Secretary of State Jason Kander established a new program he said is meant to protect Missouri elections and Missouri voters' rights Tuesday.

Kander's spokesperson Laura Swinford said the Elections Integrity Unit will work with local election authorities to investigate allegations of voting concerns.

Kander's website shows completed reviews of voting issues and will make the group's referrals and reviews accessible to the public.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, says Kander has yet to mention the unit to him. Schaefer says he does not know whether investigating voting complaints is under Kander's jurisdiction.

"Generally, most of that authority would lie with the Attorney General's office," Schaefer said.

Before creating the Elections Integrity Unit, Kander's office completed nine reviews since 2010 regarding improper voting registration, absentee voting and other election law violations.

Complaints can be filed over the phone or via the Secretary of State's website.

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Governor Jay Nixon announced Thursday he will issue an executive order to the Missouri Department of Revenue directing it to allow same-sex couples married in other states to file taxes jointly.

"I just don't think we should treat folks differently in this zone anymore," Gov. Nixon said.

For the first time, he said he supported gay marriage. Previously, he said he was against it.

"I think if folks want to get married they should get married," he said.

A constitutional amendment in 2004 specifically prohibits the state from recognizing same-sex marriage.

A spokesperson for the Missouri Republican party called the order "unconstitutional."

But Nixon said the order doesn't violate the constitution because it doesn't deal with the definition of marriage. He said, rather, it deals with the state tax code and discrimination.

"Many Missourians including myself, are thinking of these issues of equality in news ways and reflecting on what constitutes discrimination," Nixon said.

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Secretary of State Jason Kander's office gave initial clearance for an initiative petition to amend the Missouri Constitution, and it was made open for public comment on Wednesday.

The petition limits the amount of money Missouri lawmakers and candidates can receive. It also requires Missouri lawmakers and their staffers to wait two years after their time in office until they can engage in paid lobbyist activities.

Brad Ketcher, former Governor Mel Carnahan's Chief of Staff,  submitted the petition.

The public comment period is five days long, and it allows Missourians a chance to offer their opinions on the proposal.

"Kander instituted the public comment process, which includes posting the proposed initiative petition online as soon as its form is approved, to make the process more accessible and transparent for Missourians," said a statement released on Wednesday.

Kander created the public comment process during his first month in office.

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The interim Senate committee on Medicaid rejected the governor's call to expand Medicaid coverage for more lower-income Missourians.

Instead, the committee recommended major organizational changes in how coverage is provided to existing recipients.

Exclusion of expanding the program as recommended by Gov. Jay Nixon led the committee's three members to walk out of the Wednesday afternoon session.

The committee's recommendations would require all Medicaid recipients to receive services through managed care organizations rather than being able to directly go to specialists without referrals by a primary care provider.

The recommendations also include provisions to reduce use of emergency room visits for non-emergency care by recipients, encourage preventive care and cover dental services.

A House committee also has been reviewing the Medicaid system. It's chair included Medicaid expansion in his initial recommendation, but not as high as the governor has proposed.

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St. Louis resident Craig Mershon claims Ameren is harassing him and others who pay the minimum balance on their utility bill, by sending those customers disconnect notices.

He said the company continues to send disconnect notices even though he is not in immediate danger of having his utilities shut off.

Sarah Giboney, an attorney representing Ameren, said the company is following the law.

"The company is obligated under law and under our tariffs and under regulations to collect for the services that we provide," said Giboney. "Otherwise other people who haven't received the services will be paying those bills."

Despite Mershon's claims, Giboney said the Missouri Public Service Commission approved Ameren's process of notifying customers.

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The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to strike down a 2007 Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) fee increase.

MSD spokesperson Lance LeCome said the ruling, which upheld the lower court's decision, will continue to leave residents in the far West, South and North districts with minimal services.

"Customers are going to go without services, and many of those customers are impacted quite negatively by this lack of storm water funding," LeCome said.

The additional fee has not been collected since 2010. LeCome said the goal was to figure out how much water a resident's property could not absorb because that water ran off onto other land. MSD would then charge an "impervious fee" for the property area that could not absorb water to offset the damage the water runoff caused the county.

