Associated Press

Missouri lawmakers have passed legislation consolidating four of the state's business incentives.

The newly created Missouri Works program would be modeled after the current Quality Jobs program, which would come to an end.

A proposed 1-cent sales tax for transportation has stalled in the Missouri Legislature.

The sales tax proposal was projected to generate nearly $8 billion over a decade for state highways, local roads and other modes of transportation such as railroads, airports, mass transit and river ports. Cities and counties would each get 5 percent of the revenues, with the rest going to state projects. Voters would have had to approve the tax in 2014 to enact the proposal.

Missouri lawmakers have approved legislation that would require education officials to seek grants and donations to help children with special needs such as autism.

Financial resources could be devoted to scholarships or clinical trials for behavioral interventions. Scholarships could be used to help students attend a public school outside the student's home district or a private school.

Missouri senators have given up their attempt to pass an overhaul of the some of the state's tax credit programs for businesses and developers.

Supporters of the bill set it aside Friday after Republican Sen. Brad Lager, of Savannah, spoke against it for an hour in a filibuster that could have otherwise continued until the session's mandatory end at 6 p.m. The legislation would have created tax incentives for international air cargo exports, computer data centers and investors in startup technology companies.

Missouri lawmakers have passed legislation that could patch a hole in the state budget for early childhood programs and health care for the blind.

A bill given final approval Friday would transfer $55 million from general revenues into a new fund to finance the programs. The move was necessary because the 2014 budget passed last week by lawmakers called for funding the programs with savings from the repeal of a tax break for low-income seniors and disabled residents who live in rental housing.

Missouri lawmakers have given final approval to legislation that could allow quicker state intervention in failing school districts.

The director of Missouri's Medicaid health care program is out of a job.

Ian McCaslin confirmed to The Associated Press that as of Tuesday, he is no longer the director of the MO HealthNet Division of the Department of Social Services.

McCaslin declined to say whether he resigned or was dismissed by Gov. Jay Nixon's administration.

A Nixon spokesman referred questions to the department. The department provided a memo from Director Alan Freeman noting McCaslin is leaving but did not elaborate.

The Missouri House has approved legislation barring the state Revenue Department from scanning the personal documents of drivers' license applicants into a state computer system.

The House passed the measure 118-40 on Tuesday. It now returns to the Senate.

The Revenue Department began scanning documents, such as birth certificates and concealed weapons permits, in December. Agency officials say it provides more security to licensing. But Republican lawmakers objected to the procedures and argue it is an invasion of privacy.

Missouri House members have endorsed a 1-cent sales tax that would be dedicated to paying for state and local transportation projects.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would need to ask lawmakers for permission to purchase vehicles that cost more than $100,000 under a bill sent to Gov. Jay Nixon.