The Department of Natural Resources has hired an outside lawyer at $275 an hour to defend it against a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General. Usually the Attorney General represents state agencies in court, but can’t when he’s suing the agency. Attorney General Jay Nixon wants to keep DNR from giving up rights to an old railroad bridge at Boonville. DNR employees have been warned by director Doyle Childers not to talk about the case to anyone from the Attorney General’s office.
