Opinion

Concealed weapons can be worrisome enough by themselves. But the possibility of an unsecured list that names personal information of conceal carry permit holders is something that needs to be addressed immediately.

A measure to extend closure of security plans for public buildings, including schools, continues to bounce back and forth between the House and Senate.

If the Founding Fathers were to reappear in 2013, they would be dumbfounded that we still use their document to govern Internet commerce, regulate global derivative trading and oversee drone technology.

The prevailing thought seems to be that students have lost interest in school, so unless they are provided with the right answers to test scores they are unable to pass.

Legislators should avoid draconian action with low-income housing tax credits because it has a proven track record.

The anger about the Common Core State Standards is being fueled by conspiracy theorists, including some in the Missouri legislature, who see them as some evil federal takeover of schools.

Despite the fact that funding per student has more than doubled since the Missouri Outstanding Schools Act of 1993, achievement has remained flat.

Journalism will help preserve the memory of Arvarh Strickland, a man who is known for being the first African-American professor at MU but who was also much more.

Sustainability with better design would help our community in countless ways.

What if brown-skinned children in inner-city schools had the opportunity to sit before their brown-skinned teachers everyday, who instilled in them pride and confidence in themselves and their academics to achieve beyond measure? More people looking like me, teaching people like me?

Lawmakers are using Newtown as an impetus to propose gun laws designed to put more firearms into the hands of more people and to weaken what safety laws we have. Their behavior is shameful.

State lawmakers are considering legislation to require public school districts to adopt and enforce anti-bullying policies.

Fred H. Reiss counts the ways current, local and national, are affecting Columbia.

Missouri lawmakers who contributed to the rejection of the Medicaid expansion dealt a serious blow to Mercy Hospital Washington and other Missouri hospitals.

Democrats are out of line for calling Republicans racist and homophobic for opposing certain legislation.

Missourian columnist George Kennedy asked last week whether Sen. Kurt Schaefer was playing politics or policy. Maybe the question should be: Should Schaefer's actions be considered juvenile and conspiratorial?

More than 40,000 traffic accidents in the state each year are attributed to inattentive or distracted drivers.

It's still possible to learn lessons up close and personal from elected representatives, contrary to what many might think about state and national legislators.

Most of the time, men and women have had such different upbringings as young adults that it could strike one as amazing that they would not require infinitely more socializing before they agreed to marry.

Battle Garden and Battle High School should include the first names of the Battles.