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NewsBook: Missouri Government News for the Week of September 29, 2008



. Some unsure of effects of home health care proposition (10/03/2008)

A ballot proposition concerning home health care aims to create the Missouri Quality Homecare Council amidst concerns about vague language and a covert unionization attempt.

Proposition B, as the initiative is to be called on the ballot, is sponsored by Missourians for Quality Home Care.


. A Kirksville murder case, involving the "Castle doctrine", awaits the Attorney General's review. (10/02/2008)

Jackie Gleason killed her estranged boyfriend Rogelio Johnson last may when he broke into her home, but a coroner's jury ruled the case a homicide.

Mark Williams is the Adair County Prosecutor and he says the case should fall under the "Castle doctrine," so he has asked the Attorney General to review the case.


. Break-in at McCain Independence Campaign Office. (10/02/2008)

Sometime between 10pm September 30th, and 6am October 1st, there was a break-in at the McCain's campaign office in Independence.

Only one computer was stolen but it had strategic campaign information stored on it.


. Missouri Association of School Administrators make gubernatorial endorsement (10/02/2008)

After interviewing Congressman Kenny Hulshof and Attorney General Jay Nixon, the MASA has endorsed Jay Nixon for Missouri Governor.

Executive Director of MASA, Roger Kurtz said Nixon's views on educational issues were in line with those of the organization, especially his opposition to vouchers and support for public education funding


. All Missourians will be effected by yesterday's stock plunge (09/30/2008)

 Professor and director of Financial Research Institute and J.H. Rogers Chair of Money, Credit and Banking Steven Ferris says that all Missourians will be adversely effected by the largest stock market plunge in history yesterday.

Effects range from retirement packages to mutual fund holdings. 

He does not for see another depression like that of the 1930's.


. Missouri's GOP candidate for attorney general proposes a program against cybercrime. (09/29/2008)

 The Republican candidate for attorney general, Mike Gibbons, announced Monday in Columbia a proposal for a new Cyber Crimes Unit in the Attorney General's office. 

Gibbons said the new office would work to protect children from Internet predators, as well as decrease the number of online-based crimes in the state.

Gibbons' proposal would create a team of one lawyer, two investigators and a computer forensics expert to work together when Internet crimes arise.  This team would then work with the pre-existing regional task forces and law enforcement agencies.


. Lt. Governor Kinder's temporary pay increases are called unethical (09/29/2008)

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder rewards staff members with pay increases ranging from 50-92 percent.

 A spokesperson for Sam Page, Kinder's opponent in his re-election calls the increases ironic and unethical.  


. Hulshof votes no on bailout; calls the bill excessive (09/29/2008)

Republican candidate for governor Congressman Kenny Hulshof voted no on Monday's House vote on the $700 billion plan to bailout the U.S. financial system, which ultimately failed with a vote of 228-205.

A spokesman for Hulshof's congressional office said Hulshof felt the bill was excessive and gave too much power to Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Henry Paulson.


. PSRS unavailable for comment (09/26/2008)

In wake of Washington Mutual bankruptcy, top executives of Public School Retirement Services were unavailable for comments.

PSRS handles all of the retirement plans for public school teachers.


. Home schooling operates on "honor system" (09/26/2008)

The selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the GOP vice presidential candidate has brought national attention to the issue of home schooling which Palin has championed.

Along with Alaska, Missouri is one of just ten states in the country that does not regulate or monitor home schooling, according to the Home Schooling Legal Defense Association.


. Neither Lt. Gov. Candidate to Receive 'Right To Life' Endorsement (09/25/2008)

When Missouri Right To Life, an anti-abortion rights organization, publishes its endorsements for statewide offices next week, both mainstream candidates for lieutenant governor will be absent from that list, a group spokesperson said Wednesday.

Pam Fichter, Missouri Right To Life board president, pointed to Peter Kinder and Sam Page's viewpoints on human cloning and stem cell research as reasoning for the non-endorsement.


