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Lawmaker calls for investigation of Station Casino

This is Laetitia Thompson for Missouri Capitol Caucus.

Three Republicans from the St. Louis area took their last stand on the Missouri Senate Floor.

St. Charles Seantor Steve Ehlmann, and St. Louis Senators Franc Flotron and Walt Mueller will leave the senate at the close of the chamber's veto session.

But Ehlmann, the current Republican Floor Leader, didn't leave the Senate Floor quietly.

Ehlmann called for an investigation of a possible illegal relationship between Station Casino Incorporated and a former chairman of the Missouri Gaming Commission.

The senator says Station Casino paid a Gaming Commission lobbyist a half a million dollar bonus.

But Ehlmann says what really happened remains unclear because the Gaming Commission hasn't enforced subpeonas to Station Casino officials...allowing those officials to ignore the subpeonas.

Ehlmann is not seeking reelection to instead vie for a judgeship.

This allows the senator to use the casino incident to highlight how campaign finance reform overlooks the potent effects of lobbyist money.

Ehlmann says before he leaves the Senate for good, he wants new subpeonas issued, or the current versions enforced by a circuit judge.

From the state capitol, I'm Laetitia Thompson.