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NewsBook: Missouri Government News for August 26, 2002

 

. New budget director appointed (08/29/02)
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Bob Holden today announced the appointment of Linda Luebbering as Missouri's budget director.

She will replace Brian Long, who resigned last week.

Luebbering, 40, will be the first woman ever to serve in that position. She currently makes recommendations on the budget requests and legislation of four state departments. Prior to that, she was budget director for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Luebbering will start her job as budget director on September 3.

. Missouri's Supreme Court sets aside three death-penalty cases. (08/28/02)
JEFFERSON CITY - In decisions issued Wednesday, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned one death-sentence conviction, and set aside the death sentence in two other cases.

Missouri law provides an automatic review by the Supreme Court of death-penalty sentences. Life in prison becomes the sentence for the two.

The court overturned the conviction of Kenneth Baumruk who fatally shot his wife ten years.

In a 4-3 split decision, the court held that it was prejudicial to hold the case in the same St. Louis County courthouse where the shooting occured.

"The jurors, in effect, sat at the murder scene," wrote Judge Mike Wolff.

. Missouri gets its first confirmation of a West Nile disease death. (08/28/02)
JEFFERSON CITY - The federal Centers for Disease Control have confirmed that a 75-year-old St. Louis area woman who died earlier this month had West Nile disease.

There have been more than two-dozen human cases of suspected West Nile disease in the state, along with infections in numerous birds and horse deaths blaimed on the virus.

. Pot gets promoted by legislator with cancer. (08/28/02)
JEFFERSON CITY - A Kansas City area senator with lung cancer has endorsed legalizing marijuana for health reasons.

The endorsement came from Sen. Ronnie DePasco, D-Kansas City, on his first day in the statehouse since he was forced to leave the last month of the legislative session for diagnosis and treatment.

DePasco has two more years in the Senate before term limits will force him out of office.

DePasco had been a cigarette smoker.

. Making the Pledge of Allegiance mandatory in schools takes effect today. (08/28/02)
JEFFERSON CITY - The pledge law is one of about 170 bills passed earlier this year that took effect August 28.

The pledge law requires that pledge be recited at least once per week in public schools from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Students are allowed to opt out from reciting the pledge. The measure was one of several bills with patriotic themes filed in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Also taking effect are laws granting more emergency powers to the administration and law enforcement officials in case of an act of terrorism and creation of a special "God Bless America" auto license plate.

  • Call up the bill-search form to see more legislation.
    . Top legislators voice objections to the administration's $16,000 security door. (08/27/02)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Both the Senate's president pro tem and the chairman of the House Budget Committee have voiced complains about a $16,000 door the administration installed in the Capitol that controls access between the Senate's parking garage and the Capitol.

    Two Senate employees have claimed injuries within days of installation of the door that is designed to prevent more than one person passing through at a time.

    The Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder expressed anger that neither he nor the Senate's Administration Committee had been consulted before the installation.

    House Budget Committee Chairman Tim Green, questioned the need -- particularly with the state's current budget problems.

    . The lawsuit to block state funds to Planned Parenthood is dropped. (08/26/02)
    JEFFERSON CITY - The Cole County Circuit Court has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block state family planning funds to Planned Parenthood.

    The case had been sent back to the circuit court by the state Supreme Court because the state of Missouri, through the Attorney General, had represented both sides -- the administration that wanted Planned Parenthood to get the money and the legislature which had voted to block the funding.

    A more recent suit seeking to block the organization from getting state funds is pending in another Cole County court.