Editorials

    Should Missouri taxpayers have to pay exorbitant fees to get copies of records that are open to the public? Governor Mike Parson thinks so.

By Garrett Hawkins
    There are a few places in Appleton folks gather to drink coffee and swap stories each morning. I typically catch up on news at the hardware or feed store when I’m picking up supplies or feed. Kids’ ballgames, the weather, markets and, yes, the craziness in Washington, D.C. are the usual topics.

By Alan Morgan and John M. Bridgeland
    A New Year rings in and the COVID pandemic is still with us. Pandemic fatigue is understandable at this point.  But the loss of more than 824,000 Americans to date and the arrival of a new, more transmissible variant, should drive a renewed push to turn the tide.

By Garrett Hawkins
    Another session of the Missouri General Assembly is upon us, and this year looks to be a busy one. With redistricting, members running for higher office and many passionate legislative disagreements, 2022 should have no shortage of fireworks at the state capitol.

    Last year was a great year for bike trails. Not only did a new mountain biking trail get opened in Steelville, but the state of Missouri also announced a new rails-to-trails project, the Rock Island Trail, that will run from Beaufort to Kansas City and link up to the Katy Trail. It’s not enough.

By Kevin Goldberg, Freedom Forum First Amendment Specialist
    “I am not a role model. I’m not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court.”
    So said former professional basketball player Charles Barkley in a 1993 Nike commercial that acknowledged the outsized role athletes—and celebrities—play in society. The public debate around the ad demonstrated the extent to which people believe athletes are role models, showing why we need to be able to scrutinize their actions.