Health & Fitness
Political Rewind: Cunningham, McNary vie for fire district posts; Medicaid advocates turn up the heat, and Talent decries sequestration
Here are the top political and policy stories from Beyond November, a collaboration of the St. Louis Beacon, Nine Network and St. Louis Public Radio.
By Jo Mannies, Beacon political reporter
Former state Sen. Jane Cunningham and former state Rep. Cole McNary, both Republicans from Chesterfield, are engaged in a heated contest to capture a seat on the nonpartisan three-person board governing the Monarch Fire District in west St. Louis County.
Mental health patients, advocates make case for expanding Medicaid in MissouriBy Robert Joiner, Beacon staff
Find out what's happening in Kirkwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Expanding Medicaid would throw a lifeline to about 50,000 residents who suffer from mental illnesses but cannot afford insurance to treat their health conditions. GOP lawmakers say they won't support expansion.
Talent blasts sequester, asserts across-the-board defense cuts risk nation's securityBy Jo Mannies, Beacon political reporter
Find out what's happening in Kirkwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., and now a national-security expert, is emphatic that the defense cuts required by "sequestration'' are putting the nation's security at risk -- and threatening its necessary role as the world's strongest military power. He blames congressional leaders in both parties, and President Barack Obama, for failing to agree on an alternative.
Missouri trade entourage, led by Nixon, returns home with $1.9 billion in trade dealsBy Jo Mannies, Beacon political reporter
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and a large entourage of state officials and business representatives are returning from a weeklong trade trip to Asia with deals calling for $1.9 billion in Missouri products to be sold to consumers in South Korea and Taiwan over the next four years.
Sinquefield-backed group renews effort to outlaw teacher tenure in MissouriBy Jo Mannies, Beacon political reporter
5:23 pm on Tue, 03.19.13
A group backed by wealthy financier Rex Sinquefield has renewed its effort to get rid of teacher tenure in Missouri. TeachGreat.org has filed a proposed initiative petition to get a proposal on the 2014 ballot. A similar measure was proposed, but not acted upon, in 2012.
Missouri Club for Growth likes Sinquefield, but seeks to rely less on his moneyBy Jo Mannies, Beacon political reporter
The Missouri chapter of the conservative Club for Growth agrees with wealthy financier Rex Sinquefield on the need to replace Missouri's income tax with a sales tax. But the group hopes to expand its donor base beyond Sinquefield, its major contributor.