Jamilah Nasheed

(updated version)

Teachers with tenure in St. Louis could be fired for incompetency under a bill that was passed Thursday by the Missouri Senate.

The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus is speaking out against legislation in both the House and Senate that would require voters to show photo ID’s at the polls.

In each chamber there are proposed constitutional amendments that would allow for photo ID requirements, along with accompanying bills that would enact the proposed requirements -- HB 48 and HJR 1 in the Missouri House, and SB 27 and SJR 6 in the Missouri Senate.  State Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D, St. Louis) chairs the caucus.  She and other caucus members say Republicans are trying to suppress the voting rights of minorities, the disabled, the poor and elderly.

Legislation has been filed in the Missouri Senate that would lay the groundwork for restoring an elected school board for the city of St. Louis.

The city's school district regained provisional accreditation last September, and if it can maintain it for a full year, the bill would then require that a locally elected school board replace the state-appointed board on July 1st, 2014.  It’s sponsored by State Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D, St. Louis).

In 1961, Theodore McNeal, an official with the union representing Pullman porters, went to Jefferson City as the Senator from the 7th District.

Since then, the city of St. Louis has always had at least one black state senator. But redistricting and term limits may put that 52-year-streak in jeopardy.

Updated 4:34 p.m. with comments from Rep. Sylvester Taylor. 

Usually, the residency requirement for political candidates is just another box to check, but two cases involving St. Louis-area office-seekers have not been so clearly defined - until today.

The Missouri Supreme Court is being asked to decide who qualifies to run for the state Legislature when boundaries are changed during redistricting.

Democratic House members Rochelle Walton Gray and Sylvester Taylor each filed to run in the 75th House District in St. Louis County. That district was redrawn last year and includes pieces of both lawmakers' current House districts. Gray lives in the new 75th District, and Taylor does not.

Whether Mo. House member Jamilah Nasheed will qualify to be on the Democratic primary ballot against incumbent Sen. Robin Wright-Jones in the 5th Senate District is now up to the Missouri Supreme Court.

The Missouri Court of Appeal's Eastern District said in a ruling Wednesday that Nasheed does not appear to meet the residency requirement for running in the 5th District. But the court transferred the case to the state Supreme Court because of the importance and general interest of the issue.

Updated 4:32 p.m. with statement from Nasheed.

Mo. State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed announced her run against incumbent State Sen. Robin Wright-Jones in January - but now it seems Nasheed may be leaving the ticket, at a judge's orders.

A proposed constitutional amendment that would cap the size of the state’s budget has passed a Missouri House committee.

The measure would prevent lawmakers from increasing state spending more than the rate of inflation. They would also have to take population growth into account when writing the state budget.  It’s sponsored by State Representative Eric Burlison (R, Springfield).

State Representative Jamilah Nasheed announced Tuesday she's running for the state Senate.

The St. Louis Democrat is running against fellow Democratic incumbent Senator Robin Wright-Jones.

Following redistricting Nasheed's district now includes two other current state representatives, but she says that's not why she's chosen to run for a Senate seat.

“I'm running simply because I truly believe the city of St. Louis truly needs leadership,” Nasheed said. “Right now in the Senate under Robin Wright-Jones, the city hasn't had an effective voice.”