MO Statehouse

The Missouri Republican Party is abandoning the presidential primary and will use the caucus system to choose delegates for next year’s presidential race.  The decision comes as a bill that would move the party primaries from February to March remains stalled in the Missouri Senate.

The national GOP had given the state until midnight on October First to move the presidential primary to March, or else risk losing half its delegates.  State GOP Executive Director Lloyd Smith says if Missouri goes ahead with a presidential primary in February, it will not count.

Missouri House leaders have confirmed they’re returning to Jefferson City next week to resume the special legislative session -- but their return doesn’t mean that there’s been any breakthrough on an economic development deal.

The special session ground to a halt last week because House and Senate leaders could not agree on whether to place expiration dates, or sunsets, on historic preservation and low-income housing tax credits, or on how much oversight Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) Economic Development department should have over some incentives.