JEFFERSON CITY — If there’s been a common theme in the first month of the Missouri General Assembly’s session this year, it’s this:

“Let’s tell Washington what we think.”

The House has already passed an anti-federal health care legislation resolution, and today…

JEFFERSON CITY — The first of the high profile bills to change Missouri ethics laws is expected to hit the Senate floor for debate on Wednesday.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, would create a new independent investigator…

JEFFERSON CITY — For years one of the annual partisan battles in the Missouri Legislature has dealt with the issue of Voter ID. Republicans want voters to have to present a photo ID — such as a driver’s license —…

Jetton

JEFFERSON CITY — Early this week, before a federal grand jury met to investigate allegations that Rod Jetton is involved in pay-to-play schemes from his time as speaker of the House, I sat down with Jetton in Cape Girardeau to interview…

Ramsel

JEFFERSON CITY — The longtime executive director of the Missouri Housing Development Commission resigned from his post effective March 1, according to a letter given to reporters today by Treasurer Clint Zweifel.

Pete Ramsel’s resignation letter was dated Feb. 1 and it…

JEFFERSON CITY — The House special committee on government accountability headed by Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, is about to get down to the nitty gritty.

The committee heard several more ethics proposals this morning — including Gov. Jay Nixon’s bill (sponsored by…

JEFFERSON CITY — The leader of an effort to change the way Missouri’s judges are chosen received an unusual rebuke from Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, today, as Shields urged Republican senators to ignore a plea to lobby judges on…

Dusenberg

JEFFERSON CITY — While most Republicans — and Democrats for that matter — are shying away from public talk of an alleged FBI investigation into “pay-to-play” schemes in the Missouri Capitol, don’t count state Rep. Gary Dusenberg, R-Blue Springs, among…

JEFFERSON CITY — So, this much, lawmakers know:

Missouri’s Second Injury Fund — which is part of its worker’s compensation system — is going broke. Things are so bad that last year, Attorney General Chris Koster stopped paying out settlements in Second Injury…

Lograsso

JEFFERSON CITY — The lawyer who advises the Missouri House of Representatives is taking an unpaid leave of absence, the Associated Press reports. The news came the same day the Kansas City Star reported that the FBI is investigating the…