Associated Press

A Missouri House committee has advanced a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at protecting gun rights.

The amendment approved on Tuesday would define the right to bear arms as "unalienable" and require the state to defend against any "infringement" of that right. It would also include defending one's "family" with a firearm as a guaranteed constitutional right.

Sponsoring Republican Sen. Kurt Schaefer, of Columbia, says the legislation would protect against proposed gun control laws at the state and federal level.

Missouri public schools and universities will be getting a funding increase under an agreement by legislative budget negotiators.

The Missouri Senate has given first-round approval to legislation requiring the state education department to hold public hearings on new standards for math, reading and writing.

A nonprofit virtual college is getting another vote of confidence from Missouri's chief executive.
Gov. Jay Nixon touts Western Governors University in a new television and radio ad airing in Columbia, St. Louis and other major media markets.

Missouri officials are celebrating the 100th anniversary of groundbreaking for the state Capitol.

Missouri lawmakers have until Friday to finalize the state's roughly $25 billion operating budget.

The Missouri Senate has passed a bill that would allow designated school personnel to carry concealed weapons in school buildings.

The Senate voted 26-6 Thursday to pass the measure. It now heads back to the House for further consideration.

The bill would allow school employees to voluntary become "protection officers" if they have a valid concealed weapons permit and undergo training for the position.

A Missouri senator blocked a vote on a bill that would base some state funding for Missouri public universities on performance standards and career placement.

Republican Sen. Kurt Schaefer, of Columbia, blocked the Senate vote Thursday. He says the Legislature should spend more time studying the effects of the proposed higher education funding formula before voting. Lawmakers have until fiscal year 2015 to put the formula in place.

Republican lawmakers are raising new questions about whether Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's administration has tried to comply with the federal Real ID Act.

Senators on Wednesday released a copy of a form letter sent in March 2010 by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to Nixon thanking him for his efforts to comply with Real ID.

Nixon signed a 2009 state law prohibiting Missouri from taking steps intended to comply with the goals of the 2005 federal identity law, which sets stringent requirements for photo identification cards.

Missouri lawmakers are trying again to re-impose local taxes on vehicles bought from out-of-state dealers or through person-to-person sales.

The state Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that local sales taxes cannot be charged on vehicles purchased outside Missouri or in private transactions. Instead, the high court said a local "use tax" could be charged if approved by local voters.

Lawmakers have passed two measures during the past two years that have sought to reverse the court ruling. Gov. Jay Nixon has vetoed both, including the most recent one last month.