Jefferson City

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December 16, 2023 at 4:00 a.m.

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The Missouri Independent

Chief Equity Officer Abigail Vivas, who oversees the microbusiness program under the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said in a report released Friday that the ineligibility issues included “failure to provide documentation that the facility would be operated by eligible individuals” (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).

Missouri cannabis regulators could revoke 11 of the 48 social-equity cannabis licenses issued in October after finding they didn’t meet eligibility requirements.

Nine were dispensaries and two were wholesale facilities.

Chief Equity Officer Abigail Vivas, who oversees the microbusiness program under the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said in a report released Friday the ineligibility issues included “failure to provide documentation that the facility would be operated by eligible individuals.”

The microbusiness program is meant to boost opportunities in the industry for businesses in disadvantaged communities, and it was part of the constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana that voters passed in November.

Vivas’ report comes on the heels of the Independent’s October investigation that found some applicants thought they were partnering with a Michigan investor but signed agreements requiring them to relinquish all control and profits of the business.

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Originally Appeared Here

Jingle bells rang out Sunday evening at Jefferson City’s Binder Lake.

It wasn’t Santa Claus, but the seventh annual Jingle Dash through the Capital City Festival of Lights at Binder Park.

Approximately 140 people, many dressed in holiday attire, strolled through the light displays at Binder Lake early Sunday evening to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson City. The most festive of the bunch won awards.

Guy Huntley, dressed as an elf, took first place.

Huntley ran the Jingle Dash with his son and his son’s girlfriend. It was a fresh course for the three avid runners but Huntley said it was “low-key” and designed for fun.

“I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of pretty lights,” he said before taking off.

“It’s great family time,” added Max Huntley, Guy’s son.

The Jingle Dash course traveled along the edge of Binder Lake for a mile before directing runners and walkers back to the start.

Jessica Kever, program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson City, said the event serves as an annual fundraiser for the nonprofit. It transitioned from a competitive 5K race to a self-paced walk in 2020.

Kever said she was happy with Sunday’s turnout.

“I think a lot of people wait to see what the weather’s going to look like, but luckily it’s really nice today,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a good event.”

Oswaldo Restrepo stretched before running the course with his father-in-law, Ken Wilmes. Wilmes, who took second place in the costume contest dressed as Santa, said he heard about the event late last week and asked Restrepo to join.

“We’re really the only two runners in the family,” Restrepo said with a laugh.

The pair have run at least four races benefiting area nonprofits this year, Wilmes said. Sunday was their first time running the Jingle Dash, however. Restrepo said he was looking forward to seeing Christmas lights along the trail.

“It’s such a great event for families to get together and have a good time around the holidays,” Wilmes added.

Sonya Kibbee walked the course dressed as a shepherd. She was surrounded by about a dozen others from Faith Lutheran Church dressed as figures in a nativity scene, complete with baby Jesus, wise men, a star, angels and a cow. The group took third in the costume contest.

While some in the group like to run, Kibbee said she participates to support a good cause while celebrating the season. Sunday was her third time around Binder Lake for the Jingle Dash.

“I don’t mind the ticket because it goes to such a good cause,” Kibbee said. “It’s just a lot of fun every year. The best part’s getting dressed up.”

All of the registration funds from the Jingle Dash go to support operations at Big Brothers Big Sisters, such as performing enrollment screenings and matching Littles and Bigs. Kever said the organization is always looking for more volunteers for its youth mentoring program, which requires about an hour per week.

“We need a lot in January because we get a lot of kiddos that come in and out of the district in January,” she said. “If anyone’s interested in volunteering, that’s what we need.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters has approximately 140 mentors now, she said.

    Ryan Pivoney/News Tribune photo: Ken Wilmes accepts a trophy from Jessica Kever, program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson City, after coming in second place during the nonprofit’s Jingle Dash costume contest Sunday at Binder Lake.
      Ryan Pivoney/News Tribune photo: Approximately 140 people participated Sunday in the seventh annual Jingle Dash through the Capital City Festival of Lights at Binder Park. The fun run and walk takes participants through the light show at Binder Lake and raises money to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson City.
      Ryan Pivoney/News Tribune photo: Ken Wilmes, left, and Oswaldo Restrepo, his son-in-law, lead the pack during Sunday’s Jingle Dash at Binder Lake. Approximately 140 participated in the annual fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson City this year.
  

