(Missourinet) – The Senate has debated for the second time in a week whether to set up the structure to allow voter photo ID in Missouri, but Democrats have again held the floor to prevent a vote. Democrats say the legislation would take away the voting rights of individuals who do not have an ID.

Senator Kiki Curls (D-Kansas City) says the legislation is an attack on the Voting Rights Act.

“I really want folks to understand how serious of an issue this is for many in our districts – the fear that is evoked when we talk about rolling back in any way voters’ rights that we fought so hard for,” said Curls. “This was a major part of the Civil Rights Movement back in the 1960s and it is interesting that we find ourselves here in 2016 still having the same discussion. Of course, there were many other things we were fighting for back in the 60s but this was a huge part of it.”

Republicans argue the photo ID requirement would fight election fraud. Bill sponsor Will Kraus (R-Lee’s Summit) hopes Republicans won’t have to use a procedural move, known as the previous question, to force a vote on his proposal.

“I think that we can craft a bill that will make sure that it protects everyone’s votes and I’m working with certain people on the Democrat side to get this bill to the finish line without a previous question,” said Kraus.

Senators have not debated a companion proposal that would ask voters if the constitution should be amended to require an ID at the polls.

“I thought I would just allow them (Senators) the opportunity to discuss the bill. The joint resolution is pretty simple. There are very few lines and not much to discuss. The joint resolution is our priority and we’ve let the minority party know that,” said Kraus.

A vote on the measures could lead Democrats to slow business in the Senate.

(Missourinet) – The Department of Transportation’s Director Patrick McKenna estimates that the department will take about $110 to $120 million annually for the next five years from its cash reserves. McKenna says MODOT needs the reserves to continue receiving federal dollars to help pay for roads and bridges.

“We don’t feel great about drawing down a cash reserve because that creates a little bit of risk, should there be some type of event or issue we have to deal with in the future. So we’re hopeful that we can work with our policy makers and with the public to understand that transportation is an important part of everyday life. It’s an investment our parents and grandparents made and we need to make those similar types of investments,” says McKenna.

For every $1 in state funds, Missouri receives $4 in federal transportation funds.

McKenna says lack of funding is making roads projects increasingly difficult to prioritize, especially in rural areas.

“What we do is try to keep the surfaces on the higher volume roads in as good of condition as we can because that saves a lot of money,” says McKenna. “That means sometimes that some of the lower volume roads don’t get the attention they need and that people would like. It’s simply a matter of funding.”

The state Senate has passed a bill that would ask Missouri voters if the state’s gas tax should be increased 5.9 cents per gallon. It’s headed to the House where leadership is less favorable to increasing taxes to pay for roads and bridges.

Lawmakers are also considering reinstating a cost-sharing program that would create a partnership between state and local governments to split the cost of infrastructure projects.

(Missourinet) – The state House has passed a bill to regulate ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, but critics say it’s not tough enough.

The bill would require companies to conduct background checks on drivers and a no-tolerance policy on drug and alcohol use for drivers while they’re working; bar drivers convicted of some felonies; offer estimated fares to riders; make sure drivers’ vehicles are insured; and require companies to pay an annual $5,000 fee.

The bill would also ban additional local requirements of those companies including license requirements and would exempt them from most local taxes.

Democrat leader Jacob Hummel (St. Louis) said the bill’s checks on drivers don’t go far enough, particularly by not fingerprinting them as is done with taxicab drivers in St. Louis. He cited an Uber driver in Boston that worked while awaiting trial on two rapes.

“Uber’s non-fingerprint background checks didn’t work,” said Hummel .

Republicans including Rick Brattin said the bill would allow the free market to work with less government interference.

“We have a taxi service that will still be allowed to operate, still be allowed to collectively bargain for their wages and everything that they work for, but this will also allow a new market item for the people to have the ability to choose which service they want to utilize,” said Brattin.

Both Uber and Lyft support the legislation. It has been sent to the state Senate.

(Missourinet) – A man sentenced to life for killing his grandfather in Macon County in 1997 has died in the Jefferson City Correctional Center.

