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And it’s time again to get out your frog net -- Missouri frogging season opens at sunset Saturday.

The new 47th Missouri House district, which includes part of Boone County, may finally have a Republican nominee. The Columbia Daily Tribune reports Mitch Richards was nominated by the Republican committee last night. He is the fourth nominee in less than one month. Richards is treasurer of the group Keep Columbia Free, and serves on the Citizens Police Review Board.

Missouri is among five additional states being granted waivers from the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law. A total of twenty-four states now have been approved for waivers, allowing flexibility in implementing the controversial law.

As part yesterday's Supreme Court decision on Obama's health care law, the justices ruled the federal government can't revoke states' Medicaid funding for failing to comply with the law's required Medicaid  expansion. And as Véronique LaCapra reports, that could leave some Missourians without access to health insurance.

The Supreme Court has upheld President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul plan — the Affordable Care Act. In a 5-4 decision on Thursday, the Court determined that although Congress didn’t have the power of commerce to force Americans to buy health insurance, Congress does have the power to implement a tax. And in this case, the Court finds the penalty for not buying health insurance by 2014 to be a valid tax.

As temperatures heat up throughout Boone County the Department of Health and Human Services is making sure everyone can cool down when they need to. The department established nine cooling centers in Columbia that serve as an air conditioned place where people can go when they need relief from the heat. Public Information Officer Genalee Alexander says the centers are located in convenient locations.

Top Missouri Republicans say they have no intention of expanding Medicaid eligibility as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling on the federal health care law.

The high court struck down a provision Thursday that threatened states with the loss of existing federal Medicaid dollars if they refuse to expand coverage to adults earning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. That ruling essentially makes the expansion optional for states.

House Majority Leader Tim Jones says the Republican-led Legislature will not consider the expansion.

Missouri is next on the list to create a state chapter of a national organization that lobbies for strong separation of religion and government.