Originally Appeared Here

Missouri’s highest court this week heard arguments over the constitutionality of a two-year-old state law terminating parental rights following a conviction for certain crimes against children.

The case, heard Wednesday by the state Supreme Court, involves a Jefferson County father whose parental rights were terminated after he pled guilty to child molestation and sexual misconduct in 2022. Both the father and the child are unnamed in legal filings.

Termination of parental rights means the permanent severance of the parent-child relationship and is sometimes referred to as the “death penalty of civil cases.”

Before the law was amended by the legislature in 2021, there was a requirement the child victim be familially related to the parent in order for the state to have grounds to prove parental unfitness. In this case, the victims were unrelated to the father and the crimes to which he pled guilty occurred before the child was born.

The father’s attorney, David Crosby, argued Wednesday that not all felony offenses “involving a child under 18 warrant a termination of parental rights,” including in his legal brief the hypothetical of an 18-year-old assistant coach having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student, which is a class E felony.

“The question is, where do you draw the line?” Crosby said. “Well, the legislature needs to draw the line or this court needs to draw the line because the judges need to understand what’s required.”

He added: “The process of eviscerating family ties should not be simple, it should not be easy.”

Jason Sapp, an attorney representing the juvenile office, which files petitions for courts to terminate parental rights, emphasized on Wednesday that the government has a “duty to protect children.”

The criminal acts that could lead to termination of parental rights under the law include criminal sexual offenses, prostitution offenses, criminal offenses against the family and criminal pornography and related offenses.

“You have proven contact of a parent that rose to the level of a felony and speaks to how that parent behaves towards children,” Sapp said.

To terminate parental rights, the state is required to first prove parental unfitness — designed to be a steep hurdle to protect parents’ liberties. It requires clear, cogent and convincing evidence. Only then comes an evaluation of what is in the child’s best interests, which requires a lower standard of evidence.

Crosby argues the law is unconstitutional because it makes felony convictions involving children proof of unfitness — providing automatic grounds for termination of parental rights rather than case-by-case evaluation of fitness and depriving people of the chance to contest the conclusion of unfitness.

The state counters that a conviction itself “speaks to the conduct of the parent that goes to parental unfitness,” and the parent’s chance to rebut that finding came earlier, in the criminal proceeding.

“There is a more than reasonable logical connection,” the state’s attorneys wrote in a brief, “between a person engaging in felonious criminal acts under any of these chapters where a child is the victim and that person’s fitness to serve in a parent’s authoritative role of responsibility for the care and well-being of a child.”

The judges’ questions Wednesday surrounded the trial court’s discretion to choose to enter a judgment terminating rights after the juvenile office filed for it. Crosby said that although the court does have some discretion, that is not a sufficient check guaranteeing a parents’ constitutional rights.

“The court is supposed to have the least-restrictive means to protect the liberties of the parent. And statute offers them no guidance at all. It says if it’s a conviction, then you go straight to the best interest, regardless of what it is,” Crosby said.

Crosby argued there should be a specific case-by-case judicial finding that the parent is unfit, which could include factors such as the parent’s treatment and rehabilitation, age and frequency of the crime.

“There are sexual offense crimes that do not involve family members that — I’m not here to protect people who have been charged with sex crimes — but they are people that are entitled to the right to have their children,” Crosby said. “And what the legislature is doing is punishing. Instead of saying this is what’s best for the children. We just want to punish people who have perpetrated crimes against children.”

The court did not take action in the case on Wednesday.

Originally Appeared Here

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Whaley’s has been Jefferson City’s hometown pharmacy for over 80 years. But that run will soon be coming to an end.

Patients have until July 26 to transfer any prescriptions to a different pharmacy before their records are automatically transferred to Walgreens. 

Walgreens has agreed to buy the three Whaley’s locations which will give the chain ownership of all the pharmacy files and related information. Patients will have the option to switch pharmacies before the transition. 

“They will receive notification in the mail along with details about their prescriptions. We also will be offering opportunities to apply for employment to Whaley’s pharmacy staff,” Walgreens wrote in a statement. 

Whaley’s explained the reason for the sale in a public statement. 

“The independent pharmacy industry has become more challenging over the last several years. The increased cost of goods along with the decrease in reimbursement from insurance companies has made it difficult for us to survive and continue to provide the same level of patient services and care that our customers deserve.” 

