JEFFERSON CITY - With little fanfare and in private, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt signed Thursday afternoon the abortion restriction bill that had cleared the legislature the day before.

Because two-thirds of the legislature had approved an emergency clause, the bill took effect immediately upon the governor's signature.

But Missouri Planned Parenthood has vowed an immedate lawsuit to block implementation.

The law allows lawsuits to persons assisting minors having abortions without parental or court permission.

It also makes it a crime for someone to perform an abortion without privileges at a hospital within 30 miles.

In addition to the abortion bill, the governor also signed all the other bills passed by the special session of the legislature that adjourned earlier in the day.

JEFFERSON CITY - By an overwhelming margin, Missouri's House approved the abortion-restriction bill proposed by the governor.

Like the Senate last week, the measure won a two-thirds majority for an emergency clause that will put the bill into effect immediately upon the governor's signature.

The governor's spokesman said Matt Blunt would sign the bill immediately after he gets it.

Planned Parenthood, however, said it would file an immediate lawsuit.

JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri's House has sustained the governor's line-item veto of more than $200,000 in funds for Alzheimer's research grants.

The governor's office said they money actually was not used for research directly -- but rather funded higher education employees to write grants for research projects.

JEFFERSON CITY - Buyers along the Mississippi River are paying less for crops from Missouri farmers.

More than half of Missouri crops are shipped through New Orleans and currently only 70 percent of facilities are in operation.

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri State Governement Review Commission issued two proposals to conduct a one year study on state benefits such as health care and reitrement plans.

The proposals are looking into establishing a Division of Health Care and a Division of Retirement that would fall within the Office of Administration.

JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri's House voted Tuesday to revise a law passed earlier this year that prohibits Web sites from publishing the home phone numbers, addresses or Social Security numbers of government officials -- both elected and appointed.

That ban, which carries a misdemeanor penality, had been stuck onto an unreleated bill during the regular session earlier this spring.

Previously, a circuit court had issued an order prohibiting enforcement of the ban.

The revision approved by the House would restrict the ban only to cases where there was an intent to cause "great bodily harm" and it would cover all persons -- government officials as well as private persons.

Get the bill.

JEFFERSON CITY - The State Highway Patrol says 50 uniformed officers and 6 radio personel are helping out with Mississippi law enforcement in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The Patrol says it expects troopers to be there for about two weeks, protecting clean-up crews and keeping citizens away from dangerous areas destroyed by the hurricane.

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Department of Social Services is working with people displaced by Hurricane Katrina to ensure they continue to recieve government support in the Show Me State.

Families with dependent children who have been relocated to Missouri can be eligible for financial assistance so long as they plan to make the state their new home.

JEFFERSON CITY - In an 8-2 vote, the committee approved a bill restricting minors from crossing the Missouri border to get an abortion.