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Latest Missouri Government News as of April 19, 1996

• Legislature Passes Removing Age Limit for School Bus Drivers (4/18/96)
• Concealed Weapons Dies in Committee (4/16/96)
• Pressure Mounts on Lawmakers to Pass a Tax Cut (4/16/96)
• Safe Schools Clears Committee (4/16/96)
• Mental Commitment Overhaul Approved (4/16/96)
• House Passes Abortion Restriction bill (4/15/96)
• English-Language Bill Defeated (4/15/96)

The House passed and sent to the governor legislation that will remove the age limit on school bus drivers.

For more information, see:

• The radio story.
• The roll call vote.

The campaign to give Missourians the right to carry concealed weapons has been declared officially dead for the 1996 legislative session.

A House committee rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would let Missourians vote on the issue.

As with the Senate, the sponsor blamed the defeat on the NRA which has opposed letting Missourians vote on the issue. The NRA argues lawmakers themselves should pass a concealed-weapons law.

For more information, see:

• The newspaper story
• The radio story with digital audio

Republicans and welfare advocates are calling Democratic leaders of Missouri's legislature to allow a vote on legislation to cut taxes.

The governor had called for a sales tax reduction in January and bills to cut taxes have cleared committee. But Democratic sponsors have not brought the bills up for a full House or Senate vote.

For more information, see:

• Welfare activists support a sales tax cut for food (radio story with digital audio).
• The GOP blame Democrats for stalling on tax-cut legislation (radio story with digital audio).
• Welfare advocates & GOP calling for legislative action on the stalled tax cut bill (newspaper story).

The governor's proposal crack down on violence in schools has been cleared by a Senate committee.

Like the House, however, the Senate committee did not include the governor's idea for tougher penalties against students who assault school staff.

For more information, see:

• The newspaper story with digital audio.
• The radio story with digital audio.

The Senate has given first-round approval to a major overhaul of the state's laws governing commitment of the mentally ill.

However, the Senate voted to retain a provision in existing law which requires for commitment evidence that a person poses a physical danger.

For more information, see:

• The radio story.
• The newspaper story.

After a relatively short debate, the House overwhemling approved legislation to impose requirements on doctors who perform abortions.

The measure now goes to the Senate.

Last year, lawmakers approved imposing requirements on women seeking abortions. But that measure was vetoed by the governor.

For more information, see:

• The roll-call vote.
• The newspaper story.
• The radio story.
• A second radio story.

A Senate committee has defeated legislation that would declare English to be the state's official language.

The measure had approved overwhemingly just a couple of weeks ago by the House.

Committee defeat, however, may not be final. The committee's chairman and one opponent said reconsideration of a revised proposal was possible.

For more information, see our complete newspaper story.