JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Republican leaders in the Missouri House are pleased, but not impressed, with Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster's decision to file a legal brief in support of Florida's lawsuit challenging the federal health care law.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two proposals to raise taxes on cigarettes in Missouri have been filed in the State House. Missouri currently has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation at 17 cents a pack.
One bill would raise the tax by 12 cents a pack, while the other would raise it by a dollar per pack.
Republican House Speaker Steven Tilley remains opposed to raising taxes on anything, cigarettes included, but says he won't block either bill.
Jefferson City, MO – Though the recent trend in Missouri has been to go smoke free, the Missouri House voted Thursday to continue to allow smoking in members' offices in the Capitol building.
Smoking is already banned on the House floor and in the public viewing chambers above. But an attempt was made Thursday to extend that ban to the entire House side of the State Capitol, including the individual offices of every House member. The measure was sponsored by Democrat Jeanette Mott Oxford of St. Louis.
Jefferson City, MO – The Republican-dominated Missouri House has passed a non-binding resolution urging state officials to join a multistate lawsuit challenging the federal health care overhaul and calling on Congress to repeal the law.
The House approved the resolution Tuesday on a vote of 115-46.
The measure calls on Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster to join with other states in suing over the federal health care law passed last year, or to file a separate suit.
Jefferson City, MO – Republicans in Missouri are praising Monday's ruling by a federal judge in Virginia that declared portions of the new federal health care law unconstitutional.
The Missouri Republican Party released a statement criticizing Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill for supporting the bill and "thumbing her nose at the clear will of Missourians."
The State GOP also accused Governor Jay Nixon of ducking the issue altogether.
Nixon did respond to a question about the ruling during a press conference in Columbia on Monday.
Kansas City, MO – Pharmacies in Missouri would not be required to stock the "morning after" pill and could not be sued for it, under legislation proposed in the Missouri House.
The bill is sponsored by State Representative David Sater (R, Cassville), who owned and operated a pharmacy in Barry County for 30 years. He says it would not bar pharmacies from selling the pill, but would guarantee their right not to if the owners so choose.
Jefferson City, MO – Some Missouri lawmakers are questioning the way Medicaid benefits are doled out.
Currently, three state agencies -- The departments of Social Services, Health and Senior Services, and Mental Health -- disperse the bulk of Medicaid payments to clients.
Ryan Silvey of Gladstone, the incoming House Budget Committee chair, says that may have to change.
Jefferson City, MO – The Republican majority in the Missouri General Assembly has grown larger, particularly in the (Missouri) House. St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin reports.
Republicans picked up 17 seats in the State House, beating ten incumbents and winning seven open seats held by departing Democrats. That means they'll now hold 106 seats to the Democrats' 57. The new GOP caucus has also elected new leaders, choosing Steven Tilley of Perryville as the next Speaker of the House.
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri election officials are predicting 51 percent of Missouri voters will cast ballots in the general election next Tuesday. Laura Egerdal with the Secretary of State's office says that number is about average for a non-presidential election year. But she also warns that long lines are possible late in the day.
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri Governor Jay Nixon made a rare campaign appearance Monday for fellow Democrat Robin Carnahan (Secretary of State, running for US Senate) at an event near Kansas City (Excelsior Springs). The governor has been mostly avoiding the campaign trail this year, which he suggests can also be a winning strategy. St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin explains.
Nixon says he can best help Democrats running for office by doing his job as governor.
Jeffrson City, MO – Attorneys general in all 50 states are jointly investigating whether mortgage companies mishandled documents that resulted in hundreds of thousands of home foreclosures across the country.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster says it appears that some foreclosure affidavits were signed without confirming whether the information contained in them was accurate, a process known as "robo-signing."
Jefferson City, MO – The deadline to register to vote in Missouri this year has passed. State officials now turn their attention to absentee voting and making sure people's addresses are correct. St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin reports.
Laura Egerdal with the Secretary of State's office says Missourians who want an absentee ballot mailed to them have until October 27th to request one.
Jefferson City, MO – Some Missourians with developmental disabilities will now be able to receive services while living at home, thanks to a new county, state and federal partnership.
The program will provide up to $12,000 per year per person for 470 disabled Missourians in 37 counties, including several in the Kansas City region.
Roger Garlich, with the State Department of Mental Health, says the program includes about 18 services.
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri's congressional candidates have been added to a national database whose creators say will show voters where they're likely to stand on national issues. It's called Vote Easy, and it was set up by Montana-based Project Vote Smart.
Adelaide Kimball is a board member and senior advisor for the group. She says most candidates don't like telling voters how they would vote on such issues as abortion, immigration and gun control.
Jefferson City, MO – The heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of the Midwest have so far not delayed crop harvests in Missouri. Last year's drenching rains led to late corn and soybean harvests and prevented farmers in Missouri from planting winter wheat. Gene Danekas with the U.S.D.A. says this year's situation is not as severe.
"42 percent, almost half of the corn, has been harvested, that's well over 3 weeks faster than we were last year," says Danekas. "I know there's some wet fields, especially after this last week, so that'll probably slow them down somewhat."
