as “Scary Terry” and “Chum” — with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for their alleged roles in a scheme to use inside information from National Basketball Association (NBA) players and coaches to profit from illegal betting activity, according to the United State's Attorney.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">FBI Director Patel: &quot;Individuals such as Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and Terry Rozier were taking into custody today, former,current NBA players and coaches...this is an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned the course of years.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/L5vLj1XtvM">pic.twitter.com/L5vLj1XtvM</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1981367790025027918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The defendants, who are located across the country, will be arraigned at a future date in the Eastern District of New York.Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Kash Patel, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office; and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, using private locker room and medical information to enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.&nbsp;“This was a sophisticated conspiracy involving athletes, coaches, and intermediaries who exploited confidential information for profit.&nbsp; Insider betting schemes erode the integrity of American sports, and this Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”Mr. Nocella thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office for their invaluable assistance in the investigation.“Today the FBI arrested six people, including current and former NBA players, for their alleged role in illegal sports betting and money laundering conspiracy – the result of a sweeping investigation conducted by outstanding FBI professionals and partners. Using private information and positions of power to rig sports gambling outcomes is not only illegal, but destroys the integrity of the game and will never be tolerated. We will continue following the money to ensure gambling operations of all kinds stay within the law and bring to justice those who take advantage of innocent victims,” stated FBI Director Patel.“Former and current NBA players and coaches, including Terry Rozier, Damon Jones and additional co-conspirators, allegedly informed the defendants and others of confidential information relating to upcoming NBA games and player performances, such as pre-release medical information and a player’s intention to alter their upcoming game performance, which favored certain bettors within their inner social circle,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.&nbsp; “This alleged collusion resulted in the defendants secretly pocketing their lavish winnings and corrupting NBA games. The FBI will never turn a blind eye to any insider betting scheme within sporting industries – regardless of title or professional affiliation – to protect its integrity and afford all participants a fair chance to win big.“Rigging a professional basketball game for personal profit is as immoral as it is illegal,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.&nbsp; “This investigation exposed a gambling ring built around the NBA, where players and associates allegedly used inside information and even faked injuries to fraudulently manipulate bets on games.&nbsp; The fact that some players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to ensure these bets paid out is an offense to every player and fan. Thanks to the incredible work of the NYPD detectives and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this illegal sports betting operation has been benched for good.”As set forth in the indictment, between December 2022 and March 2024, the defendants and their associates obtained and misused non-public information about upcoming NBA games to place fraudulent sports wagers for profit and then laundered the proceeds.The conspirators allegedly obtained insider information from several NBA players and coaches, including Rozier and Jones, and distributed that information through a network of bettors.