MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
The House Criminal Law Committee has approved and sent to the Senate a measure that would ban "infanticide" and partial-birth abortion.
The measure now before the House is similar to the bill vetoed by the governor two years ago. The governor insists any such proposal include an exception for cases when a woman's doctor concludes the procedure is necessary to protect the woman's health.
The legislature's measure makes preserving the woman's life the only exception.
See our newspaper story for details.
An attorney representing Missouri's Attorney General's office plans to ask Planned Parenthood to return more than $500,000 the state has paid the organization for familing planning.
The request comes in response to a federal appeals court decision which upheld the state's right to deny family planning funds to organizations that perform abortions -- a funding restriction aimed at Planned Parenthood.
The organization had been getting state funds prior to the court decision. It now argues that decision does not preclude funding to the organization -- although Planned Parenthood had been challanging the law.
See our newspaper story for details.
Missouri's Senate Transportation Committee has voted to stop the Revenue Department from releasing driver's license and auto registration records without the person's approval.
Under current law, the information is released unless the person has filed a request to keep that information private. Under the bill now before the full Senate, written consent would be required before the information could be released.
See our package of radio stories and our newspaper story for details.
The Senate General Laws Committee approved legislation required for Missouri to participate in the national tobacco settlement.
The measure would require off-brand tobacco companies to pay into an escrow account for the right to sell their poducts in Missouri. The proposal is designed to avoid a competitive disadvantage for the major manufacturers because of the payments they have to make to the states under the settlement agreement.
See our newspaper story and our package of radio stories for details.
Partisan bickering Tuesday blocked a Senate Democratic leadership plan to advance the governor's nearly $200-million tax-cut package. The Senate's Fat Tuesday debate on how to trim the fat lasted well into the evening for the first time this year.
Senate President Pro-Tem Ed Quick said the bill would not show up in the chamber again until Republicans are able to negotiate with the Democrats.
See our newspaper story for details.
Kansas City Democratic Rep. Marsha Campbell wants the state to keep a closer eye on the bail bondsmen who chase down fugitives.
She testified before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday that some bounty hunters take too many risks when apprehending criminals. She wants the state to license all bountyhunters, and require them to carry insurance.
See our package of radio stories for details.
The House passed and sent to the Senate a proposed constitutional amendment that lower the vote required to pass a school bond issue to a simple majority.
The proposal, if adopted by the legislature, would require statewide voter approval to take effect.
The House vote generally along party lines. See the roll-call vote.
By a margin greater than two-to-one, the Missouri Senate passed a resolution to rebuke the St. Louis School Board for its position in the desegregation settlement negotations.
The "remonstrance" protests the tentative settlement agreement provision that would exempt for two years the school board from the threat of abolishment if it does not meet state standards.
Under the school desegregation legislation passed last year, the school board's powers would be transferred to another body if the school system failed to meet state academic standards.
The tentative desegregation agreement reached by parties in the case would delay that provision for two years.
Both the Senate's Education Committee chairman and the chamber's GOP leader announced they will seek the St. Louis County congressional seat held by Rep. Jim Talent.
Talent has announced he will run for the GOP nomination for governor in 2000.
Because the seat of Senate Republican Leader Steve Ehlmann is up in 2000, Ehlmann's decision assures a change in the GOP leadership in the Senate in two years.