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Missouri Government News for Week of Nov. 24, 1997

Gambling industry handed a major setback by the state Supreme Court.

In a ruling that appears to threaten millions of dollars in existing gambling facilities, the state Supreme Court ruled that casinos must be located "on" the Mississippi or Missouri Rivers -- not in a nearby moat.

The court ruled that the gambling constitutional amendment approved by the voters does not authorize gambling in basins connected to the river.

And in a paragraph that could have sweeping ramifications, the court held that its decision explicitly covers the Harrah's and Players casinos in St. Louis.

Both are located by a basin off the Missouri River, the court did not rule as to whether the casinos are in violation of the constitutional provision. That will be left for lower courts to decide.

Legislative panel votes to kill the St. Louis school board.

The legislature's joint committee on school desegregation voted to transfer powers of the St. Louis City School Board to a new panel appointed by the city's mayor.

That was one of several parts in a package adopted by the committee as an attempted settlement in the St. Louis and Kansas City desegregation cases.

The committee also approved extra state funding for the city school districts and a continuation of the voluntary school transfer program in St. Louis.

GOP Senate leader sues over school test score reporting by race.

A challenge to the state Education Department's decision to report school test scores will be heard Monday by the St. Charles Circuit Court.

The challenge was filed by Senate GOP leader Steve Ehlmann, R-St. Charles.

Monday's hearing will be on Ehlmann's request for a preliminary injunction against reporting the racial breakdown in the scores that are to be reported Dec. 1.

Revenue Department director quits.

Missouri's governor announced Monday the resignation of his Revenue Department director, Janette Lohman.

Lohman was the first woman to head the state's tax-collection agency. She leaves Dec. 31 to join a Kansas City law firm.

Lohman last made the headlines when she reversed a decision that had limited to food-stamp eligible stores the legislature-passed cut in the sales tax on food.

Original decision to limit the tax break had been widely criticized by legislators.

The two-minute drill hands KC another victory & St. Louis another loss.

Both the NFL games of both Kansas City and St. Louis were decided in the final minutes of Sunday's games.

Kansas City held off a closing-seconds drive by Seattle to finish the game with a 19-14 victory.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals failed in a closing-seconds drive to capture the lead over Carolina -- despite needing just three yard in four downs to reach the end zone. As a result, the Rams lost 16-10.

Meanwhile, Mizzou moved up two slots in AP's, getting placed at 19th among college football teams.