The court ruled that process was a tax instead of a charge. The Missouri constitution prohibits tax increases without a vote of the people.

MSD will be allowed to keep the $90 million it collected from 2008-2010.

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Gov. Jay Nixon called for an to end the economic 'border war' between Missouri and Kansas Tuesday, but House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, said Tuesday the legislature already has plans in the works.

"The legislature has been working on fundamental reforms which will improve our economy while ensuring we are able to escape the cycle of job loss which has come about as a result of the border war," Jones said in a press release. "We will continue with these efforts during the upcoming legislative session.”

Nixon said to an audience at a Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce event that he has been working with Kansas officials on a plan that would put an immediate moratorium in the region on the use of state incentives to draw businesses across state borders. He also called on state lawmakers to draft legislation putting similar moratoriums into law.

But Jones, whose effort to override the governor's veto of an income tax cut failed in September, called the move a power grab by Nixon's administration.

"Indeed, he has repeatedly stood in the way of efforts to make changes which would help put our economy back on track," Jones said.

Nixon's office did not return calls for a comment Tuesday.

Attorney General Chris Koster announced Tuesday that his office will not retry or pursue further action against 29-year-old Ryan Ferguson.

Ferguson was arrested in 2004 for the 2001 murder of Columbia Tribune reporter Kent Heitholt.

Ferguson's friend Chuck Erickson implicated Ferguson in Heitholt's murder after he said he remembered them doing it in a dream. But Erickson later recanted his testimony, along with another witness who said he saw the two at the scene of the crime.

Just last week the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals ordered Ferguson's convictions to be vacated, accusing the state of withholding exculpatory evidence from the defense. The act refers to what is called a Brady Violation.

The chairwoman of the local Republican district committee urged Gov. Jay Nixon to call a special election to fill a vacant southern Missouri House seat on Thursday.

Rep. Jason Smith, a Republican, held the 120th district House seat until he won a special election to the U.S. Congress in June.

The 120th district includes all of Crawford County and parts of Phelps county.

Chairwoman Pamela Grow said the seat being vacant for this long is not allowing the district's residents to have a voice in Jefferson City.

House Minority Leader Rep. Jacob Hummel, D-St. Louis, said in a statement Thursday that Rep. Steve Webb, D-St. Louis County, has gone back on his original decision to resign.

Hummel said Webb had told him Wednesday morning he was going to resign. But later statements Webb made to the media contradicted that.

"But for the sake of his family and constituents, I strongly believe that he should follow through with his original intentions,” Hummel said.

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House Minority Leader Jacob Hummel, D-St. Louis, released a statement Wednesday indicating Rep. Steve Webb, D-St. Louis County, would resign his House seat following stealing allegations.

Webb is accused of one felony count of stealing and seven other misdemeanors related to mishandling campaign money.

According to the probably cause statement the chairman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus withdrew $3,000 in campaign funds originally meant for a caucus reception in Washington D.C. and spent it on himself.

In his statement Hummel he thought Webb's decision to resign would be a good one, considering the seriousness of the charges, and that misappropriation of political donations for personal use cannot be tolerated.

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The State of Missouri and Jefferson City will split the tab to reopen a historic landmark.

Gov. Jay Nixon announced a $2 million project to reopen the Missouri State Penitentiary by Spring 2014.

“This agreement will ensure that its rich history can continue to be shared and experienced by all, while protecting the health and safety of staff and visitors at the site,” Nixon said.

The state and Jefferson City will each pay $1 million to finance the renovation. They are looking into hazardous material cleanup in some of the building’s housing units and the gas chamber.

The city’s Visitors Bureau Executive Director Diane Gillespie said the renovations will help return money to the state Capital.

“The Jefferson City Convention and visitors Bureau is deeply committed to this project and the potential it has to drive tourism in our city and the state of Missouri,” Gillespie said.

Public tours of the site began in 2009, and closed late September after environmental testing deemed several tour areas hazardous to the public.

