Law enforcement officers often get DNA evidence at a crime scene but they can’t connect it to a specific suspect. The senate is moving to preserve their ability to finally prosecute someone because the statute of limitations runs out before a suspect is identified. The situation has led to a strange procedure in which prosecutors have filed charges against the DNA, calling it “John Doe.” The step keeps the case alive indefinitely. [Read more...]
Bill takes aim at LAGERS lawsuit against State Auditor
February 22, 2010 By
A lawsuit prevented the State Auditor from conducting a full audit of the local government retirement system. A bill in the state Senate would clarify vague language, end the lawsuit and give the Auditor authority to review LAGERS.
Sen. Jason Crowell (R-Cape Girardeau) sponsored SB 714 after learning that the State Auditor was prevented from auditing LAGERS, the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System.
“What happened was a lawsuit was filed to block the State Auditor from actually auditing the LAGERS retirement system and this legislation is in response to that,” Crowell tells a Senate committee considering his bill.
State Auditor Susan Montee testifies before the committee in favor of Crowell’s bill.
“The ability to have oversight into our public retirement systems is, I think, important for all of us,” says Montee.
Montee explains that’s what her office attempted to do, until officials at LAGERS filed suit. In the lawsuit, LAGERS leaned on the letter of the law. It gives the State Auditor only the power to review its financial papers, not to conduct a thorough audit. Montee says that undercuts the value of an audit, pointing out that those financial papers are posted on the Web and accessible to anyone.
A Cole County Circuit Court judge sided with LAGERS. The Auditor’s office has appealed the decision.
State law mandates audits of public retirement systems every three years, a rather routine task for the Auditor’s office.
“What we have done, though, up until the point of this lawsuit is we had come in and done a review of the audits, but also the underlying audit work, ever since these statutes were in place since the 80s,” Montee testifies. “So, this is the first time it has come up as a problem.”
The bill doesn’t single out LAGERS. It would allow the State Auditor to audit any state or local public employee retirement system every three years. Testimony in committee indicates that no other public retirement system has blocked the Auditor access to their books, despite the apparent ambiguous language.
A Pew Center on the States report has found that Missouri’s overall pension system healthy, though Montee says it lists LAGERS as needing improvement since it is no longer considered fully funded. She says the extra financial oversight is needed, because the public pensions represent $37 billion in assets and provide retirement benefits to 370,000 people as well as their families.
AUDIO: Brent Martin reports [1:20]
AUDIO: Senate committee hearing on SB 714, Rep. Crowell and State Auditor Montee [10 min]
Northwest pitcher tosses no-hitter
February 22, 2010 By
Northwest Missouri State freshman pitcher Jenna Creger no-hit Oklahoma Panhandle State to earn her first collegiate victory Saturday at the Midwestern State Tournament. It’s the first no-hitter thrown by a Bearcat pitcher since Cola Krueger blanked Bellevue in 2006.
Blues’ forward Backes has hand in Team USA win
February 22, 2010 By
I know the game last night may have meant more to more Canadians than Americans, but for those of us who consider ourselves fans of the game and fans of Team USA, last night’s USA-Canada hockey game was great.
New Madrid Seizmic safety experts urge preparedness in case of earthquake
February 22, 2010 By
Government officials are working with leaders in public safety, emergency response, law enforcement, emergency medical care, faith groups and the Missouri National Guard to strengthen state and local preparedness in the event of an earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
Click the map to view online with more information
Earthquake Program Manager for the State Emergency Management Agency Steve Besemer says the state seizmic safety commission is an advisory body panel of experts that looks at various things affecting earthquake safety — they take that information to the government and to the community.
He says preparing in advance is key to weathering what will be a huge national emergency in the future.
Besemer says there are a number of online resources that provide information on how to be prepared.