&nbsp; These bettors placed wagers through online sportsbooks and retail betting outlets, falsely representing that their wagers complied with the betting companies’ rules—which included, as relevant here, not betting on non-public information or using straw bettors—while concealing that their wagers were based on confidential team information.&nbsp; Some of the co-conspirators’ activities alleged in the indictment are described below:&nbsp;March 23, 2023 – Charlotte Hornets GameAs alleged, Rozier, then an active player for the Hornets, tipped off longtime friend Laster that Rozier planned to leave the game early due to a purported injury.&nbsp;Rozier provided this information to Laster for the purpose of enabling Laster to place wagers based on this information.&nbsp; Laster, Fairley, and Hennen, among others, used that confidential information to place and direct more than $200,000 in wagers predicting Rozier’s “under” statistics (i.e., that Rozier would underperform).&nbsp; Rozier exited the game after nine minutes, and many of the bets paid off, generating tens of thousands of dollars in profits.&nbsp; Laster collected the cash and drove through the night to Rozier’s house, where together they counted the profits together.March 24, 2023 – Portland Trail Blazers GameAs alleged, Earnest received, and then passed on, insider information from a longtime friend, an NBA coach at the time, that several of the Blazers’ top players would sit out a game against the Chicago Bulls.&nbsp; Before that information became public, Fairley and his associates wagered over $100,000 against the Blazers. When the lineup change was later confirmed, betting lines shifted dramatically and the group’s early bets yielded major winnings.April 6, 2023 – Orlando Magic GameAs alleged, Fairley profited from a tip obtained through an inside connection to a then Orlando Magic player.&nbsp; A co-conspirator leveraged a relationship with the Magic player to learn that several of the team’s top players would sit out a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers—information that had not yet been made public.&nbsp; The co-conspirator relayed the tip to Fairley, who placed an approximately $11,000 bet that the Cavaliers would outperform the point spread.&nbsp; When the lineup change was later confirmed and the Cavaliers went on to beat the Magic by 24 points, Fairley and the co-conspirator pocketed the winnings.February 9, 2023 and January 15, 2024 – Los Angeles Lakers GamesAs alleged, former NBA player and coach Jones shared and sold insider information on numerous occasions about undisclosed information relating to NBA games, such as lineup decisions and pre-release medical information, to his co-conspirators, who then placed significant wagers based on the tips.&nbsp; For example, on February 9, 2023 and January 15, 2024, respectively, Jones provided insider information to co-conspirators about pre-release medical information concerning star players on the Los Angeles Lakers for the purpose of enabling the co-conspirators to place wagers based on this information.January 26, 2024 and March 20, 2024 – Toronto Raptors GamesAs alleged, Jontay Porter, who was then an NBA player with the Toronto Raptors, informed co-conspirator Long Phi Pham and others that he would prematurely exit the games he was scheduled to play on January 26, 2024 and March 20, 2024,&nbsp;due to purported injuries.&nbsp; Porter agreed to exit the games early so that Pham and others could place bets on this non-public information.&nbsp; Pham, in turn, provided this information to Hennen, who also provided the information to Fairley.&nbsp; Subsequently, Hennen placed bets on Porter’s unders, or underperformance, in connection with the games through a network of straw bettors.&nbsp; When Porter exited both games early, numerous of the fraudulent wagers were successful.Porter and Pham, among others, have previously pleaded guilty in connection with their participation in the scheme related to these two games.* * * * *The Defendants:ERIC EARNEST (also known as “Spook”)Age: 35MissouriMARVES FAIRLEY (also known as “Vez,” “Vezino,” and “Vezino Locks”)Age: 33MississippiSHANE HENNEN (also known as “Sugar”)Age: 31NevadaDAMON JONES (also known as “D Jones” and “Dee Jones”)Age: 49CaliforniaDENIRO LASTER (also known as “Niro,” “Payso,” and “Peso”)Age: 30OhioTERRY ROZIER (also known as “Scary Terry” and “Chum”)Age: 31FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-323 (LDH)

