Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan enters the fall campaign with $1.7 million in his war chest, according to campaign finance reports filed Thursday.
The reports cover the close out for the August primary campaign and show how much candidates have in the bank for the start of the general election campaign.
Carnahan's GOP opponent, State Auditor Margaret Kelly, reported slightly more than $360,000 in surplus funds left over from the August primary.
That gives Carnahan a four-to-one cash lead in his campaign for re-election as governor.
A joint legislative committee concluded its second round of hearings with the co-chairmen suggesting the possibility stronger regulation of HMOs.
Last month, the committee heard a long list of complaints from managed-care clients.
One major issue getting committee attention has been under what circumstances manageed care plans will provide coverage for emergency-room care.
For more information, see our newspaper story.
Some education experts say the rise in SAT scores by Missouri high school students means less than one would think.
They say that a restructuring of the nationally administered test has made comparison of scores from previous years meaningless.
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A tentatively scheduled court hearing on Missouri's Hancock tax refunds has been delayed until late September.
A hearing had been scheduled For Sept. 4 on the temporary court order blocking the state from sending about $150 million in refunds to Missouri taxpayers.
The order was prompted by a lawsuit that challenges the Hancock provision that only income-tax payers will get the refunds.
Missouri's Conservation Department says trees in the state are being attacked by a high infestation of web worms.
The cause is the mild, wet summer.
But the department also says it's so late in the summer that web worms are not threating the trees' health -- just their appearance.
For more information, see our radio story.