The news left community members and employees in shock. Whaley’s was not just a typical drugstore. It was a staple of the community. 

“I know everybody is going to miss that soda fountain and all the specialty drinks they have. Just the personal touch because it’s a private individual. It’s not like a large company pharmacy,” Chas Dolce, who has been washing Whaley’s windows for over 30 years, told ABC 17 News. 

“I come here almost every day. I get my medicines from here and their service has been impeccable,” Edie Vogel added. 

Justin Sullens Jr. is one of Whaley’s customer service representatives who works at the East End And Drug location. His mother has been working at the West location for 12 years. He says the now-famous soda fountain is what drew him to work there. 

“I’ve always kinda wanted to be a soda jerk and help make the famous cherry cokes,” Sullens said. 

Edie Vogel’s family is the operator of Jefferson City Coca-Cola Bottling company which provides the syrup for Whaley’s fountain cherry cokes. 

A few months ago Coca-Cola decided to stop providing the syrup to the Jefferson City territory because only a few businesses in town were using the syrup. 

“We ceased to provide it so Gill, the soda manager here stocked up on it and all of a sudden we are finding out that Whaley’s is closing. so it’s the end of an era here in Jefferson City for the most delicious Cherry Cokes in the area.” 

On Monday Whaley’s employees found that the soda fountain and building that housed it would be closing its doors for good. 

ABC 17 News spoke with over a dozen customers and employees. The majority of customers say they will be taking their business to other local pharmacies in town. “I will transfer my medicines to Robert’s drug store on Truman Blvd because they are locally owned,” Vogel said. 

Meanwhile, several employees said they have already started applying for new jobs or that they aren’t interested in working for Walgreens.

“My mom came from Walgreens when she moved here and I won’t be working with Walgreens,” Sullen said. 

Whaley’s first opened in 1943. Whaley’s owner Red Whaley and his son Jim expanded the business in 1973 by opening another store on the southwest side of town. Their third location was added in 2005 on the west side of town.

While the stores may be closing their memory will live on. 

“Every day little kids come in they want a float they want ice cream or a soda. Seeing the smiles on their faces was always a pretty special deal,” Sullens Jr said.  

“Just being a part of their lives, especially the people coming first time ever coming in here. How old it is and how great it is to come in here you know? It’s been a shock, it’s been surprising. Very upsetting.”

Originally Appeared Here

The Jefferson City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to deny a yard waste and compost site contract with Korte Tree Care after public disapproval from residents and one local competitor regarding its location across the Missouri River bridge.

The contract would have been for one year of service with four additional automatic renewals. By the end of the fifth year, Korte Tree Care would have earned $1 million from Jefferson City for hosting a yard waste and compost drop-off site.

The service, located at 1129 Cedar City Drive, would have been free for residents, who would also have had the option to pick up compost and mulch free of charge. The city has provided a compost drop-off site since 2010 and a yard waste drop-off site since 2013, both of which were originally through All Seasons Landscaping.

Lee Alford, owner of Alford Tree Service, has gone to city hall several times since with concerns regarding Korte’s business holding this particular city contract.

Last month, Alford approached the council to state that Korte’s business should not have the contract due to Korte Tree Care’s location across the Missouri River bridge. He said residents will drop and lose large tree limbs on the highway, leading to more car crashes.

There is a size limit stated in the contract of six inches in diameter and six feet in length for tree limbs and brush. The contractor also accepts grass clippings, wood chips, leaves and Christmas trees.

Alford said he’s seen large tree limbs and other obstacles on the highway near the current site at All Seasons Landscaping, which holds the current $984,000 contract from 2018.

Korte said he’s never seen that when he drives on the same highway and he doesn’t expect many residents will have incredibly large amounts of yard debris or mulch. In his experience, Korte said, most residents haul a few large bags in the back of a pickup truck.

Steve Dinolfo said he would prefer the city extend All Seasons Landscaping’s contract because he believes the owner provides good service and he would prefer the site stay in the middle of Jefferson City. He also said he expects to see an increase in residents burning yard waste as some people may believe burning is easier than driving across town.

Another local man, Mel Kallal, agreed with keeping the site away from across the river.

“I will not cross the river,” Kallal said.

