Budget proposals

A powerful Missouri state lawmaker is trying to strip state funding for libraries over a fight about books. Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith on Tuesday proposed cutting all library funding next year. He's upset that state and school libraries are suing to overturn a new Missouri law that bans sexually explicit material in school libraries. Public libraries had been slated to get $4.5 million in state funding. Smith's proposal needs approval from the Budget Committee before it can go before the full House. The new library law does not apply to written descriptions of sex or sexual acts.

Missouri lawmakers have until Friday to finalize the state's roughly $25 billion operating budget.The House and Senate have each passed their own budget…