Marshall Griffin

Executives from Ameren Missouri and Westinghouse presented their plans today to the state Public Service Commission for pursuing grants to build small nuclear reactors.

The two companies have teamed up to pursue up to $452 million from Washington to build up to five Small Modular Reactors, or SMR’s, at Ameren’s Callaway County plant.  Joseph Zwetolitz is President of the Americas division of Westinghouse.  He says SMR’s would be safer than the traditional nuclear reactor.

“This reactor is almost entirely underground, which provides an additional level of safety, with regards to potential postulated accidents, deliberate attacks, tornadoes, those kind of things," Zwetolitz said.

Missouri’s revenues rose more than expected during the month of May.

The state collected about $6.6 billion in revenue last month, compared to just under $6.4 billion in May of 2011.  Governor Jay Nixon’s Budget Director, Linda Luebbering, credits most of the improvement to higher collections of state income and sales taxes.

“That's the good news, things are picking up,"  Luebbering said.  "I think we do have to be cautious, still, because of what’s going on at the national and particularly the international picture, with European Union issues and everything that's going on globally that could have some bearing on the overall economy.”

Among the more than 110 bills passed by Missouri lawmakers this year is one designed to help law enforcement officers track a missing person through the potential victim’s cell phone signal.

Jim Mathewson, the chairman of the Missouri Gaming Commission will step down Friday. Matthewson chose not to stay for a second three-year term in order to spend more time with his family.

During Mathewson’s tenure with the Gaming Commission, Missouri’s 13th casino license was awarded to developers in Cape Girardeau and disassociated gamblers were provided a pathway to reinstatement.  He says the main challenge now is raising enough revenue to help K-through-12 schools.

Among the 115 bills sent to Governor Jay Nixon this year is one that would make it a crime to deliberately disturb worship services in Missouri.

Missouri lawmakers continue debating bills in the closing minutes of the 2012 regular session.

Among the bills passed so far today is one that would require legislative approval before a health care exchange can be created in Missouri.  State Rep. Ryan Silvey (R, Kansas City) accused Governor Jay Nixon (D) of trying last year to create an exchange via executive order.

It's the final day of the regular legislative session for the Missouri General Assembly.

Lawmakers have spent the past week clearing a backlog of bills that accumulated during a showdown over the state budget.

Language that would ban the creation of a Kansas Jayhawks specialty license plate in Missouri is on its way to Governor Jay Nixon.

The Missouri House has passed legislation that would bar local governments from interfering with the day-to-day operations of alternatives to abortion agencies.

The Missouri House and Senate have both passed a scaled-back version of a workers’ compensation reform bill.