Darrel Bryan also approached the podium with concerns regarding Ray Wallace, the city’s former forester. He mentioned that Wallace was involved in a bid tabulation process and recommended Korte’s business for the service. Wallace currently works part-time for Korte, though Korte and several other city staff have stated Wallace was not part of the yard waste contract.

“I think citizens ought to know why the Parks and Rec contract went the way it did,” Wallace said.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Erin Wiseman chose to momentarily leave the meeting at that point because she said she did not want to be a witness in a legal suit.

At the last council meeting, Korte said he would go forward with legal action against Alford unless Alford publically retracted the statements regarding and apologized to Korte. Korte recorded several of the public statements and said that his attorneys relayed to him that a lawsuit would take three or four years and $50,000 per lawsuit.

Korte said he cares more about his reputation than $1 million.

“I do not want to accept this contract if even one person thinks we cheated to get it,” Korte said.

Director of Planning and Protective Services Clint Smith said Wallace was not involved in the bid tabulation process for this contract, as he retired in early April, before the request for bids closed.

“Mr. Wallace had no involvement in the reviewing and no involvement in the scoring of the bids,” Smith said.

Korte also said he doesn’t see a problem with having a dump site in Cedar City, despite Alford’s concerns that it could affect whether the business stays open during inclement weather.

Alford also attended a council meeting in July with concerns about how much time had passed since the bids for this contract closed. He said more than three months to determine which of three companies receives a contract is too long and that he was unable to learn about the bidding process from city officials despite reaching out several times.

Smith provided a timeline for the bid process and said that, during the months in which the bids were closed, no information was able to be made public.

Alford’s landscaping company bid for the city’s contract back in April, along with Korte and All Seasons Landscaping. Alford bid $1.7 million for five years and All Seasons Landscaping bid $1.3 million. Korte included two proposals — one of which cost about $5,000 more. The city chose the slightly more expensive of Korte’s options, which was still about $700,000 less than Alford’s bid.

The contractor charges between $10 and $15 for non-residents of Jefferson City and for commercial operators in and outside of city limits.

Korte’s proposed hours of operation for summer were 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. In the winter, this would change to 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday; the site is closed Saturday and Sunday.

Alford said this is unfair for residents who work during the week and that his business is better suited for this contract since he is open for more days and for longer.

Ward 2 Councilman Aaron Mealy said he’s sorry to Korte, who said he’s been accused on social media of corruption and shady business practices.

“You did everything fair and followed the rules. We’re supposed to show businesses that we’re here to do business. I’m having a really hard time,” Mealy said.

Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester motioned to direct staff to negotiate a one-year contract extension with All Seasons Landscaping, preferrably at the same price. Ward 4 Councilman Randall Wright seconded.

All but Ward 5 Councilman Jon Hensley, Ward 5 Councilman Mark Schwartz and Wiseman voted yes.

Schwartz and he is strongly against this choice. He said that requests for bid were sent out for a reason and that it makes no sense to change that.

“That, essentially, to me is a no-bid contract and I’m strongly opposed to that,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz said that while he sees the value in having a yard waste and compost drop-off site, he does not see it a need for the local government to fund.

Lester said the drop-off site is very popular and it assists with keeping the landfill from filling up as quickly. Ward 3 Councilman Scott Spencer suggested reaching out to Republic Services, the company that owns the landfill and collects trash in Jefferson City, for funding on this contract either through a donation to the city or another contract.

East Dunklin Street parking

The council also voted to reinstate street parking along East Dunklin Street, more than 10 years after having it removed.

The bill adds seven parking spots on Dunklin near Marshall Street, three near Cherry Street and four on Marshall Street near Johnson’s Barbershop and Beauty Salon.

There will be two spots directly in front of the community center and five directly across the street. There will also be three across the street in front of the church.

Members of the Jefferson City Community Center and the Second Christian Church approached the Transportation and Traffic Commission in June to demand the city allow street parking again.

The city removed the street parking in front of the community center in 2013 after adding a left-turn lane to the intersection of Marshall and East Dunklin.

Members of the church and community center said they were not informed of this decision and that they don’t feel valued in Jefferson City due to this. Mary Simmons, who serves on the board at the community center, said in June she found a home at the community center and now it’s significantly more difficult for her to access that home.

