JEFFERSON CITY — The state’s tax collections continued their steep decline in October, raising the possibility of more budget cuts.

Budget Director Linda Luebbering reported today that general revenue receipts plummeted 14 percent last month compared to October 2008. The state…

JEFFERSON CITY — The little-used blacklist for Missouri casinos has gained another name.

Gambling regulators last week added Carolyn K. Yelton of Wellsville, Mo., to the list. The former bookkeeper pleaded guilty in April to embezzling more than $180,000 from the…

Gaertner

JEFFERSON CITY — Gary M. Gaertner Jr. tried two years ago to make history and replace his father, Gary M. Gaertner Sr., on the Missouri Court of Appeals, but then-Gov. Matt Blunt appointed Kurt Odenwald instead.

Undeterred, Gaertner applied again, and…

UPDATED: Nixon just made the announcement. He said Kerr, 56, will start work Nov. 9. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate.

Kerr

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri’s new economic development director will be David Kerr, secretary of the…

JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Jay Nixon will reveal his latest round of budget cuts tomorrow.

Nixon and his budget director, Linda Luebbering, will detail the cuts at an 11 a.m. news conference in her first-floor Capitol office.

Budget-watchers expect Nixon to chop…

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri will require teachers to pay more toward their pensions next year.

Teachers in the Public School Retirement System of Missouri will put 14 percent of their paychecks into the pension fund to help offset the system’s stock…

ST. LOUIS COUNTY — If the state is considering eliminating career ladder raises for teachers, shouldn’t tax credits for developers be on the chopping block, too?

That was the bottom line today as Sen. Jason Crowell made a pitch to the…

Callahan

JEFFERSON CITY — President Barack Obama today announced the long-anticipated nomination of Richard Callahan to be the next U.S. attorney in eastern Missouri.

Callahan has been a judge on the Cole County Circuit Court since 2002. Before that, he spent 30…

Purgason

JEFFERSON CITY — There wasn’t much news at state Sen. Chuck Purgason’s news conference this morning.

Purgason, R-Caulfield, had promised a “major announcement,” prompting the capital press corps to wonder if he was dropping his long-shot bid for the U.S. Senate.

He…

JEFFERSON CITY — Pension finance is an eye-glazing subject, but it’s commanding plenty of attention as government retirement systems scramble to come up with enough money to offset steep stock market losses.

The board of the Missouri State Employees Retirement System…