// a href = ./ //

   JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - People fired for missing work and not following company rules could have a harder time claiming unemployment benefits under a bill sent to Gov. Jay Nixon.

   The House voted 98-57 to pass the measure Wednesday. The Senate passed the same bill in February.

   Fired workers who engaged in "misconduct" at the workplace can be denied benefits under current law. But the legislation expands the definition of "misconduct" to include chronic absenteeism and "knowing" violations of an employer's rules. The current standard requires "willful disregard" of an employer's regulations.

   Supporters say many workers fired for reasons such as sleeping on the job are allowed to collect benefits under the current system. Opponents say the measure could deny benefits to people fired wrongly.

   ST. LOUIS (AP) - The St. Louis office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is getting its first explosives-sniffing dog.

   The ATF says the 15 month old chocolate Labrador retriever, Andi, was raised by prison inmates through the program Puppies Behind Bars.

   Andi recently finished a 16 week training program at the ATF's National Canine Academy in Virginia. Her St. Louis trainer, special agent Alan Leah, worked with her over the last 10 weeks of training.

   The ATF says the dog will be used primarily on gun trafficking and search warrants.

   Attorneys for a former SIU Edwardsville student are asking the Illinois Supreme Court to uphold a lower court's decision to toss out their client's conviction of attempting to make a terroristic threat.  The filing on behalf of Olutosin Oduwole comes more than a month after he was ordered freed by a state appellate court.  

   Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is appealing the overthrown conviction on behalf of Madison County prosecutors.  

   Oduwole's attorneys now argue there's no compelling reason for the state's high court to hear the case, and their client's six-year ordeal constitutes an abuse of prosecutorial power and a waste of judicial resources.