A jury ruled Gerald Elam stabbed 87-year-old Minis Elam to death in the latter’s home, then set the home on fire leaving the grandfather’s body inside. Elam was convicted of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and second-degree arson.

Elam said he suffered from mental problems and believed his grandfather was the Devil.

The Department of Corrections does not suspect foul play in the death of Elam, who was 65.

(Missourinet) – An expansion of Missouri’s expungement laws to allow more types of criminal records to be sealed has received initial approval in the state Senate. Springfield Republican Bob Dixon also wants to change how long a person must wait after a conviction to try to have records sealed from the current 20 years to as few as three years for non-felonies.

“You can get a DWI offense expunged from your record, but if you steal a candy bar you’re a thief for life,” said Dixon.

Under Dixon’s proposal, dangerous felonies and crimes that require a person to go on the sex offender registry would not be eligible for expungement. One felony per lifetime could be hidden.

Dixon calls the measure a jobs or economic development bill.

“What happens when someone has that stigma of their record for life? The people that I’ve talked to and the reason the prosecutors and defense attorneys worked on this was the two most common options are the individual is relegated to life of additional crime, hopefully not, or a life of public assistance because they can’t find employment,” said Dixon.

Dixon also wants to increase the fee for applying to have a crime sealed from the current $100 to $500.

“We don’t know how many people will make application to have their record expunged,” said Dixon. “The department figured if 1 in 10 made application, that it could be a significantly positive fiscal impact. The fiscal note on the combined bills look like $500 million.”

Critics say the cost shouldn’t be increased any more than necessary and the state shouldn’t be making a lot of money off of these individuals

(Missourinet) – The state senate is considering a change in Missouri’s sentencing laws in response to a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that juveniles cannot be sentenced to death, and that life without parole cannot be the only possible sentence for them in first-degree murder cases.

Senator Bob Dixon (R-Springfield) said that means Missouri’s sentencing laws have been unconstitutional since that ruling.

“The states must also offer courts a less severe sentencing option for the jury to choose between the two. Despite this ruling, life in prison is still the only option offered by Missouri courts,” said Dixon.

He’s proposing to allow a 35-year or life without parole sentence for those under 16 and a 50 year or life without parole sentence for those 16 and 17.

“The court indicated that states could pursue re-sentencing or offer parole to former juvenile offenders currently serving life sentence without the option of parole,” said Dixon. “Senate bill 590 is intended to put Missouri in line with federal law without letting those convicted of murder go free.”

Senator Joe Keaveny (D-St. Louis) says Dixon’s proposed sentences would be too long. He favors 20 years for those under 16 and 30 years for those 16 and 17.

Officials at the Office of the State Public Defender say there are 84 juveniles currently serving life without parole.

(Missourinet) – The state Supreme Court has denied the appeals of a man sentenced to death for the videotaped May, 2006 murder of an Independence woman.

Richard Davis was convicted of the first-degree murder of Marsha Spicer of Independence, as well as multiple counts of assault, rape, and sodomy. Davis argued that his attorneys were ineffective in the witnesses they called to testify to his mental state, and in preparing him to testify in his trial.

The Supreme Court found that the lower courts were right to deny his appeals, and has denied his request for a new trial or penalty phase.

Davis and his then-girlfriend, Dena Riley, both pleaded guilty to a similar series of crimes in the murder of Michelle Huff-Ricci of Kansas City. Attacks on both women were videotaped, including the murder of Spicer.

Riley is serving life without parole at a state prison in Chillicothe.

(Missourinet) – The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled a woman can sue an Odessa pawn shop for selling a gun to her mentally ill daughter, which the daughter used to kill the woman’s husband.

The Court partially reversed the decision of a Lafayette County judge, who dismissed the suit against Odessa Gun & Pawn. It said Janet Delana could pursue a claim of “negligent entrustment,” against the store.

Delana’s daughter killed Tex Delana at the Delana’s home in Wellington, but was found not guilty of murder because of her mental condition. The daughter used a gun she bought from Odessa Gun & Pawn after Delana called the store and begged them not to make such a sale, because of her daughter’s mental illness.