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Democratic Governor Jay Nixon took the Republican-led Missouri Senate to task today for blocking federal aid for public schools and thousands of unemployed workers.   

Jobless benefits end Saturday for 10,000 of out-of-work Missouri residents because a group of Senators, led by Jim Lembke (R, Lemay), has been blocking the enabling bill.  Lembke says they’re sending a message that Washington needs to rein in spending.

An effort to cap campaign contributions to candidates in Missouri has moved one step forward.

The secretary of state's office on Friday approved a summary for a proposed ballot measure. That clears the way for supporters to begin collecting the more than 91,000 signatures needed to put the question to voters in 2012.

The proposal would bar candidates from accepting more than $5,000 per donor for each election.

Missouri's campaign finance laws have undergone numerous makeovers in recent years.

Reporting from Illinois Public Radio's Luke Runyon used in this report.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk says Libyan rebels should be given weapons to help them quickly overthrow Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

The Illinois Republican says furnishing weapons will help end the Libyan war and limit costs for the United States and its allies. 

Kirk spoke with reporters Friday. He says the conflict in Libya needs to be finished quickly. 

View Interstate 70 in a larger map

Depicted is the area of Interstate 70 that was closed this morning due to an accident that injured a Missouri Department of Transportation worker.

A Missouri Department of Transportation worker is hospitalized after being struck on Interstate 70 in St. Charles.

Gov. Pat Quinn is getting ready to propose changes to the workers' compensation system in Illinois.

The Chicago Democrat on Friday said both the law and the Workers' Compensation Commission must be revamped. He says changes to the law would make the system more affordable for businesses while remaining fair to workers.