🎥Current and former players arrested in NBA, Mafia-linked gambling scandal

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 23-year-old Jorden Wynn, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Just before 3a.m. Sunday police&nbsp;in the area of Westport and Mill Street in Kansas City, Missoui when they heard the sound of gunfire to the north of that intersection, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Officers immediately responded to the area to investigate and located a Wynn unresponsive to the north and west of Westport and Mill in the restaurant parking lot.

Officers rendered aid and called for EMS. EMS transported him to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Preliminary indication Wynn was at the location in the business parking lot when he had an interaction with one or more suspect(s) that led to gunfire and he was struck. Police released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 23-year-old Jorden Wynn, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Just before 3a.m. Sunday police&nbsp;in the area of Westport and Mill Street in Kansas City, Missoui when they heard the sound of gunfire to the north of that intersection, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Officers immediately responded to the area to investigate and located a Wynn unresponsive to the north and west of Westport and Mill in the restaurant parking lot.Officers rendered aid and called for EMS. EMS transported him to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.Preliminary indication Wynn was at the location in the business parking lot when he had an interaction with one or more suspect(s) that led to gunfire and he was struck. Police released no additional details.

Police ID victim killed in KC restaurant parking lot

WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp; U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hawley-vows-hold-democrats-feet-fire-new-government-shutdown-funding-bills">introduced</a>&nbsp;two bills to reinstate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and critical farm programs during the government shutdown, according to a statement from his office.

“Since the Democrats refuse to fund the government, I’m introducing legislation to reinstate food stamps and farm programs immediately,”&nbsp;said Senator Hawley.“Missourians shouldn’t go hungry because of the Left’s incompetence. Our kids deserve to eat.”

More than 650,000 Missourians stand to lose their access to food benefits next month because Democrats refuse to fund the government. The vast majority of those Missourians are families with children.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Keep SNAP Funded Act&nbsp;would ensure full funding for the SNAP program during the government shutdown. Under the bill, Congress would appropriate the necessary funding to provide uninterrupted SNAP benefits, retroactive to the start of the shutdown.

The&nbsp;Fund Farm Programs Act&nbsp;would reopen all Farm Service Agency (FSA) Offices and&nbsp;ensure resumed services for all FSA programs that farmers rely on. The USDA will be appropriated the necessary funding to provide resumed services for farmers through FSA offices, retroactive to the start of the shutdown.

Read the full bill text for the&nbsp;Keep SNAP Funded Act&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=15365.11191843.8917142.8424141&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2025%2f10%2fKeep-SNAP-Funded-Act.pdf&amp;redir_log=707316794103533" target="_blank">here.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Read the full bill text for the&nbsp;Fund Farm Programs Act&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=15365.11191843.8917142.8424141&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2025%2f10%2fFund-Our-Farmers-Act.pdf&amp;redir_log=996771207702541" target="_blank">here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750772403338.png" alt="&nbsp;Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp; U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hawley-vows-hold-democrats-feet-fire-new-government-shutdown-funding-bills">introduced</a>&nbsp;two bills to reinstate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and critical farm programs during the government shutdown, according to a statement from his office.“Since the Democrats refuse to fund the government, I’m introducing legislation to reinstate food stamps and farm programs immediately,”&nbsp;said Senator Hawley.“Missourians shouldn’t go hungry because of the Left’s incompetence. Our kids deserve to eat.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Since the Democrats REFUSE to fund the government, I’m introducing legislation to reinstate SNAP benefits immediately. Even during the government shutdown Missourians shouldn&#39;t go hungry because of the Left&#39;s incompetence. Our kids deserve to eat&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1980407877748797481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>More than 650,000 Missourians stand to lose their access to food benefits next month because Democrats refuse to fund the government. The vast majority of those Missourians are families with children.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Keep SNAP Funded Act&nbsp;would ensure full funding for the SNAP program during the government shutdown. Under the bill, Congress would appropriate the necessary funding to provide uninterrupted SNAP benefits, retroactive to the start of the shutdown.The&nbsp;Fund Farm Programs Act&nbsp;would reopen all Farm Service Agency (FSA) Offices and&nbsp;ensure resumed services for all FSA programs that farmers rely on. The USDA will be appropriated the necessary funding to provide resumed services for farmers through FSA offices, retroactive to the start of the shutdown.Read the full bill text for the&nbsp;Keep SNAP Funded Act&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=15365.11191843.8917142.8424141&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2025%2f10%2fKeep-SNAP-Funded-Act.pdf&amp;redir_log=707316794103533" target="_blank">here.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the full bill text for the&nbsp;Fund Farm Programs Act&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=15365.11191843.8917142.8424141&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2025%2f10%2fFund-Our-Farmers-Act.pdf&amp;redir_log=996771207702541" target="_blank">here.</a>

Mo. U.S. Senator's bill would fund SNAP, farm programs during shutdown

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a bank robbery that that occurred Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City, according to a statement from the FBI.

