A three-judge panel of the Western District Appeals Court upheld a previous ruling that dismissed Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder's lawsuit against the governor.
Baker said he knew of at least four strong Republican candidates. He said Missouri Secretary of State Matt Blunt, U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, state Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder and House Speaker-designate Catherine Hanaway have all expressed at least some interest, although none has made any official announcement.
Republicans have nominated Sen. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau to continue as president pro tem. Kinder became president pro tem when the GOP took control of the Senate last year.
Senate Republicans voted to keep Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau as president pro tem and added Mike Gibbons of St. Louis County as majority floor leader.
At the time, Senate leader Peter Kinder, a Republican, charged that the district was moved just so House Speaker Jim Kreider, a Democrat, could run for the Senate. Term limits prevent Kreider from running for re-election to the House.
JEFFERSON CITY - Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder said he has a meeting scheduled for next Tuesday to discuss the future of a security door that restricts access between the Senate's garage and the Capitol building.
The Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder expressed anger that neither he nor the Senate's Administration Committee had been consulted before the installation.
"Pending on the outcome of this bill is the question of whether Missouri will continue to have two major league ball teams," said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, and sponsor of the bill.
On the Senate side, Republicans expect to stay in control. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau is currently the president pro tem, but he said Friday that he was unsure if he would seek to remain in that position.
JEFFERSON CITY - The $644 million stadium and economic development package that would have provided money for stadiums and convention centers around the state was declared dead Friday morning by its sponsor, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau said Gov. Bob Holden's chief of staff told him earlier Monday the state will be able to pay tax refunds on May 15.
Bill sponsor and Senate President pro tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, said the bill will provide economic development around the state and help revitalize downtown St. Louis. Opponents like Sen. Wayne Goode, D-St. Louis County, tried to amend the bill several times, but each failed. Goode would not rule out filibustering the bill when it comes up again on Thursday.
A stadium proposal sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, was placed on the Senate informal calendar Wednesday. Bills on the informal calendar may be brought up at any time. The proposal would allow state funding for a baseball stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals and other community development projects throughout the state.
No action was taken on the stadium bill in the Senate this week. The Senate bill, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, would allow state funding for a baseball stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals and other community development projects in the state.
"This is a matter of $6 million dollars in tax savings to the people that pay taxes every day and every year that I think in some way ought to be considered," said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, who is sponsoring the bill.
"This is a matter of $6 million dollars in tax savings to the people that pay taxes every day and every year that I think in some way ought to be considered," said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, who is sponsoring the bill.
The Senate Pensions & General Laws Committee on Wednesday heard a bill sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, that would keep the Missouri Gaming Commission from authorizing new types of gambling retroactive to January 1. Kinder said the committee will likely vote on the bill next week.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder believes the bill would create an economic stimulus much like other measures have in New York, Texas and Florida.
JEFFERSON CITY - Senator Peter Kinder's bill that would restrict municipalities and the state from suing gun manufacturers passed the Senate Judiciary Committee without opposition.
JEFFERSON CITY - In response to the $110 million payout to lawyers following the recent tobacco settlement, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder is sponsoring a bill that would require the state to look for discounted private lawyers before hiring counsel.
Even with Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, and the top Republicans in the legislature, Rep. Catherine Hanaway of St. Louis County and Sen. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau, backing the plan, it still faces an uphill battle in passing the legislature.
JEFFERSON CITY - In response to he $110 million payout to lawyers following the recent tobacco settlement, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder is sponsoringa bill that would require the state to look for discounted private lawyers before hiring counsel.
David Barklage, chief of staff to Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, is the owner of Strategic Communications Inc., a Cape Girardeau-based campaign consulting firm. The firm received $117,000 from the Republican Party's Senate Majority Fund, which is largely controlled by Kinder. Some Democrats said they were unhappy that Barklage accepted the consulting deal in addition to his $69,600 staff salary.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, who is co-chairman of the appointments committee, said Slusher's prior position as a board member of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys could cause her to be biased.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, stated that transportation, the recent Ford auto plant closing, and economic development were absent from Holden's speech.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, said that Holden's proposed introduction of a new Keno-style game is a huge expansion of the gambling industry in Missouri.
The Senate's President Pro Tem, Peter Kinder, charges there was a political purpose to this story -- to help House Speaker Jim Kreider who is prevented by term limits from seeking reelection.
The Senate President Pro Tem, Peter Kinder, who has been questioning the state's contractual agreement with the attorneys said that the 48 lawyers who worked for the state will end up getting an average of $2.3 million each for just five months work.
Despite opening session remarks by President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, praising the Senate's bipartisan spirit, the lengthy debates Wednesday just to get a roll call going and adopt temporary rules do not foreshadow an easy session. On a day when procedures should have been purely technical, by 2:30 p.m. the Senate was running an hour behind schedule.