Government

Kansas City, Mo. – Kansas City, Missouri has an official city budget for the year beginning May first.

The $1.2 billion in spending the council approved preserves basic city services. But parks and boulevard medians will be mowed less frequently and fees for water, sewers and extra trash bag stickers will go up.

There's a property tax increase, but most owners won't feel it because it's designed offset lower property values.

Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder has announced his intent to join attorneys general in several other states in their suit challenging the federal health care law signed yesterday by President Obama. The lawsuit contends that the federal government cannot require people to have health insurance.

The Republican Lt. Governor told reporters he decided not to wait on Missouri's Democratic Attorney General to file suit.

Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder has announced his intent to join attorneys general in several other states in their suit challenging the federal health care law signed yesterday by President Obama. The lawsuit contends that the federal government cannot require people to have health insurance.

The Republican Lt. Governor told reporters he decided not to wait on Missouri's Democratic Attorney General to file suit.

Jefferson City, Mo. – The House Budget Committee spent nearly four hours Wednesday night amending and voting on bills that make up the state budget.

Committee members only made it through about a third of the budget bills before calling it a night.

House Budget Chair Allen Icet says so far they've identified 65 million dollars that can be trimmed from various departments.

"None of these should affect any services or anything. For the most part, it was either lapse, or funding that would be considered excess," says Icet.

Topeka, Kan. – A special House committee will start hearings on an ethics complaint filed against House Speaker Mike O'Neal. the committee decided not to dismiss the complaint against the Hutchinson Republican.

By Up to Date

Kansas City –

Kansas City, Mo. – Kansas City, Missouri will not get a new city department to manage construction projects. The city council voted that down 7 to 6 yesterday. But the city Human Relations Department was re-empowered in a last-minute move.

The Human Relations Department has always been a department according to the city charter. But former city manager Wayne Cauthen gave it division status within his office. That means HRD didn't have its own separate budget, and some council members also said it "degraded the status" of HRD.

Kansas City, Mo. – The Area Transportation Authority expects to be in a tough financial state by 2013. It faces possibility of cuts in service by one-third. The message was delivered to the Kansas City Council this afternoon.

A major impact will come from loss of one-time federal stimulus money.