Mo. House endorses voter photo ID requirement

Marshall Griffin and The Associated Press — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:31:06 +0000

The Missouri House has given first-round approval to legislation that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls.

Democrats and Republicans remain deeply divided over the issue: The 104-54 vote split along party lines, with every Republican present voting “yes,” and every Democrat “no.” Supporters argued that the bill would help prevent voter fraud. But State Representative Leonard Hughes (D, Kansas City) countered that the bill is unnecessary.

Mo. House endorses capping state budget

Marshall Griffin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:44:58 +0000

A proposed constitutional amendment that would place caps on the state budget has received first-round approval in the Missouri House.

The measure would limit state spending each year to the annual rate of inflation and would take population growth into account. The sponsor, State Representative Eric Burlison (R, Springfield), told fellow lawmakers that they should follow the example of everyday citizens who have to balance their household budgets. Democrats,however, including Leonard Hughes of Kansas City, argued that the proposed ballot measure would be redundant.