Phillip Sitter is the News Tribune's reporter who covers Missouri's Senate, governor, executive government agencies, and MOSERS and MPERS. Previously, he covered local schools and school districts for the News Tribune for over 2 years since starting at the News Tribune in December 2016. Sitter's time at the News Tribune has been his first full-time job in journalism, although he studied at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism and contributed at the News Tribune in fall 2014 as a graduate student while on the Columbia Missourian's state government beat. He has also worked for MU's Bond Life Sciences Center. Sitter lives in Jefferson City and is originally from northwestern Illinois. He obtained his bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in Catholic social tradition from the University of Notre Dame in 2012 and lived in Washington, D.C., for a year after that while he began law school, before ultimately deciding that wasn't the career he wanted to pursue. He has also lived in London, United Kingdom, and New Orleans, Louisiana, for study-abroad and service opportunities. Follow him on Twitter at @pslifeisabeauty.
Mid-Missourians protest federal death penalty
As a small group of people Tuesday in downtown Jefferson City protested three scheduled federal executions, at least one among the group hoped the change in presidential administration will lead to changes in the nation's policy toward the death penalty.
Jan. 12 2021 @ 6:43pm
Gov. Parson at inauguration: For Missouri, 'Sunny days are ahead'
Parson and the state's attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state and lieutenant governor were sworn in on the steps of the Missouri State Capitol on Monday.
Jan. 12 2021 @ 12:08am
State nearing next vaccination phase
Gov. Mike Parson and his administration have said more details will be coming sometime this week about the next phase of vaccinations against COVID-19.
Jan. 9 2021 @ 7:30pm
Nearly $127 million in withholds released in state budget
Gov. Mike Parson has released more than $126.9 million that had been withheld from the current state budget because of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jan. 7 2021 @ 12:05am
Missouri General Assembly convenes for first day of session
Through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the unfolding unrest at the nation's Capitol, Missouri lawmakers met Wednesday for the first day of this year's regular legislative session at the state Capitol in Jefferson City.
Jan. 7 2021 @ 12:05am
MoDOT hit $38M pothole in 2020
With 2020 in its rearview mirror, the Missouri Department of Transportation last month released its report looking back at the year — including how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the agency and how the state's transportation infrastructure compares to the rest of the country.
Jan. 5 2021 @ 12:05am
Algoa inmate's sentence among commutes, pardons by Parson
Jason Norman, 45, an inmate at Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson Center, was among the four people Gov.
Dec. 24 2020 @ 12:05am
St. Thomas man among first Missouri elk season hunters
All five of the hunters selected for permits to harvest bull elk in the first season of its kind in Missouri harvested a bull during the firearms portion this month, the Missouri Department of Conservation announced Tuesday.
Dec. 23 2020 @ 12:05am
A+ program funding boost to help more than 800 State Tech students
The $10.1 million Gov. Mike Parson announced this week would provide aid to Missouri's A+ scholarship program is not quite enough to cover all of the program's increased needs, but it will benefit students, including hundreds using the program at State Technical College of Missouri in Linn.
Dec. 22 2020 @ 12:05am
Missouri's jobless rate dips again
Missouri's unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points between October and November, coming down to 4.4 percent.
Dec. 17 2020 @ 12:05am
Missourians warned to not let guard down in latest report
Though fewer counties around the state were reported to be in the red zone, the White House Coronavirus Task Force warned Missourians this week to not let their guards down.
Dec. 9 2020 @ 9:10pm
Missouri's largest public retirement funds continue recovery
Economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic slowed in July, August and September compared to the three months before, but most of the largest statewide public retirement funds in Missouri had still regained more than they lost in the spring's economic crash.
Dec. 7 2020 @ 12:05am
COVID-19 liability, police reform among topics of 600 pre-filed legislative bills
Missouri lawmakers had pre-filed 600 pieces of legislation between the state House and Senate for the spring session, as of Friday morning — the end of the first week of pre-filing, which opened Dec.
Dec. 6 2020 @ 12:05am
Missouri Census committee turns in final report
Missouri census committee turns in final reportMissourians fell a little short in counting themselves during this year's census compared to the previous one, but the committee tasked with encouraging participation reported this week that the count was successful.
Dec. 5 2020 @ 12:05am
Report: Mid-Missouri drivers each lose $1,500+ a year due to bad roads
Missouri Department of Transportation leaders said two reports released by nonprofits paint a picture of the state's roads and bridges that show Missouri needs to change its trend of under-investment in infrastructure.
Dec. 3 2020 @ 10:59pm
Out-of-state workers to help staff hospitals
Health care workers from other states will be brought in through a corporate partnership with state government and Missouri hospitals to assist with staffing as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge, Gov. Mike Parson and the Missouri Hospital Association's leader announced Wednesday evening.
Dec. 2 2020 @ 7:58pm
Fate of COVID-19 liability bill uncertain
A state Senate bill proposing expanded liability protections against civil lawsuits related to the COVID-19 pandemic did not move forward in the legislative process Tuesday following a hearing on it, amid the governor changing his mind about the bill.
Dec. 1 2020 @ 11:02pm
Federal government recommends 'aggressive mitigation' of COVID-19
Every county in Missouri had moderate or high levels of community transmission of COVID-19 going into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with 97 percent of counties in the red zone, according to the federal government.
Dec. 1 2020 @ 5:53pm
Advocates, Missouri Department of Corrections spar over handling of COVID-19
Advocates from organizations such as the Missouri NAACP on Tuesday called for the state Department of Corrections to do more to combat the spread of COVID-19 among the state's prison population and the staff who work with inmates, and to be more transparent about those efforts and results.
Nov. 25 2020 @ 10:10am
Parson eases K-12 quarantine policy
Gov. Mike Parson and his administration announced a new policy Thursday that elicited disapproving responses from teachers' unions.
Nov. 12 2020 @ 10:50pm