MO Statehouse

The Missouri House has given first-round approval to a Republican-proposed map that would redraw the state’s congressional districts, reducing them from nine to eight.

It eliminates the St. Louis-area district currently held by Democrat Russ Carnahan.

A group of fiscally conservative Republicans in the Missouri Senate are willing to end their filibuster of a bill to draw down federal unemployment benefits, if Democratic Governor Jay Nixon agrees to reject $300 million in federal stimulus funds.   

Senator Jim Lembke (R, Lemay) has been leading the effort.  He says the $300 million covers several “pork barrel pet projects.”

Republicans on a Missouri House committee have easily approved a new redistricting map.

The map eliminates the St. Louis-area congressional district represented by Democrat Russ Carnahan and divides it up among four other districts, three of which are represented by Republicans.

A three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals has dismissed two lawsuits filed by Attorney General Chris Koster that argued debt collection companies were violating the state's Merchandising Practices Act.

The rulings appear to be the first time a state court has considered whether the MPA applies to third-party actors like debt collectors.