Marshall Griffin

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon is in Afghanistan visiting members of the Missouri National Guard who won’t be home for the holidays. 

Missouri and St. Louis-area leaders are wrapping up a trade mission to China this week designed to revive the so-called China Hub project.

People and groups who work with Medicaid clients are urging Missouri lawmakers to expand coverage in next year’s state budget.

Monday was the first full day that Missouri lawmakers in both chambers can pre-file bills for next year’s regular session.  Much of the legislation pre-filed in  the State Senate so far deals with tax credits:

Members of the Missouri Senate have begun pre-filing bills for the 2013 regular session.

The Americans Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit against the state prison facility at Jefferson City over a policy they say is barring inmates from getting married.

House Democrats say they’ll again try to get campaign contribution limits restored in Missouri when next year’s regular legislative session begins.

The Missouri Supreme Court reinstated caps on campaign contributions in 2007, but a 2008 law removed them again.  Jake Hummel of St. Louis takes over next year as the top Democrat in the Missouri House.  He says they’ll push for an ethics bill similar to one in 2010 that had support in both parties.

House Democrats say they’ll again try to get campaign contribution limits restored in Missouri when next year’s regular legislative session begins. 

Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder is urging state lawmakers to refrain from creating a health insurance exchange or expanding Medicaid when they convene for their regular session next year. 

Members of a panel created to review Missouri’s tax credits, are leaning towards recommending that the cap on Historic Preservation tax credits be cut nearly in half.  The incentives program is popular with developers, but Democratic Governor Jay Nixon and a group of Republican State Senators say it’s draining off revenues from the state budget.