Marshall Griffin

Credit Maria Frank
Statehouse Reporter

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!).  He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, their cat, Honey, and their newly-adopted puppy, Liberty Belle.

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Missouri Lawmaker Term Limits
11:32 am
Tue May 10, 2011

Mo. Lt. Gov. speaks out against term limit change

Credit (Official Photo via Office of the Lt. Governor)
Mo. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder.

Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder says the House should not pass legislation that would allow changes to the state's term limits for lawmakers.

Lawmakers currently are allowed to serve about eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. A proposed constitutional amendment passed by the Senate last month would allow lawmakers to serve 16 years total, with all that time either spent in one chamber or split among the two.

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Local Control
2:11 am
Tue May 10, 2011

Mo. Senate stops short of approving local control legislation

Credit (UPI/Bill Greenblatt)
The Thomas Jefferson statue stands on the steps of the Missouri State Capitol Building in Jefferson City, Mo.

The Missouri Senate last night stopped just short of approving legislation to restore local control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Some amendments were added to the local control bill.  They include giving two-thirds of the slots on the police pension board to retired officers and those associated with the police retirement system.  GOP Senator Kevin Engler of Farmington says they held off on first-round approval last night in order to give both sides time to review the changes:

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Missouri Legislature
9:39 am
Mon May 9, 2011

The 2011 Mo. legislative session: what's left in its last week?

Credit (via Flickr/jennlynndesign)
A look at the interior of the dome of the Missouri State Capitol building in Jefferson City, Mo. This is the last week of the 2011 legislative session for the state's lawmakers.

The last week of the 2011 Missouri legislative session has arrived.  Some major issues have already been resolved.  Lawmakers have passed the state budget, forced changes to dog breeding regulations in Proposition B and overridden the governor’s veto of the state’s congressional redistricting map - but there are still plenty of issues waiting for action.

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Morning round-up
9:23 am
Fri May 6, 2011

Morning headlines: Friday, May 6, 2011

Credit SLPRnews
Christopher Coleman was found guilty Thursday night in the strangling death of his wife, Sheri Coleman, and their two sons. The jury of 10 women and two men will now decide if Coleman should be sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty.

After Guilty Verdict, Jury Will Now Decide Coleman's Punishment

The jury that convicted Christopher Coleman in the murder of his wife and sons now must decide whether he’s eligible for the death penalty.

Jurors deliberated for nearly 15 hours over two days before finding the 34-year-old Coleman guilty of three counts of first-degree murder Thursday evening. Thirty-one-year-old Sheri Coleman and the couple's 9- and 11-year-old sons were strangled in their Columbia home in May 2009.

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State budget
4:18 pm
Thu May 5, 2011

Mo. budget goes to Gov. Nixon's desk

Credit (UPI/Bill Greenblatt)
The operating budget for the 2012 fiscal year is in the hands of Gov. Jay Nixon, shown here making his 2011 State of the State address, at which he also outlined his budget plans.

The $23 billion operating budget for the state of Missouri is on its way to Governor Jay Nixon (D).

Lawmakers in both chambers gave final approval to the package of bills this afternoon.

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