The masked suspect demanded money from the U.S. Bank branch at 221 W. Gregory Boulevard.&nbsp; &nbsp;The suspect is described as approximately 5-foot-10 with a medium build and was&nbsp; wearing a grey hoodie with a black New Balance jacked and sunglasses over a mask that covered the lower half of his face.

After the robbery, the suspect ran on foot from the bank. There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761179822531.png" alt="Image from security cameras FBI" />
 <figcaption>Image from security cameras FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a bank robbery that that occurred Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City, according to a statement from the FBI.The masked suspect demanded money from the U.S. Bank branch at 221 W. Gregory Boulevard.&nbsp; &nbsp;The suspect is described as approximately 5-foot-10 with a medium build and was&nbsp; wearing a grey hoodie with a black New Balance jacked and sunglasses over a mask that covered the lower half of his face.After the robbery, the suspect ran on foot from the bank. There were no injuries reported.

Suspect wearing sunglasses over a mask robbed Kansas City bank

JOHNSON COUNTY, MO. — On Wednesday,&nbsp;the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with Leeton Police Chief Rick Stropes and the Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office, assisted in the investigation of the arson incident at the Leeton United Methodist Church, according to a media release.

During the investigation, authorities identified juveniles as having committed the arson fire. Due to their age, further information regarding their identities cannot be released in compliance with Missouri law governing juvenile information.

This case will be referred to the Johnson County Juvenile Office for appropriate actions.

JOHNSON COUNTY, Missouri- Investigators confirmed that a fire Monday night at the Leeton United Methodist Church was intentionally set, prompting an arson investigation led by the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to a statement from the Johnson County Fire Protection District.

Just after 9p.m. Monday, firefighters from the Johnson County Fire Protection District and the Warrensburg Fire Department, responding through automatic mutual aid for a ladder truck to 106 N. Wall Street in Leeton.

When crews arrived, heavy smoke and flames were visible from inside the 129-year-old church. Firefighters initiated an aggressive interior and exterior attack, bringing the fire under control after nearly three hours.

Despite extensive damage throughout the structure, the church remains standing, and crews were able to save some items from inside.

The Leeton United Methodist Church, built in 1896, has long served as a cornerstone of the Leeton community.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted the initial investigation into the origin and cause of the fire with assistance from the Johnson County Fire Protection District, Leeton Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Johnson County Fire Investigation Unit.

Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set, prompting a formal arson investigation.“

It’s heartbreaking to see a place that has stood for generations be deliberately set on fire,” said JCFPD Captain Joe Jennings. “This church isn’t just a building; it’s part of the history and identity of Leeton.

Seeing it damaged in this way is difficult for the entire community.”Captain Jennings urged anyone with information to come forward.“Someone knows something,” Jennings said. “We’re asking the public to do the right thing and help bring whoever is responsible to justice. No tip is too small.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761096204652.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY, MO. — On Wednesday,&nbsp;the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with Leeton Police Chief Rick Stropes and the Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office, assisted in the investigation of the arson incident at the Leeton United Methodist Church, according to a media release.During the investigation, authorities identified juveniles as having committed the arson fire. Due to their age, further information regarding their identities cannot be released in compliance with Missouri law governing juvenile information.This case will be referred to the Johnson County Juvenile Office for appropriate actions.----------JOHNSON COUNTY, Missouri- Investigators confirmed that a fire Monday night at the Leeton United Methodist Church was intentionally set, prompting an arson investigation led by the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to a statement from the Johnson County Fire Protection District.Just after 9p.m. Monday, firefighters from the Johnson County Fire Protection District and the Warrensburg Fire Department, responding through automatic mutual aid for a ladder truck to 106 N. Wall Street in Leeton.When crews arrived, heavy smoke and flames were visible from inside the 129-year-old church. Firefighters initiated an aggressive interior and exterior attack, bringing the fire under control after nearly three hours.Despite extensive damage throughout the structure, the church remains standing, and crews were able to save some items from inside.The Leeton United Methodist Church, built in 1896, has long served as a cornerstone of the Leeton community.The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted the initial investigation into the origin and cause of the fire with assistance from the Johnson County Fire Protection District, Leeton Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Johnson County Fire Investigation Unit.Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set, prompting a formal arson investigation.“It’s heartbreaking to see a place that has stood for generations be deliberately set on fire,” said JCFPD Captain Joe Jennings. “This church isn’t just a building; it’s part of the history and identity of Leeton.Seeing it damaged in this way is difficult for the entire community.”Captain Jennings urged anyone with information to come forward.“Someone knows something,” Jennings said. “We’re asking the public to do the right thing and help bring whoever is responsible to justice. No tip is too small.”

