Missouri Digital News will be on a break for the last week of 1998. We resume updating our news headlines and archives on January 4.
Have a happy holiday season.
Missouri's attorney general has hit another snag in his efforts to join the national settlement with the tobacco industry.
Two St. Louis area women have filed a motion that smokers -- not just government -- should share in any payments by tobacco companies.
The two seek a class-action intervention in the state's suit on behalf of Missouri smokers.
But the attorney general wants to drop the suit so the state can join in the national settlement.
Jackson County's prosecutor, who becomes state auditor in January, told reporters her office has discovered Missouri does not have a law against bribing a public official who is not paid.
While there are criminal laws against bribing salaried government workers, a loophole in the law going back to at least 1978 excludes unpaid officals like school board members.
A St. Louis circuit judge had turned down the state Attorney General's request drop the state's tobacco industry lawsuit as part of the nationwide settlement.
Instead, Circuit Judge Jimmie Edwards said he wanted first to decide on various requests by other parties to intervene in the case.
Edwards' decision guarantees the tobacco settlement will not be resolved before Missouri's legislature begins its session January 6.
A St. Louis circuit judge has delayed a decision on an issue that is holding up Missouri's role in the tobacco settlement worth more than $200 million per year to the state.
The issue is whether St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jackson County, Kansas City and a group of 50 hospitals can intervene in the state's case against the tobacco firms.
Intervention would prevent the state from dismissing the suit -- which the state must do in order to join in the national settlement.
Both Kansas City and Jackson County have sought to intervene in the state's lawsuit against the tobacco companies -- a move the state Attorney General's office warns could jeopardize the state's settlement.
Earlier, St. Louis and a group of hospitals in the state had filed their own motions to join in the lawsuit.
Missouri stands to gain more than $200 million per year as part of the national settlement with the major tobacco firms -- but only if Missouri drops its lawsuit. Intervention by outsidee parties could stop the state from dropping the suit.
A St. Louis circuit court has scheduled a session Thursday on the case.
See our newspaper story for details.
Lt. Gov. Roger Wilson has accepted a part-time job with an investment-management firm.
The Columbia Democrat said the work would not detract from his governmental duties and that he would do his private work at an office in his home.
Wilson's decision immediately was attacked by the state GOP. It was the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor in 1972, William Phelps, who first campaigned on the issue that the lieutenant governor should be full time -- earning him the nickname Full-time Phelps.
See our newspaper story for details.
Just before boarding an airplane to Washington, 9th-district Congressman Kenny Hulshof announced he would vote for the first three articles of impeachment against President Clinton.
Hulshof said he will not support the fourth article, which concerns abuse of power. Hulshof, a former prosecutor, equated the impeachment debate to a death penalty case, saying he considered his decision with as much gravity as he did decisions concerning executions.
See our package of radio stories with digital audio for details.
Also see our newspaper story on the plans of state officials to watch or not watch the impeachment debate.
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