The Senate votes to cut back on auto-safety inspections. A House appropriations committee cuts funding for an anti-porn program. The governor's tax-cut plans emerge from committee. The House leadership's efforts to find a middle ground on partial birth abortion is abandoned. The St. Louis court-appointed desegregation settlement coordinator appears before the Missouri Senate.
County prosecutor begins investigation into prison sex-abuse charges.
A legislative plan to get the courts out of St. Louis and Kansas City schools is derailed. In a surprise development, the Senate Education Committee rejected Thursday a bill designed to end school desegregation court orders by guarantee more money to city schools. All the GOP members of the committee voted against the bill and two Demcrats did not vote. See our newspaper story and radio story for complete details. Legislation for government to help small business get health insurance coverage moves to the House.