KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A body discovered in the Missouri River near a Kansas City park has been identified as that of a 23-year-old man who fell off the Heart of America bridge nearly a month ago.

The Kansas City Star  reports the body found Saturday morning near Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park is that of Deandre Dunn of Kansas City. A wallet with Dunn’s identification was found in a back pocket of the pants he was wearing.

Officers were called to the bridge April 9 because of a suspicious person wanting to jump. When officers tried to rescue him, Dunn released his grip and fell, hitting a concrete bridge support before going into the river.

Officers found his phone on the bridge and discovered he had called 911 prior to their arrival.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri teens younger than 17 would need written parental approval to use tanning beds under legislation passed by the state Senate.

Senators voted 22-10 on Wednesday to send the bill back to the House, where a similar version passed earlier. Lawmakers must pass an identical measure by May 16.

Under the bill, salons that allow teenagers to tan without consent would face a $500 fine. State health officials would be charged with developing a standardized consent form for parents to use.

Supporters say it would help protect teenagers from exposure to ultraviolet rays that can cause skin cancer. Opponents argue it is a government intrusion on small businesses.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri lawmakers are poised to give final approval to a state budget that could restore Medicaid benefits that were cut a decade ago.

The proposed 2015 budget would provide funding for adult dental care and physical rehabilitation items, such as specially fitted wheelchairs. Those benefits were halted by the Republican-led Legislature in 2005 as part of a larger package of Medicaid cuts.

The House and Senate are expected to vote Thursday on the proposed budget, a day ahead of a constitutional deadline to pass the spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

The budget plan also boosts funding for public school districts, colleges and universities.

But it does not go as far as Gov. Jay Nixon would have liked for either Medicaid expansion or school funding.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers have sent Gov. Jay Nixon a bill designed to clear up potential confusion about the state law restricting protests at funerals.

The law now requires protesters to stay 300 feet away from funeral sites, from an hour before they start until an hour after services end. But a federal appeals court ruled that buffer zone could not be enforced in regard to funeral processions.

Another federal judge upheld the rest of Missouri’s law, but the bill could stave off future lawsuits.

The legal challenge was brought by a Kansas church that denounces homosexuality and frequently protests at funerals.

Senator Claire McCaskill spoke on the Senate floor on the Nigerian Kidnappings: These Incredible Crimes Committed Should not go Unanswered

On her Facebook page McCaskill wrote
“These incredible crimes that have been committed should not go unanswered and I think it is incumbent on our nation, with the great resources we have, to make sure that we send the appropriate message to the world that this is al Qaeda, this is our enemy. Not just to our values and our way of life, but importantly, an enemy to innocent young women.” -Claire #BringBackOurGirls

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says there’s no need to tell owners of recalled General Motors cars to stop driving them.

He says in a letter to senators that government engineers have found that if owners follow GM’s advice, there’s little safety risk to driving the cars.

GM is recalling 2.6 million small cars worldwide to replace ignition switches that suddenly can slip out of the run position and shut off the engine. That can knock out power-assisted steering and cause crashes. It also disables the air bags. GM says at least 13 people have died in crashes from the problem.

GM is urging owners to remove everything from their keychains. Foxx says that until the switches are replaced, the safety risk is “sufficiently mitigated” by an empty key ring.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri lawmakers have sent Gov. Jay Nixon legislation to let the state award additional tax credits for donations to maternity homes, pregnancy resource centers and food pantries.

The House gave final approval to the measure with a 121-25 vote on Wednesday. The Senate passed it earlier this year.

The bill would boost the total amount of tax credits by $500,000 for all three programs. People can currently claim a credit worth half of their donation, but the state can only redeem $2 million each per year for the pregnancy and maternity centers, and $1.25 million for food pantries.

During the past three budget years, none of the programs hit their current annual cap.