City staff returned to the commission with recommendations on how to remedy the residents’ grievances. The commission and community center/church members agreed on a solution that would keep the left-turn lane, which staff members said is necessary due to the amount of vehicles that turn left at this intersection, and allow street parking near the organizations.

City staff agreed to submit before the council an amendment to the city code, which restricted parking on East Dunklin Street between Lafayette and Marshall streets, and add 10 untimed parking spots to the south side of the street.

Public Works Director Matt Morasch said this was a simple and low-cost solution that will benefit the city’s residents.

Seven Johnson, owner of the barbershop, also approached the commission in March to request more street parking near his business on Marshall Street. There were eight 90-minute parking spots and a 100-foot 15-minute loading zone for those dropping off students at Capital Early Learning Center.

This bill converts the loading zone into four 90-minute parking spots. Notification was provided to the Capital Early Learning Center of this change; staff said nobody from the day care center has reached out with objections.

City staff members estimate the cost to modify the street signs and markings to be about $2,000.

Creek bank stabilization

The council also approved a $79,240 contract with GWH Landscaping for a creek bank stabilization project at Lake Valley Drive.

GWH will build and install a retaining wall for $64,120 to guard a sanitary sewer main that runs between two residential properties. The bill summary states that the wall, made from steel and concrete, will protect a pressure forcemain and a gravity sewer from eroding further.

Morasch said this creekbank was stabilized previous riprap.

Funding for this project will come from the wastewater division’s enterprise fund account. Cole County Public Works will also reimburse the city $15,134 for the rail “for purposes of protecting the public,” according to the bill summary.

GWH bid against three other construction companies: Gene Haile Excavating bid $140,340, Don Schneiders Excavating Company bid $117,120 and Stockman Construction bid $116,245.

See also:

Jefferson City Council supports senior housing development

CORRECTION: This article was edited at 11:22 a.m. Sept. 6, 2023, to correct the spelling of the last name of Mel Kallal.

Originally Appeared Here

JEFFERSON CITY — A group of former Jefferson City council members are urging city leaders to take action on a decaying hotel they say has become an unattractive landmark for the city.

The Truman Hotel sits empty on top of a hill overlooking U.S. 54 just south of downtown Jefferson City. The hotel, which closed in 2015, is in serious disrepair.

Weeds and overgrown trees cling to boarded up windows. The parking lot is a sea of cracked asphalt, debris and even a pile of clothes.

“It’s first impression of so many people that come through the city,” said Darrel Gordon, one of three former council members demanding action.

“Going to the Lake of the Ozarks you have Illinois people, St. Louis people, Kansas City people and that’s what you see. And first impressions, you can’t re-do those.”

Gordon, along with former Councilmembers Dr. Thomas Brant and Cliff Olsen, wrote a letter to the Jefferson City Council and Mayor Ron Fitzwater to bring attention to the issue.

Dr. Brant and Olsen appeared at a council meeting this month and chided city leaders about the hotel.

“The city hassles property owners if their grass is too high but lets the old Ramada Inn continue to look horrific,” Olsen said.

The hotel, which was a Ramada Inn until 2006, is owned by the Puri Group of Enterprises. The Puri Group is a Columbia-based company which operates several hotels in Mid-Missouri.

In 2017, the group signed a deal with the city to re-develop the property in exchange for a tax abatement. An abatement allows a developer to pay no real property taxes on a piece of land for up to 10 years. 

Afterwards, the developer only has to pay up 50% of the property tax on the re-developed property. It’s meant to encourage developers to take on difficult projects on decaying land.

The Puri Group inked a deal to develop the property in two phases. Phase one called for a five-story, 131-room hotel with an indoor pool and restaurant. In 2019 the group completed construction of a Holiday Inn next to the Truman Hotel.

Phase two of the project calls for the company to demolish the remaining buildings and construct a new four-story hotel with a 20,000 square foot conference space that’s connected with the first hotel.

Raman Puri, President of Puri Group Enterprises, said the hotel industry in Jefferson City has slowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said it wouldn’t make sense to build another hotel right now.

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“Anything in Jefferson City that’s hospitality is a losing proposition because the business has not recovered,” Puri said.

Demolition for phase one of the project cost around $1.5 million, Puri said. But, he said it’s unclear how much the rest of the demolition would cost because of inflation and supply chain issues.

