Government

Jefferson City, MO – At stroke of midnight August 28th, adult industries in Missouri will be much more heavily restricted.

Sexually oriented businesses, such as strip clubs and adult entertainment stores, will not be allowed total nudity, customers younger than 18 or any touching between partly clothed employees and patrons. There will be no alcohol served and doors will close at midnight.

Governor Jay Nixon signed legislation into law today.

Kansas City, MO – New and certain renovated homes in Kansas City would have to meet more stringent security codes under a measure given first round approval by a city council committee today.

Intruders would find it harder to kick in a door and security lighting would be required in new homes and rehabbed houses where doors and door frames are replaced.

Jefferson City, MO – A lawsuit has been filed in Jefferson City that's designed to stop the August 3rd referendum on Missouri's participation in the new national health care law. The referendum was approved by the Missouri House and Senate this year, and it states that citizens cannot be forced to buy health insurance against their will.

Kansas City, MO – Mayor Mark Funkhouser delivered his State of the City address on Thursday. Many said it was a kickoff event for his campaign for reelection.

The mayor said the the city has made progress under his leadership, tightening the budget, reining in tax incentives and eliminating 90 percent of the metal plates covering uncompleted street repairs.

Kansas City, MO – Kansas City will pay a $250,000 deposit to take the Power and Light Building and the block around it off the market while studies continue on creating a new convention hotel on the site. But Mayor Funkhouser still thinks it's a bad idea.

The city will lose the quarter of a million it doesn't build a hotel on the property, and the mayor says the "found money" from the restaurant tax could be better spent on neighborhood infrastructure or marketing existing hotels.

Shawnee Mission, Kansas – June 10th, noon, was the filing deadline for Kansans who wanted to run for office. Some 25 hopeful state legislators, U.S. representatives, even 2 U.S. Senate candidates got in just under the gun.

There are 7 candidates - 6 of them Republican - running for the 1st Congressional district in Western Kansas. 9 filed for the Senate seat vacated by Sam Brownback.

Brownback, who is running for Governor, filed just 10 days ago. His primary opponent, Joan Heffington, filed yesterday.

Kansas City – It's unclear how news of financial mismanagement at the Kansas GOP will affect the race for Secretary of State.

The Topeka Capitol Journal reported earlier this week that an FEC audit revealed the Kansas GOP inappropriately or illegally handled hundreds of thousands of dollars during 2007 and 2008.

Kris Kobach, now a candidate for Secretary of State, was the party chair during that time.

Kobach said he knew the issue is a distraction, but said he wasn't concerned it would hurt him politically.