Sen. Bill Stouffer (R - Northwest Missouri) his introduced a bill to increase the state sales tax by a penny to fund expansions of Interstates 70 and 44.  The act will sunset after 10 years, and while I am sure Sen.

Everybody loses from minimum wage increases like the one just passed in Missouri. David Nicklaus comments on the effects of Arizona's law:

The Columbia Daily Tribune has a story on a new proposal for tax credits to direct more money toward failing public schools:
 

In the race for 'Dumbest electoral proposal of the new century,' the 21st has an early favorite and its right here in North St.

The Columbia Tribune reports on a debate over legislation that would allow parents more freedom to transfer kids between schools:

We're one step closer to a state takeover of the Saint Louis school district:

The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch reports on the raging controversy over liberalizing laws that now bar midwives from delivering babies without the supervision

A few decades ago, cable TV looked like a monopoly that was here to stay. Missouri passed cable franchise laws, which require cable companies to go through a time-consuming process to obtain permission to operate from local governments. One rationale was that franchise laws would protect consumers, but now that new technologies have sprung up that offer alternatives to cable, those outdated laws actually keep potential competitors out of the market. Missouri should pass cable franchise reform so consumers can enjoy lower prices and better service.

The Saint Louis school board has descended into chaos. The previous superintendent, Creg Williams, was ousted in July after just 15 months on the job. Board president Veronica O’Brien championed the selection of Diana Bourisaw as Williams’s replacement. But just three months later, the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the two women were no longer on speaking terms. Shifting political alliances and personality conflicts have produced six superintendents in the last five years. This has made it difficult for superintendents to set long-term goals, and made it impossible for the fractious school board to hold anyone accountable for their results. It is simply naïve to imagine Saint Louis schools will improve amidst this kind of discord and leadership turnover. What the district needs is decisive, consistent leadership.

This November, Missouri voters will vote on Proposition B, which would raise the state’s minimum wage to $6.50 per hour. Proponents of the ballot initiative claim that the wage hike is necessary to ensure that poor Missourians can make ends meet. What they don’t mention is that most minimum wage workers are not poor, and that most poor workers don’t make the minimum wage. Missouri consumers would pay for the wage hike through higher prices, and many of the benefits would go to middle-class teenagers. It would be far better to focus on targeted policies like expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, which puts more money in the pockets of low-income workers at a far lower cost to Missouri consumers.