Missouri legislature

Lawmakers are leaving Jefferson City for a week having sent a total of four bills to Gov. Mike Kehoe's desk, one more than last year at this point.

The changes tighten oversight of the state’s troubled marijuana microbusiness program, but lawmakers stripped out a proposal targeting people tied to denied or revoked licenses.

The Missouri House also approved sex trafficking legislation on Thursday.

The Republican-drawn congressional map divides Kansas City into three districts, and lumps the urban core with rural communities 200 miles away. While the map was upheld by a Jackson County judge, multiple other lawsuits against Missouri's mid-decade redistricting have yet to be decided.

A similar version of this bill was thrown out by the Missouri Supreme Court in January because of an unrelated item. Before it was struck down, that new process was put to the test over a proposed constitutional amendment to ban most abortions.

The legislation makes it easier for juveniles to be tried as adults and sets strict requirements for how long inmates must be imprisoned before they're eligible for parole.

A bill sponsored by a Grain Valley Republican would allow a license or permit issued by Jackson County to be valid for a mobile food business operating under any municipality in the county.

If the court strikes down the new map, Missouri's congressional lines would revert to the prior map — which keeps the bulk of Kansas City within one district.

While pregnant women can file for divorce in Missouri, a judge can prevent it from being finalized. The Missouri General Assembly unanimously approved a bill that would fix the loophole.

A push from Missouri's Republican attorney general to alter the census may lead to a radical shift in redistricting for state legislatures — drawing districts that don't take into account children and non-U.S. citizen adults.

Anti-capital punishment advocates say the death penalty is costlier to taxpayers than life in prison because many defendants appeal their sentences, and the appeals process can force victims’ families to relive their trauma.

Current law states nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses must have a collaborative agreement with a physician in order to prescribe certain medications.