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Missouri State got a career-high 31 points from Kyle Weems, the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, as the Bears beat 19th ranked Creighton 77-65, snapping the Bluejays 16 game home winning streak.
Anthony Downing was 11-for-14 from the field, and added a career-best 26 for the Bears. It was Missouri State’s sixth straight win over Creighton. It was also the Bears first-ever road win against a ranked opponent.
Ethics legislation has been filed in the House for the 2012 legislative session.
Representative Jason Kander says he plans to keep pushing for ethics reform.
Its sponsor, Jason Kander (D-Kansas City) says House Bill 1080 deals with issues that have been brought before lawmakers many times before, but he says it’s time they get some traction. “Campaign contribution limits, a ban on lobbyist gifts, closing the revolving door between legislators and lobbyists…legislators just quitting or leaving office and becoming lobbyists the next day.”
His bill includes some new material, as well. “For instance a prohibition on legislators soliciting lobbyists for jobs for after they leave their position as legislators.”
In spite of possible election year contention and issues stemming from the redrawing of legislative districts, Kander says he doesn’t plan to approach the ethics debate any differently than he has in the past. He notes the success seen in 2010. “That’s when we passed bipartisan ethics reform…and that was an election year.” He adds, “To me, every year, this is one of the most important issues out there…I view ethics reform as sort of an umbrella issue that affects how every other issue comes out.”
He has filed a second bill, House Bill 1121, that deals with another issue of ethics, related to an elected official having access to information through his or her position about a publicly traded business. Kander wants to make sure such privileged information is not used for financial advantage.
He says that bill creates transparency. “It require folks to attest on their personal financial disclosure that they have to file every year that they have not misused information like that. Of course there are penalties already in place if you were to say something false on that statement.”
Kander says bills dealing with ethics issues stand much less of a chance of getting through the legislative process if they don’t receive attention early in the session. He’s also hoping for some pressure from voters.
AUDIO: Mike Lear interviews Representative Jason Kander – 6:37 mins.
Repair work is underway at the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City.
The $3.6 million project includes work on the entrance fountain, stonework repair, refurbishing of the “Generals’ Wall,” brush removal and upgrades to lighting and security.
The Kansas City Star reports it should be wrapped up by June. The museum and memorial will remain open during the project.
A U.S. District Judge has dismissed the charges against a man serving a 25-year prison sentence because the case against him included testimony from discredited police officers.
Michael James Holmes, 52, was put in prison in part because of testimony from former St. Louis Police officers Shell Sharp and Bobby Lee Garrett.
Prosecutors have been dropping cases involving Sharp after he was accused of lying to obtain search warrants, a claim he denies. Garrett stole money, planted drugs and made a false arrest to cover his crimes and is finishing a 28-month sentence.
A Missouri appeals court has ruled that the parents of a woman who died in the home of former beer baron August Busch IV can join a legal action against him.
Adrienne Martin died from a drug overdose at Busch’s mansion a year ago. The court’s ruling says her parents can join her 9-year-old son in seeking damages. The decision gives them more control over legal strategy and whether to accept a $1.5 million settlement offer.
