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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri House committee is considering legislation that would eliminate a time limit for prosecuting cases that involve sexual offenses against children or teenagers.

Currently, prosecutions must start within 30 years after the victim turns 18. It does not apply to cases of forcible rape or forcible sodomy, attempted forcible rape or attempted forcible sodomy and kidnapping.

A House public safety committee considered a proposal Monday that would repeal the time requirement for sexual offenses that involve someone age 18 or younger. The legislation also would allow child abuse cases to be prosecuted at any time.

In January, a state task force focused on preventing child sex abuse recommended eliminating the statute of limitations for first-degree statutory rape and first-degree statutory sodomy.

   

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The top budget writer in the Missouri House has outlined a spending plan that omits Governor Jay Nixon's proposed Medicaid expansion.

The plan presented Thursday by Budget Committee Chairman Rick Stream would also provide a smaller increase for public colleges and universities than Nixon had proposed for the 2014 fiscal year.

The Democratic governor wants to accept about $900 million from the federal government to expand Medicaid health care eligibility to nearly 260,000 lower-income adults. But Stream said he left that out of the budget because it runs contrary to Republican philosophy against bigger government.

Nixon had proposed a $34 million funding increase for colleges and universities. Stream's proposed budget pares that back to $20 million. It also provides less money for early childhood programs than Nixon had sought.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Republican-controlled Missouri House members have approved a proposal that would require voters to show photo identification at polling places.

Proponents say requiring voters to show a government-issued photo ID before casting ballots would help prevent election fraud. Critics argue Missouri has had no known recent instances of voter impersonation. They also say the rule could make it harder for some people to vote.

Lawmakers have discussed the proposal several times in recent years, with the debate generally falling along party lines.

On Wednesday, House members approved a constitutional amendment allowing for a photo ID requirement. Lawmakers then endorsed separate legislation that would implement it. Both measures require another vote before they move to the state Senate.

Local governments may soon lose the power to ban smoking in casinos within their jurisdictions.

That's what State Rep. Bill Otto is proposing. The St. Charles Democrat is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit local smoking bans if smoking is still allowed at a competing casino within 75 miles.

If passed, the measure would prevent the St. Louis County Council from ending the casino exemption in the county's smoking ban -- a move that has been debated in the county council in recent weeks.

Developer Paul McKee will be in Jefferson City Tuesday, trying to save his stalled NorthSide Regeneration project. The McEagle Properties chairman will ask the House Economic Development Committee to extend the tax credit program he's been using to amass land for the project.

The $95 million Distressed Areas Land Assemblage credit was passed in 2007 and will expire this August.

McKee's company has received more than $40 million so far and amassed 2,200 parcels of land in north St. Louis for the project. But McKee told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he's needs to buy another 500 parcels for contiguous sites.

The NorthSide project calls for new and refurbished homes, retail and manufacturing space, along with schools and medical facilities on a two square mile area just north of downtown.

Developer Paul McKee will be in Jefferson City Tuesday, trying to save his stalled NorthSide Regeneration project. The McEagle Properties chairman will ask the House Economic Development Committee to extend the tax credit program he's been using to amass land for the project.

The $95 million Distressed Areas Land Assemblage credit was passed in 2007 and will expire this August.

McKee's company has received more than $40 million so far and amassed 2,200 parcels of land in north St. Louis for the project. But McKee told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he's needs to buy another 500 parcels for contiguous sites.

The NorthSide project calls for new and refurbished homes, retail and manufacturing space, along with schools and medical facilities on a two square mile area just north of downtown.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri House committee has adopted a measure requiring voters to show photo identification before casting ballots.

The House Elections Committee approved a state constitutional amendment that would ask voters whether to allow the photo ID requirement. The committee also approved a separate bill that would implement the photo identification requirement.

The vote was along party lines, with Republicans saying the photo ID requirement would increases transparency and reduce voter fraud. Democrats said there are no reports of voter impersonation and that the plan could disenfranchise voters.

Currently when Missourians vote, they can show a photo ID or other means of identification such as utility bills or bank statements.

Both measures head to the House Rules Committee for further consideration.