The Kansas House sends a bill massively cutting taxes to Governor Sam Brownback. U.S. Senator Roy Blunt says the student loan debate is a political maneuver. A foreclosed mansion now houses art. Those and more stories from KCUR.
The Kansas House Sends Massive Tax Cut Bill To Governor’s Desk
The Kansas House has sent a massive tax-cutting bill to Gov. Sam Brownback. The House bypassed a tax compromise reached between the two chambers, instead voting to agree with a larger tax bill that was previously passed by the Senate. Read more here.
Blunt Calls Student Loan Debate A Red Herring
Missouri’s Republican Senator says he’ll continue his opposition to a plan put forth by Democrats to extend federal subsidies for student loans for another year. Roy Blunt says an alternative plan would accomplish the same goal, without raising the deficit. Blunt says he supports freezing student loan interest rates where they are now, at 3.4 percent, but says he would pay for the subsidy by taking the money from part of the President’s 2010 healthcare overhaul. Lear more here.
Foreclosed Mansion Becomes Home For Art
Foreclosures have been down by about 25% in both Missouri and Kansas during the first quarter of 2012, but it’s still common for banks to take more than a year to even begin the foreclosure process. This leaves a lot of owners and tenants in a limbo without legal guidelines. Now, a schoolteacher is using this state of limbo to create a haven for artists. Read more here.
Dred Scott Inducted To Hall Of Famous Missourians
Former slave Dred Scott has been inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians. In 1846 he filed a lawsuit in St. Louis seeking his freedom, after his master had moved him to Illinois, a free state. Following an 11-year legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1857 ruled against him, stating that black people were not U.S. citizens and did not have the right to sue. Find out more here.