The agreement also requires the developers to maintain the property in a good state of repair and attractive appearance.

Today, the Holiday Inn stands just feet away from the dilapidated Truman Hotel and parking lot.

Gordon said the developers are not upholding their end of the deal. “The point is, the city was good to them, real good to them, and now they’re not being good neighbors to the city,” Gordon said.

In an email, Puri said the company is in “complete compliance” with the city’s agreement. The hotel windows are boarded up to prevent trespassers and the company does manicured landscaping Puri said. 

He said the company is “not required to do anything to the building itself other than keep it boarded and free of any violation.”

Once the old building is demolished and a new hotel is built the company will upkeep the property Puri said. Until the local economy improves, Puri said he won’t demolish the building. 

Instead, Puri said the city leaders should focus on bringing more people into Jefferson City.

“They should be praising us for employing so many people in Jefferson City at our hotels and keeping them afloat despite the poor business in Jefferson City,” he said.

Mayor Ron Fitzwater said he shares the council members frustrations but a resolution is complicated. He said his administration inherited a bad situation.

“The city has to be careful how we go about resolving this issue,” Fitzwater said. “If we pushed it all the way and somehow the city ends up with the property then it’s totally our responsibility.”

The city is working with the Puri Group to come up with a solution that is good for the community, Fitzwater said.

Originally Appeared Here

The board overseeing Missouri’s largest state employee pension fund voted Tuesday to sell most of its investments in Chinese-owned companies, reversing a decision it made last month.

The divestment by the Missouri State Employees Retirement Fund will take place during the next 12 months, with an allowance to stretch that to 36 months to avoid financial losses as investments are sold.

In a special meeting called at the urging of Gov. Mike Parson, the 11-member MOSERS Board of Trustees voted 9-2 in favor of the motion by state Treasurer Vivek Malek to sell the stocks and other investments. Only former MOSERS Executive Director Gary Findlay, elected to the board to represent retirees, and state Sen. John Rizzo, one of four legislators on the board, opposed the motion.

Rizzo accused Malek of playing politics with state investments to boost his chances in the 2024 Republican primary for his office. Malek took office in January and faces at least two well-funded opponents next year.

“I don’t think I’m a fiduciary, being a good steward of this pension fund, by voting to divest ourselves from China for no reason other than somebody needs a mail piece to run on the campaign,” Rizzo said.

Malek denied he was opposed to Chinese investments for political reasons.

“I believe that decision should be divest from China because of the level of risk that is contrary to the interests of our time,” Malek said.

Malek argued that economic problems in China, along with its aggressive posture toward Taiwan and friendship with Russia, are all good reasons for divesting. The board voted in March 2022, just days after the invasion of Ukraine, to sell its assets with Russia ties. At the time, the value of those investments had been reduced to where they were essentially worthless.

There have been two other times the board has used divestment as a political statement.

In 2007, at the urging of then-state Treasurer Sarah Steelman, the MOSERS board voted to divest from investments in companies doing business with Iran and other countries identified by the State Department as state sponsors of terrorism.

And in June 1987, a new state law targeting the racist apartheid regime in South Africa required all pension and other public funds to divest from South African banks, companies with business locations, franchises or license agreements in South Africa and any other business with 5 percent or greater ownership by a South African firm.

During the board’s debate, Rizzo noted that when the current investments are sold, the money could be put into Apple, General Motors or other companies doing extensive business in China.

Asked after the meeting why his motion wasn’t as broad as the divestment from South Africa, Malek said they are two very different situations.

“South Africa was a moral issue,” Malek said. “Now we are dealing with an economic issue.”

Doing business with China has become a political sore spot in the past few years. It was one of the first issues raised in the 2022 Republican Senate primary in Missouri and this year, the Missouri House passed a bill to limit the sale of farmland to investors from China and a handful of other countries. The bill died in the state Senate.

Three bills to limit or bar foreign ownership of farmland have been filed in the Senate for the upcoming session and one has been filed in the House.

The MOSERS board defeated Malek’s attempt to divest from China during its regular quarterly meeting in November. In an interview after that vote, Malek said the total invested in China is about $200 million.

Those funds are spread among three types of investments — stock in publicly traded companies, ownership interest in closely held companies and shares of funds that invest in a variety of stocks and securities.

