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NewsBook: Missouri Government News for Week of March 3, 2003

 
. Eleven motor vehicle offices will close if cuts go through (3/07/03)
JEFFERSON CITY - The Department of Revenue will close all eleven state motor vehicle and licensing offices if cuts a House Appropriations Committee recommended are finalized.

Three offices each in St. Louis and Kansas City would be closed, as well as offices in Columbia, Springfield, Jefferson City, Joplin, and St. Joseph.

Revenue Department Director Carol Fischer said the proposed $21 million cut to her department would force the layoffs of 400 state employees, including workers in the Division of Taxation and Collection as well.

  • Get the newspaper story.
    . House passes concealed weapon bill (03/06/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri House passed a bill that would allow state residents to carry concealed firearms with certain restrictions. The bill now heads to the Senate for debate.

  • Get the newspaper story
  • Get the roll call.
    . A Senate filibuster stalls action on an anti-abortion bill. (03/06/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Seven hours of debate blocked a Senate vote on legislation that would impose restrictions on persons assisting minors get an abortion.

    The measure is designed to stop adults from driving minors to the state of Illinois where they can get abortions without parental consent.

    In the House on Wednesday, legislation to impose a 24-hour waiting period for an abortion was debated, but put aside before a vote was take.

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    . Lawmakers approve an investigation into allegations of a Holden administration gag order. (03/05/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - On a straight party-line vote, the Joint Committee on Legislative Research approved an investigation into whether there has been efforts to gag administration officials about the state's budget.

    The investigation was prompted by a memo from a Natural Resources Department worker warning that others would be fired if they answered legislative questions about where budget cuts could be made.

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    . The governor's chief of staff announces his departure. (03/05/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - The governor's chief of staff, Mike Hartman, announced Wednesday his plans to leave at the end of March.

    Hartman was the last of the senior staff for Gov. Bob Holden when he first took over the governor's office two years ago.

    In addition to Hartman's departure, the governor has had to replace a prior chief of staff, his budget director, legal counsel, chief spokesperson, lobbyist and administration commissioner.

    Holden has suffered the highest turnover of top staff of any Missouri governor in decades.

    . Missouri's budget woes worse than 40 other states (03/05/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri's current budget woes may cause it cut health care coverage for 80,000 poor children, keep hundreds of inmates in a crumbling and outdated prison, and slash class offerings at the state's universities.

    But Missourians should consider themselves lucky compared with Alaskans or Californians. Those states face budget holes proportionately twice as large as Missouri.

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    . Missouri's House approves concealed weapons. (03/05/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri's House voted to allow what Missouri voters rejected just four years ago -- legalizing concealed weapons.

    The House gave the measure first round approval on a voice vote as hundreds of pro-gun advocates rallied in the statehouse.

    The measure faces one more vote in the House before going to the Senate.

  • Get the package of radio stories.
    . Republicans call for investigation of DNR gag order (03/04/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Republican leaders Tuesday called on the Natural Resource Department officials to testify before a joint committee that will investigare a document circulated in the department instructing employees not to talk to legislators about budget priorities.

    The Joint Committee on Legislative Research is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning to authorize the investigation.

    If the department director, the administrative officer and the employee believed to have started the memo do not provide voluntary testimony, Speaker Catherine Hanaway, R-St. Louis County, said the committee would issue subpoenas to force it.

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    . Republicans file an FOI request for budget documents of the governor. (03/03/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri's Republican Part has filed a request with the office of Gov. Bob Holden for all records relating to the state's budget.

    State law makes most documents held by government public information.

    The GOP request follows last week's charges from the House Speaker that state workers were being discouraged from assisting legislators in identifying where to make cuts to balance the state's budget.

    Holden's budget is balanced through tax increases exceeding $750 million per year -- an idea that has been rejected by lawmakers.

    . Holden responds to Republican allegations of a 'gag order' (03/03/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Bob Holden Wednesday sidestepped Republican leaders' call for a directive authorizing state employees to speak openly with lawmakers about budget cut ideas.

    Get the newspaper story

    . Missouri's oldest prison may stay open another year (03/03/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - The oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi may stay open another year, according to House budget committee Chair Carl Bearden. The Jefferson City Correctional Center, which opened in 1836 as the Missouri State Penitentiary, was scheduled to be replaced by a new facility next year. With a tight budget, the Department of Corrections may have to wait another year.

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    . Kinder says Holden's Jobs Summit missed important economic issues (03/03/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Kinder says the private sector was not well represented at the Summit.
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    . Holden side-steps questions about his involvement in gag order issued to state employees (03/03/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Speaking out for the first time since a gag order issued to state employees became public, Holden would only say that he has not asked anyone to remain silent on questions about his budget plan.
  • Get the radio story.
    . Summer school funding targeted by lawmakers for cuts (03/03/03)
    JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri public schools have counted on double the state dollars for summer school students during the past ten years. But those extra dollars may soon be gone. Lawmakers are considering cutting the double funding -- worth an estimated $91 million -- to help plug the state's projected $1 billion budget gap for 2004.

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