. Missouri Bar denounces Hulshof's proposed changes to nonpartisan judicial selection (09/25/2008)

Two days after proposing changes to Missouri's nonpartisan judicial selection process, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof received slamming opposition from the Missouri Bar Association.

On Tuesday, Hulshof proposed a number of amendments that would correct what he identifies as an imbalance in the judicial selection process. The Missouri Bar Association is the most recent, and possibly most significant, body to voice opposition to the proposal.


. EPA publicizes revisions to Missouri's impaired waters list (09/25/2008)

The EPA is opening up a 60-day public comment period to discuss changes to the Missouri Department of Revenue's impaired waters list.

The EPA evaluated Missouri's 2004/2006 list of impaired waters and found waters not correctly identified.

Missouri also requested to have waters removed from the 2004/2006 list.


. Governor Matt Blunt is not ruling future campaigns for a public office. (09/25/2008)

In a press conference Thursday, Governor Blunt said that his campaign account will not be closed when his term ends.

Instead, he will be using the money to possibly help other candidates who share values similar to Blunt's.

He also may save some of his finances in case he runs for an office again.


. Governor Blunt disagrees with the President's bailout plan (09/25/2008)

In his first State Capitol press conference in 13 months, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt says President Bush's bailout plan will not salvage the economic crisis.

 Blunt says free market economy does not involve giving Wall Street 700 billion dollars.


. Democrats blame Blunt's initiative for MOHELA's first operating loss(09/24/2008)

A former board member of the state's college loan program and the Democratic candidate for state treasurer charged Republican Gov. Matt Blunt of destroying Missouri's loan authority during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

However, Republicans said Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority's losses had nothing to do with Blunt's legislation and were the effect of the national economic crisis.

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    . Due to heavy rain, Missouri's lawns are in trouble. (09/24/2008)

    The heavy rainy Missouri experienced is causing lawns and turfs to become compacted.  This cuts off their oxygen supply causing them to die.

    A Division of Plant Sciences professor from the University of Missouri gives some tips to prevent lawn compaction and promote a healthy turf.


    . The Missouri State Treasurer's Office is hosting investment workshops beginning Oct. 7, 2008. (09/23/2008)

    State Treasurer Sarah Steelman announced her office will be hosting investment workshops for various government groups.

    The workshops will highlight the treasurer's office's policies that have kept state investments from being significantly affected by the recent downfall in Wall Street.


    . More than 300 hundred illegal immigrants are behind bars according to Gov. Blunt's Office (09/22/2008)

    Gov. Blunt's August 2007 directive ordering state law enforcement to check the immigration status of anyone put up to go to jail led to more than 300 illegals going to prison.

    The Missouri State Highway Patrol contends it was their agency which was responsible for the success in the governor's first part of his wide scale illegal immigration crack down programs.


    . Nixon leads, but within the margin, in the latest newspaper poll. (09/22/2008)

    The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday that a statewide poll found Democratic Jay Nixon ahead of Republican Kenny Hulshof in the campaign for governor 50% to 43%.

    The margin, however, was just within the poll's margin of error of 3.5 percentage points (plus or minus) -- indicating a Nixon-Hulshof range from 46.5%-46.5% to 53.5%-39.5%. 


    . Heavy rains lead to harmful fungus that pet owners need to be cautious about. (09/22/2008)

    A veterinarian in Columbia said the symptoms an animal has if it eats a mushroom are common.  It is important to watch pets closely while outside to be sure they do not eat something poisonous because if they do it will be hard to tell.

    The head of research for the Missouri Mycological Society, which studies fungus, said that while some mushrooms are good, it is important to get rid of the bad.


    . Election leaders are poised for the polls record setting year. (09/22/2008)

    Director of elections Rich Chrismer of St. Charles County said that Missouri is ready for the up coming elections. He said his county is a microcosm of Missouri and is a good way to determine what the people of Missouri want in a leader.

    State Executive Officers are also prepared for the record number of voters. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has taken careful measures to assure every Missouri that there vote will count.