Selling the publicly traded stocks will mean a loss of about $1.3 million, the board was told by chief investment officer T.J. Carlson.

Getting out of the funds that invest widely in “emerging markets” around the world will be more difficult. Missouri has about $1.1 billion in five separate funds and Carlson told the board that the sale of shares in two funds would bring MOSERS a profit but it would lose money on the other three.

State Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, one of two House members on the board, added language allowing up to 36 months to sell the investments to avoid a loss.

Deaton has filed a bill to force all state pension funds to sell investments in companies controlled by the People’s Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party. The legislation also sets forth a divestment plan for any affected investment but does so in a way as to limit any losses for the pension system or taxpayers.

Deaton said he’d like to just sell the investments but that doesn’t make economic sense.

“In the legislature, if we so choose, we can make moral judgments considering things like geopolitical concerns, diplomatic things, human rights considerations, as well as economic factors, but the bar is obviously much higher in this room,” Deaton said.

The other House member on the board, Rep. Don Mayhew, R-Crocker, said his only concern was whether the MOSERS fund was sound.

“My vote is only in the interest of what is, in my opinion, best for the membership and what gets us to the goal of being fully funded,” Mayhew said.

MOSERS provides pensions to most of the state government workforce. It is supported by contributions from the state treasury, employee payroll deductions and investment income. Actuaries measure the health of the fund by testing whether the current assets, with a fixed growth rate, is enough to cover all current and future liabilities.

Despite increasing contributions from the state, including an extraordinary $500 million transfer in July 2022, the fund has lost ground over the past two decades.

In 2001, analysts found MOSERS was 97 percent funded, with investment returns assumed to be 8.5 percent. The state contributed 12.3 percent of covered payroll to MOSERS.

At the end of fiscal 2020, the system was 61 percent funded, with an assumed rate of return of 6.95 percent. The contribution rate was 22.88 percent.

As of June 30, according to the latest annual report, the fund had $8.7 billion, enough to cover only 57.6 percent of its long-term liabilities. For the coming fiscal year, MOSERS is asking lawmakers to budget for a contribution rate of 28.75 percent.

Before Tuesday’s vote, Findlay wrote a letter to Parson asking him to cancel his call for the special meeting. It smacks of political interference in investments, Findlay wrote.

“I believe,” he wrote, “that decisions regarding whether or not to invest in securities, not precluded from consideration by federal mandate, should be left to the internal and external investment professionals the board employs.”

The Missouri Independent, www.missouriindependent.com, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering state government and its impact on Missourians.

Originally Appeared Here

The office will serve as a base to more than 500 employees and partner with Jobs for America’s Graduates, Missouri, to attract talent

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. & EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. & BENGALURU, India, September 15, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading technology services and consulting company, announced that it has inaugurated a new office in Jefferson City, Missouri, and will partner with the state’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program to attract local talent.

The 75,000-square-foot office is the main support center for some of Wipro’s biggest clients, specifically in the healthcare and government sectors. The state-of-the-art office houses a healthcare solutions innovation lab, which focuses on building digital-first solutions for Medicaid and Medicare programs. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and cloud technologies, these solutions aim to enhance user experience and increase the value delivered to citizens.

The inauguration event that celebrated the partnership between JAG and Wipro took place on Thursday, Sept. 14, with Teresa Parson, First Lady of the state & Co-Chair of JAG, Missouri, as the guest of honor. The JAG program helps place high school graduates in jobs that they can develop into careers.

Teresa Parson, First Lady of the state & Co-Chair of JAG, Missouri, said, “I’m delighted that Wipro has chosen Jefferson City as its base in Missouri. The opening of this new workspace will boost the local economy as well as attract new talent to the region. Job creation is something I am passionate about and I’m proud to have Wipro’s support for our Jobs for America’s Graduates program.”

Mike Parson, Governor of Missouri, said, “The establishment of Wipro’s new facility in Jefferson City reflects the State of Missouri’s growing reputation as a destination for talent. Our students are the workforce of tomorrow and critical to Missouri’s future, and it’s great to see companies like Wipro partner with Missouri’s JAG program to help our young people capitalize on the amazing opportunities in the latest technology areas right here in our state. We are committed to growing JAG’s footprint in Missouri to benefit more of our youth, and projects like this help us do just that.”

