Tagged: Missouri

A Missouri House committee has dealt a setback to Gov. Jay Nixon's quest for $1 billion in federal high-speed rail money.

The House Budget Committee rejected an attempt Wednesday to insert the rail money into a state budget bill.

That comes just two weeks after Nixon held a news conference to announce Missouri was applying for $1 billion of the $2.4 billion of federal rail money that Florida decided not to use.

A new report says Missouri's March unemployment rate fell by three-tenths of a point to 9.1 percent.

Monday's report from the state Department of Economics also says Missouri employers added a net of more than 24,000 jobs last month.

The hospitality and leisure sector had the biggest gain, adding about 6,300 jobs, while retailers added 5,800 jobs. Other notable increases were construction, with 4,200 jobs added, and business and professional services, up by 2,700 jobs.

Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder is firing back at accusations by Democrats that he’s using taxpayer money to fund an “extravagant lifestyle.”

The Post-Dispatch reported Sunday that the Republican Lt. Governor had charged taxpayers $35,050 for hotel stays in the St. Louis area over the past five years, while attending political and sporting events, parties, and a wedding.