Gov. Matt Blunt named a founding board member of a Kansas City charter school to the Education Board.

Nominated is the Rev. Stanley Archie.

Earlier this fall, Blunt nominated a proponent of school vouchers to the state board -- a nomination that has come under attack by critics who charge it would be a conflict of interest to have an Education Board member who supports state funding for private education.

Blunt said the board should reflect a diversity.

Both nominations must be confirmed by Missouri's Senate.

UM System President Elson Floyd told Gov. Matt Blunt nothing about his plans to resign when he met with the governor just one day before the official resignation announcement,

Hours after Floyd's announcement, Blunt refused to talk with reporters -- walking past a group of the statehouse press corps without saying a word.

Only the day before, the two men met to discuss higher education issues.

Several legislators, House Democratic Leader Jeff Harris -- whose district includes the main campus of the University -- said he was surprised by the announcement.

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Missouri Chamber of Commerce President Dan Mehan said that the top business-related issues for the next legislative session will be the implementation of a premium-offset program for small businesses, as well changes to Proposition B, which passed in November.

House Speaker Pro Tem Carl Bearden agreed that health care is an important issue for the legislature, but said that changes to the minimum wage statute will be delayed for future sessions.

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Senator Kevin Engler is proposing to fine campaigns that use automated calling without previous consent from each home.

The bill would not stop live people from calling different residences.

The governor urged the state's utility-regulating commission, the Public Service Commission, to delay action on the utility's latest rate increase request until the company comes forward with plans for how to avoid future storm-related outages.

More than one-half million Ameren customers were cut off after last week's snow storm -- some without power for nearly a week.

Asked what the state could do to ease the problem, Gov. Matt Blunt said it was the utility company's task to present solutions to the state.

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Preventive health care and rewarding good behavior would be the areas of emphasis under a plan presented by officials of the state administration to reorganize the state's largest welfare program.

The report suggests that rewards like dental care, not now covered by Medicaid, could be a reward for good-health practices like stopping smoking.  Even health care providers, like doctors, would get higher payments for better results.

The governor did not say what, if any, of the recommendations from his administrative officials that he will bring forward to the legislature in January.

The governor assembled a group of people to propose a new health care program for the Missouri.

The proposal is scheduled to be finalized by the end of December -- just days before lawmakers begin their session. The governor will review the proposal, and then propose it to the General Assembly.  

Medicaid is set to expire in June 2008.

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Due to the ongoing drought that has plagued the western states, the 2008 navigation season on the Missouri River could be canceled, according to the Natural Resources Department.

If the reservoirs that release water to allow navigation during times of drought dip below 31 million acre feet, the U.S. Corps of Engineers will not provide support for barge and tow traffic.    

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The Missouri Chamber of Commerce recently released its 2007 legislative agenda. In it, the Chamber set forth 57 recommendations for legislative action for the upcoming year.

The recommendations include the implementation of several health care programs for businesses, as well as the elimination of the Corporate Franchise Tax, and the creation of a uniform first day of school for Missouri public schools.

The Missouri Health Department evacuated three of its buildings due to the heavy amount of snow on the buildings' roofs.

Employees say they heard creaking and goaning coming from the roofs and that sagging was visible in the ceilings.

Over a quarter million residents in Missouri and Illinois are with out power. 

The Missouri National Guard is going door to door to help remove debris.

State offices will be open to those without heat.

Legislators heard testimony from concerned foster parents about the Missouri adoption system.

Foster parents say they are denied benefits for their children as the state's policies change.

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