Arson: Sheriff reports who started fire at 129-year-old Methodist church

KANSAS CITY —The staff at the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium are mourning the loss of African elephant Lois, who lived at the KCZoo for more than four decades, according to a statement from the zoo.

At 47-years old, Lois was considered a geriatric elephant, so her long life is really a testament to the excellent care of the Zoo’s animal care and veterinary health teams. 

Lois was beloved by Zoo staff and guests, and most easily identified by her pointed left tusk and red hair on top of her head. Lois was born in 1978 and arrived in Kansas City on September 17, 1982, with another African elephant, Lea, who still resides at the Zoo. 

Due to her age, Lois showed signs of degenerative joints and had also ruptured the caudal cruciate ligament (CCL) in one of her hind legs 15 years ago. 

This type of injury would have been fatal in her native range, but the specialized care provided at the Zoo gave her many more years of wellbeing. 

While treating an elephant is complex, Lois responded well to laser therapy, anti-inflammatories, changes to the substrate in the barn stall, and other accommodations to make her comfortable. 

Recently, Lois had been experiencing more challenges with movement, and she did not respond to additional treatment options over the past week. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761178925460.png" alt="Lois photo Kansas City Zoo" />
 <figcaption>Lois photo Kansas City Zoo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The staff at the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium are mourning the loss of African elephant Lois, who lived at the KCZoo for more than four decades, according to a statement from the zoo.At 47-years old, Lois was considered a geriatric elephant, so her long life is really a testament to the excellent care of the Zoo’s animal care and veterinary health teams. Lois was beloved by Zoo staff and guests, and most easily identified by her pointed left tusk and red hair on top of her head. Lois was born in 1978 and arrived in Kansas City on September 17, 1982, with another African elephant, Lea, who still resides at the Zoo. Due to her age, Lois showed signs of degenerative joints and had also ruptured the caudal cruciate ligament (CCL) in one of her hind legs 15 years ago. This type of injury would have been fatal in her native range, but the specialized care provided at the Zoo gave her many more years of wellbeing. While treating an elephant is complex, Lois responded well to laser therapy, anti-inflammatories, changes to the substrate in the barn stall, and other accommodations to make her comfortable. Recently, Lois had been experiencing more challenges with movement, and she did not respond to additional treatment options over the past week. The difficult decision to euthanize her was made on October 21 due to diminished quality of life. The care specialists that knew her best described Lois as “a strong-willed girl with an unwavering spirit.” They say she was a fiery redhead with a spunky personality who loved snacks and lots of attention. Her favorite game was showering her unsuspecting caregivers with water, soaking them and all their paperwork and supplies. Those early morning showers will be remembered fondly.With the loss of Lois, the Zoo is home to eight elephants, four of which are considered geriatric. Lady is the oldest African elephant in North America at the age of 57, and Lea, Megan, and Tattoo, are also all 47 years old. Zoe, 40, Christy, 38, Zuri, 15, and Tamani, a 20-year-old male, round out the herd.Lois was a beloved ambassador for her endangered species and helped to inspire the Zoo’s conservation efforts to save elephants and other wildlife through programs in Zambia and South Africa. Lois will be dearly missed by all her Zoo family, including staff, volunteers, and guests.