JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Senate has approved a bill that would restore funding to First Steps. The proposal would create a fee system based on family income. It would cost no more than $100 per month for families in the program.

First Steps is the program to help developmentally disabled children younger than three.

JEFFERSON CITY - Just hours after early-morning approval by the Senate, the House joined the Senate in passing the final version of the school-funding.

Passage came on a near party-line vote with Democrats complaining the seven year implementation was too long to fixing inquities in funding levels among the state's school districts.

The times have changed.

When the Missouri Senate opened its doors this year, not one of the senators who held office when voters approved term limits in 1992 remained. Despite the mixed results found by political scientists, supporters continue to voice vigorous support for the caps. But even those who have benefited most from the turnover won't deny a longstanding charge of their most vocal opponents: that the loss of experienced officeholders increases the importance of lobbyists and staff, behind-the-scenes players who never answer to voters.

The voice of expertise and instutional memory is heard less today on the floor of each chamber than it is in the backrooms of Capitol offices and lobbying firms. What follows is a look at five of the most powerful among them who -- by crafting policy, twisting arms or wooing voters -- play a more important role than ever.

Meet the Five

JEFFERSON CITY - With Senate Democrats walking out on debate over negotiated language for a new school foundation formula, the Senate passed the new proposal by a 24-9 vote. Freshman Sen. Frank Barnitz, D-Lake Spring, was the sole Democrat voting in favor of the bill.

Senate Minority Leader Maida Coleman, D-St. Louis City, said that with senators receiving the new language slightly before midnight Wednesday night, it was inappropriate to force the measure to a vote early Thursday morning.

JEFFERSON CITY - By a near party-line vote, at in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Missouri's House approved a plan to revise the state's school funding system.

Republicans argued the bill is needed to stop a lawsuit filed by about one-half of the state's school districts. But Democrats charge the bill does not do enough to close out the lawsuit.

Gov. Matt Blunt watched over the House debate until about midnight. The actual vote came just before 3:30am.

The House plan would take seven years to implement. The Senate version would be fully implemented two years earlier.

JEFFERSON CITY - By a substantial margin, the House rejected letting cops stop drivers for not wearing seat belts.

While a seat belt is required under current law, a driver cannot be stopped for not wearing one -- rather, there must be some other traffic violation before a ticket can be issued for not wearing a seat belt.

Earlier in the day Tuesday, the Senate approved allowing primary enforcement of seat belts, but added on repeal of the motorcycle helmet law for adults.

Both measures now head to a House-Senate conference committee.

JEFFERSON CITY - Faced with a filibuster from a fellow Republican, the Senate sponsor of legislation sought by the insurance industry agreed to gut his own bill.

The measure would have allowed an insurance company to keep secret internal audit information that uncovered information about company violations of laws or regulations.

Although the Senate cut out those provisions in the bill, they are not quite dead. The measure returns to the House which can reject the Senate changes and ask the Senate to take t

JEFFERSON CITY - Education financing tops the agenda for the final five days of Missouri's legislative session.

The constitution requires the session to adjourn by 6pm Friday, but Gov. Matt Blunt has vowed to call lawmakers into a special session if they fail to pass a new system for allocating state funds to local schools.

The proposal is now before the House, after being stalled in committee by an suburban-rural fight over funds.

Abouut one-half of the state's school districts have filed suit charging the current system is unfair in how it allocates state funds among the state's school districts.