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Representative Steve Webb, D-St. Louis County, is accused of one felony count of stealing.

KMOX reports the complaint against the chairman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus claims he withdrew $3,000 in campaign funds originally meant for a caucus reception in Washington D.C. but spend it on himself.

Webb is also accused of seven misdemeanor accounts involving the mishandling of around $70,000 in campaign money.

The Missouri Ethics Commission Director James Klahr said the organization can't comment on the investigation that led to the charges. He said the commission began the investigation, then handed it over to St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch, who then turned it over to police.  

The office of Minority Leader Rep. Jake Hummel, D-St. Louis, released a statement from Hummel saying, “Misappropriation of political donations for personal use cannot be tolerated, and, if guilty of the charges against him, Representative Webb will have to answer for his alleged actions. Representative Webb has told me he intends to resign his House seat later today. Given the seriousness of the charges, we believe that is the appropriate decision for himself, his family and, mostly importantly, his constituents.”

Webb was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008.

Gov. Jay Nixon announced Tuesday he's ready to talk Medicaid with state lawmakers.

Nixon asked members of the Missouri House and Senate interim committees on Medicaid Transformation and Reform to sit down and discuss reforms for the health care system two days before Thanksgiving.

Rep. Noel Torpey, R-Jackson County, said he's pleasantly surprised the governor is reaching out early.

"I think it's great that he's engaging in an issue before session starts," Torpey said.

Rep. Sue Allen, R-St. Louis County, said she is skeptical. As of Thursday, Nov. 7, Allen is leaning towards not attending the meeting.

"I think he's going to still provide all of his arguments on why we need to take the federal dollars along with the strings attached and expand," Allen said.

The governor's plan for Medicaid expansion died in the legislature during the last legislative session.

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House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, announced in a press release Tuesday he will create a special committee to investigate allegations of a "hostile" workplace environment in Gov. Jay Nixon's administration.

The announcement came after just last month, Dept. of Agriculture director Jon Hagler stepped down, following the resignation of an agency employee who recently filed a complaint against the department.     

“As this story has continued to evolve in the press I have heard from many Missourians who are deeply concerned by the allegations made against the former department director," Jones said. “Our goal is to root out any abusive behaviors and to make the department that oversees our state’s top industry the kind of efficient, well-run governmental agency that Missouri taxpayers deserve.”  

Jones appointed Rep. Casey Guernsey, R-Bethany, to chair the committee. Guernsey said he has worked closely with the Agriculture Department for over five years, and he has heard many allegations against the administration that go far beyond those that have reached the public so far.

"Because I work with the Department of Agriculture, it's natural that I develop relationships, friendships, acquaintances in the department who have to deal directly with the department," Guernsey said. "Because of that, I've heard a lot."

Guernsey said the scope of the committee's investigation will cover the entire Nixon administration.

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The Village of Uplands Park will be under St. Louis County governance in 2014 if a ballot issue passes.

If the ballot issue passes, the municipality would unincorporated and public services of the area would be turned over to county organizations.

Carmen Roberts, a trustee of the village, says Uplands Park can be self-managed.

"It is a very stable, even though it is strictly residential, community that can be maintained," Roberts said, "It simply needs to watch more carefully who they [residents] put in office."

Proponents of the dissolution say small municipalities should consolidate since many cannot afford to provide adequate public services.

Uplands Park is already patrolled by county police.

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A judge ruled Wednesday that red-light cameras conflict with St. Peters law.

Former Missouri Senator Jim Lembke said Monday he is hopeful that this ruling may help outlaw the cameras in the rest of Missouri.

Lembke said the dynamic of the general assembly has changed since his previous attempts to pass legislation outlawing red-light cameras, and he thinks the legislature could have better luck in the coming session.

"I think that there may be opportunities, especially in the light of this decision, that might give it some new energy," Lembke said.

Lembke says he thinks the cameras are set up to create revenue for municipalities, rather than for the safety of the public.

"These aren't about safety, these are about bringing in money to the coffers of these small municipalities, And they are just balancing their budgets on the backs of the taxpayers," Lembke said.

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