JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri lawmakers who want a private firm to scrutinize the state’s welfare rolls say it could save money by ending benefits for people who aren’t actually eligible. Rep. Marsha Haefner says case managers have too much paperwork to effectively manage their caseload. The St. Louis Republican said contracting a third…
( KTRS ) A two-state fight for a federal spy agency’s new regional headquarters and more than 3,000 high-tech jobs has gained increased urgency in St. Louis after the failed bid to build a $1 billion riverfront stadium. St. Louis leaders had envisioned a new Rams stadium and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency complex as anchors…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri lawmakers are blocking a tax increase on the state’s most valuable farmland. The Senate voted 29-2 on Thursday to reject the State Tax Commission’s plan to raise some agricultural tax values for 2017 and 2018. The House passed the same resolution last week on a 133-24 vote. It does…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois Democrats have approved $721.5 million for tuition grants and community colleges, but Republicans call it an empty promise because the state still doesn’t have a budget. The funding measure sent to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner Thursday allocates $324.4 million to community colleges for operating costs and $397.1 million to the…
( KTRS ) A fired Pine Lawn police lieutenant has been convicted of conspiring to falsely arrest a mayoral candidate. The U.S. attorney’s office says in a news release that 35-year-old Steven Blakeney has been found guilty of three criminal civil rights charges. Prosecutors say the false arrest happened in March 2013. Witnesses testified during…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Missouri Senate could debate a bill that would repeal the state’s death penalty. A Senate panel approved the Republican-sponsored legislation Tuesday. It would end capital punishment in a state that’s executed 18 killers in the last two years. Sen. Paul Wieland, of Imperial, is Catholic and opposes abortion. He…
BENTON, Mo. (AP) – A convicted murderer and a woman have been arrested for possessing child pornography in Missouri. The Scott County Sheriff’s Department says deputies found an inappropriate picture of a girl in the 67-year-old man and 58-year-old woman’s Benton home during a search Tuesday. The victim told investigators that the man had taken…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Lawmakers say last fall’s campus turmoil has made them question whether the four-campus University of Missouri System needs annual state audits. System officials told a Senate panel Wednesday they don’t oppose state audits and already conduct at least 50 internal audits a year along with a broad external audit. The…
( KTRS ) The University of Missouri’s governor board says it has suspended an assistant professor accused of assault stemming from a campus run-in with student journalists during protests in November. The University of Missouri system’s Board of Curators, announced Wednesday night that Melissa Click is suspended “pending further investigation.” Click gathered national attention after…
( KTRS ) The DEA will be holding a press conference, later this morning, to announce a new plan combating the heroin epidemic in St. Louis. The Drug Enforcement Administration says the “360 Strategy” is a “comprehensive law enforcement and prevention strategy” to help cities dealing with heroin, prescription drug abuse, and violent crime. Several…