A bridge project to relieve South Siders of train headaches received its first pill from the state Thursday. The Missouri Legislature approved a construction budget that sends more than half a million dollars to the St. Joseph Regional Port Authority to buy land needed for a railroad bridge crossing between U.S. Highway 59 (Lake Avenue) and Missouri Highway 759 (Stockyards Expressway). “This is a step in the direction of reality,” said Rep. Martin Rucker, D-St. Joseph. “I understand it seems like it’s never going to happen, but it’s been a real job finding the money for this.”

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Lawmakers sent a $22.4 billion balanced budget to the governor Thursday, before the state deadline and before a decline in state tax revenues could worsen.

In case you missed it, check out Alonzo Weston's report of Treasurer Sarah Steelman's visit to St. Joseph.
Apparently the gubernatorial candidate's Wednesday's stop in Joetown was less than highly attended.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri House of Representatives has backed a move to prohibit the governor from accepting gifts from lobbyists.

A former employee of TWA knows that the aerospace manufacturing jobs promised in legislation approved Wednesday are widening the eyes of former co-workers. Bill Caldwell, chairman of the Buchanan County Central Democratic Committee, went from a TWA to an American Airlines time card in April 2001 and now represents Transport Workers Local No. 530. The union negotiator/maintenance and engineering worker already has heard great interest from folks interested in taking up Bombardier on its pledge of 2,100 jobs if it relocates a jet plant to green space near Kansas City International Airport. The average wage is expected to be $63,000 a year.

A proposed quality rating system for early childhood centers is in danger of staying in its infancy – again.
For the second year in a row, Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, has pushed the star-rating system for day cares at the legislative level.

Insurance companies are threatening higher rates because of a fee increase on Missouri driver records. Large research firms for years have been able to access the driving records of more than 4 million Missourians for less than 1 cent each — $.0003 — from the Department of Revenue. As of May 1, however, that fee jumped to $7 per record to offset the costs of upgrades to its computer system, parts of which date back to the 1970s.

A little slice of St. Joseph found its way into the tummies of anyone roaming the Missouri Capitol’s third floor Tuesday afternoon.

Treasurer Sarah Steelman plans to push her tax relief ideas at a Wednesday morning news conference at the East Hills Library.

The Missouri Legislature today gave the final OK to tuition relief for combat veterans from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.