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Srini Pallia, Chief Executive Officer, Americas 1, Wipro Limited, said, “We’re delighted to open this brand-new facility in Jefferson City and celebrate our partnership with JAG. This working space highlights our commitment to all our clients in the area as well as our efforts in creating local jobs.”

Earlier this year, Wipro ranked #3 Top Employer in the U.S. by the Top Employers Institute.

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading technology services and consulting company focused on building innovative solutions that address clients’ most complex digital transformation needs. Leveraging our holistic portfolio of capabilities in consulting, design, engineering, and operations, we help clients realize their boldest ambitions and build future-ready, sustainable businesses. With 250,000 employees and business partners across more than 60 countries, we deliver on the promise of helping our clients, colleagues, and communities thrive in an ever-changing world.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements contained herein represent Wipro’s beliefs regarding future events, many of which are by their nature, inherently uncertain and outside Wipro’s control. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Wipro’s growth prospects, its future financial operating results, and its plans, expectations and intentions. Wipro cautions readers that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, complete proposed corporate actions, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry.

Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Annual Reports on Form 20-F. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230915485604/en/

Contacts

Media Contact:
Laura Barnes
Wipro Limited
Laura.barnes@wipro.com

Originally Appeared Here

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey does not have the legal authority to demand access to patient records at the Washington University Transgender Center, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in St. Louis Circuit Court.

Bailey cited Missouri’s consumer protection law, known as the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, to demand access to all electronic health records from patients at the Transgender Center as part of his investigation into the center’s practices.

In the lawsuit, Washington University is asking Judge Jason Sengheiser to determine if Bailey’s civil investigative demands are legal and to what extent in order to modify Bailey’s request, noting that the Merchandising Practices Act pertains to false advertising “in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise in trade or commerce or the solicitation of any funds for any charitable purpose.”

Washington University’s attorney, James Bennett, wrote in the lawsuit that the university has turned over documents related to advertising but argued that patient care is outside of the MMPA’s bounds.

“Certain statements have been made by the attorney general that have caused Washington University to further question whether all of the requests (including those at issue now) are properly within the scope of the MMPA,” he wrote. “The statements suggested that the investigation was directed at medical decision making as much if not more than it was directed to sales or advertising.”

Bailey’s office also requested information from a Transgender Center physician and nurse. The lawsuit says the demands “appear to call for testimony about specific patients and medical decision making.”

Washington University officials announced earlier this year they would withdraw from the popular US News and World Report “Best Medical Schools” rankings, joining several other of the nation’s top universities.

During recent discussions about the demand, the lawsuit states, the attorney general’s office told Washington University that it “views the appropriate scope of its investigation to include consent to treatment, referrals for treatment, prescribing decisions and compliance with the standard of care for treating the (Transgender Center’s) patients.”

Bailey sent the initial civil investigative demands to Washington University Feb. 23 — two weeks after former Transgender Center employee Jamie Reed published allegations against the center in a national media outlet.

Bennett wrote that Bailey’s demand appears to be based in part on Reed’s affidavit to the attorney general.

Transgender Center patients and their parents have raised concerns over Reed’s allegations and expressed anxiety with health records and identifiable details being shared with Bailey and the public.

The lawsuit focuses on concern for patient privacy, noting patient records are protected under the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

HIPAA preempts state laws but allows the disclosure of protected health information to a “health oversight agency.”

“Historically, the Missouri state health oversight agency has been the Board of Healing Arts,” Bennett wrote in the litigation. “No case has held that the attorney general is a ‘health oversight agency.’”

Washington University asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights whether the state attorney general would be considered a health oversight agency, the lawsuit says. It did not receive an answer.

In a statement to The Independent, Bailey called the records he’s seeking “critical to exposing that children were subject to irreversible, life-altering procedures without full and informed parental consent.”

This investigation not the first time Bailey used the MMPA to regulate gender-affirming care.

Bailey filed an emergency rule in April under the MMPA that sought to place restrictions on receiving gender-affirming care for both transgender children and adults. A judge blocked the implementation temporarily, but Bailey withdrew the rule before a final verdict was reached.

Washington University stopped treating transgender minors for gender dysphoria in September, citing concerns about a new law’s provision placing more liability on physicians than other treatments.

This story was originally published by the Missouri Independent, part of the States Newsroom.

Originally Appeared Here