HB 1044 and Expanding Charter Schools in Missouri
Senate Bill (SB) 727, passed into law last year, allows any state-approved sponsor to authorize a charter school in Boone...
Missouri’s Tough Road Ahead
On January 28, Missouri’s newly sworn-in governor Mike Kehoe delivered his State of the State address. His remarks were well...
What about the Nurses?
Missouri’s general assembly dropped the ball on a lot of policy priorities during the 2024 legislative session, but one of...
How Will the Four-day School Week Progress in Light of SB 727?
The enormous 167-page education bill, Senate Bill (SB) 727, recently passed out of the Missouri Senate and is heading to...
Good Ideas Done Poorly in Jefferson and Perry Counties
A version of this commentary appeared in the St. Louis Business Journal. As systems evolve and become more complex over...
Back to the Future on Licensing in Missouri
Many are familiar with the plot of the classic movie Back to the Future. While I am probably thinking of...
Expanding the VIP List for Charter School Eligibility
In Missouri, only a select few are eligible for the VIP status of charter school eligibility. The “bouncer” until recently...
This Is What Number Four Looks Like?
By now, we have all seen that wonderful photo of the young child sitting in the backseat of her parents’...
Perry County Should Reduce Its Commercial Property Tax Surcharge
In 1985, Missouri changed the way that local governments tax commercial and industrial property. Voters approved eliminating the personal property...
Good News on Property Taxes in St. Charles and Clay Counties
Used car prices have risen dramatically over the past few years. That will hit Missouri car owners hard in the...
Tax Burden in Missouri’s 20 Largest Cities
What do residents in Missouri’s largest cities pay in taxes, and what do they get for their money? This report...
It’s a Head-Scratcher
I just don’t get it. A recent article in The 74 describes how the vibrant charter school sector and strong...
Cyclical Poverty Is a Problem in Missouri-What Can Be Done About It?
Imagine the Game of Life played under different rules—with everyone randomly assigned at birth to one of two paths. One...
Obamacare’s Total Eclipse of Bad Policy
On Monday, much of Missouri experienced a complete solar eclipse, the last of its kind in the state until 2024,...
Should Sales and Use Taxes Fund Interstate Improvements?
Missouri’s “Main Street,” Interstate 70, is in need of more than the usual, periodic repairs. The roadway is, in some...
ESAs Can Help Missouri Students with Dyslexia
For years, Kelli Unnerstall wrestled with private and public schools to get her son with dyslexia the help he needed...
Personal Income in Missouri Continues to Lag
Recent economic data reinforces an old story: Missouri’s economy is not expanding fast enough to substantially raise its citizens’ income. ...
Job Growth in Missouri: Depends on Where You Live
Missouri’s nonfarm employment growth over the past year significantly lags nearly every other state. The picture is somewhat brighter for...
Reaping the Whirlwind in Columbia
The Book of Hosea cautions us, “They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind.” Student protests on The University...
A Look Past Gone Girl Excitement Reveals a Raw Deal for Missourians
As first appearing in the Southeast Missourian: Last fall, when Gone Girl began production, Cape Girardeau descended into a starstruck...
