ST. LOUIS (AP) — Two of the nation’s most active death penalty states are planning executions on Wednesday, as attorneys for the inmates continue efforts to

save them.

Earl Ringo Jr. is scheduled to die at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday in Missouri for killing two people during a robbery at a Columbia, Missouri, restaurant in 1998. Hours later, Texas plans to execute Willie Trottie for fatally shooting his common-law wife and her brother in Houston in 1993.

The executions would be the eighth this year in each state. Florida also has performed seven executions in 2014. All other states have combined for six executions.

A court appeal on Ringo’s behalf raised concerns about Missouri’s use of a pre-execution sedative and what impact it has on the execution. Trottie’s lawyers said he had inadequate legal representation at trial.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – A Missouri couple who said they saw Ellingson shortly before he drowned while in the custody of the Missouri State Highway Patrol is criticizing an inquest which found the man’s death was accidental.

Larry and Paulette Moreau, of Hartsburg, said they went past the patrol boat and 20-year-old Brandon Ellingson before he drowned May 31 in the Lake of the Ozarks.

Ellingson was being transported by a highway patrol officer and somehow fell into the lake with handcuffs on.

An inquest last week ruled that Ellingson’s death was accidental and Trooper Anthony Piercy was not at fault.

The couple told The Kansas City Star that when they saw Ellingson in the water, Piercy was not acting with any urgency and did not ask them for help.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri lawmaker fighting required birth control coverage in his state-sponsored insurance plan is relying on the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby ruling as he contests a lower court’s rejection of his legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act mandate.

The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis heard oral arguments Monday morning in a lawsuit by Republican state Rep. Paul Wieland and his wife Teresa against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and two other federal agencies.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas higher education officials have sought an annual assessment of student learning, but a first attempt by schools produced a wide-variety of assessment systems.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports Kansas universities used six different assessment systems, while community and technical colleges used eight.

State higher education officials want the assessment to determine how much students are learning at schools.

Kansas Board of Regents member Robba Moran says it makes sense for schools to use different assessments. Moran says the schools have different missions and student bodies. But she says it would be helpful to have more uniformity so policymakers can understand more of how much students are learning.

She hopes this first report will start discussion on how to improve future reports.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich accused Gov. Jay Nixon of violating the state constitution by making budget cuts in 2012.

Schweich released an audit Monday asserting Nixon should not have blocked millions of dollars of spending that year because state revenues exceeded estimates upon which the budget was based.

The Republican auditor accused the Democratic governor of “contorting and distorting” his constitutional authority to manage the budget.

Nixon’s office said in a written response attached to the audit that Schweich’s interpretation is inaccurate.

Schweich released his report as lawmakers are preparing to convene Wednesday to consider overriding numerous line-item vetoes that Nixon made to the 2015 budget.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers are poised to vote this week to enact one of the nation’s longest abortion waiting periods.

The Republican-led Legislature could get help from some Democrats as it votes on overriding Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of legislation requiring doctors to wait 72 hours after consulting with women before performing abortions.

Nixon said he vetoed the bill, in part, because it lacks an exception for cases of rape and incest.

Republican leaders say they are confident they will override the veto.

Missouri’s waiting period would be the second most stringent behind South Dakota’s, which can extend beyond 72 hours because it doesn’t count weekends and holidays.

Utah is the only other state with a 72-hour abortion waiting period, but it allows exceptions in rape, incest and other circumstances.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two men are now jailed in connection with the shooting death of a Topeka police officer.

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Department announced that Randy Ridens, 30, Topeka man was arrested early Monday near a home in Linwood. Police said he might have information to help the investigation of the shooting of police Cpl. Jason Harwood on Sunday afternoon.

Another suspect in Harwood’s shooting, Ross Lane, turned himself in to authorities in Lawrence Sunday night.

The sheriff’s department says Harwood was shot when he stopped a vehicle in east Topeka and at least one person in the car fired a weapon before the car drove away.

Gov. Sam Brownback on Monday ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff from sunup to sundown on Monday and Tuesday to honor Harwood, a 15-year police veteran.

ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is returning for a short September session in between its summer break and the November elections. The must-do list includes preventing a government shutdown and extending a freeze on taxing access to the Internet.

Lawmakers also will find time for votes conveying political messages primed for fall campaigning.

Republicans who run the House may have lousy approval ratings, but they are poised to increase their majority and are determined to avoid mistakes like last year’s partial government shutdown.

Now, the GOP is pressing for drama-free passage of a temporary spending bill to prevent a federal shutdown at month’s end and fund government agencies past the Nov. 4 election into mid-December. The Senate is sure to go along if that measure is kept free of objectionable add-ons.