Missouri U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill today introduced bipartisan legislation that would open a new front in the battle to curb sexual assaults in the U.S. military.

The Senators’ legislation-cosponsored by colleagues including Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)-would amend Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to help prevent abusive treatment of sexual assault survivors in a pre-trial setting. Recent media reports detailed the case of a female Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy who was subjected to roughly 30 hours of intimidating and invasive questioning by attorneys representing her alleged assailants during an Article 32 proceeding-a pre-trial investigation required under the UCMJ before a case can be referred to a general court-martial.

“Sexual assault in the military is simply intolerable, and there’s no reason these victims should be re-victimized during pre-trial investigations,” Blunt said. “This bipartisan legislation will help to ensure that Article 32 hearings focus on determining whether there is probable cause as originally intended, while protecting alleged sexual assault victims from becoming the target of unwarranted and abusive questioning.”

“Everyone who’s looked at the Article 32 process agreed that it’s unnecessarily harsh for survivors and that it has become an overly broad tool that has expanded beyond its original function.” said McCaskill, a former courtroom prosecutor of sex crimes. “These aggressive, commonsense reforms will ensure that the process does not discourage survivors from coming forward, and that survivors’ rights are also strengthened and solidified. I’m delighted to have Senator Blunt’s help as we move to institute these historic reforms.”

“Article 32 preliminary hearings should not subject victims to hours of questioning in an attempt to degrade, humiliate and discredit them,” said Anu Bhagwati, Service Women’s Action Network executive director and former Marine Corps captain.

“It is time to abolish the practice of allowing defense attorneys to conduct a mini-trial before they ever get to a court-martial,” said Nancy Parrish, President of Protect Our Defenders, “We need to reign in the Article 32 process and restore it to its appropriate role as a hearing to determine whether there is probable cause to recommend proceeding to General Courts-Martial.”

The Article 32 Reform Act would make meaningful reforms to ensure that victims who bravely come forward to report sexual assault are not harassed and intimidated during Article 32 proceedings.

Specifically, the bill would limit the scope of Article 32 proceedings to the question of probable cause to help prevent abusive and unwarranted questioning of sexual assault survivors. It would also require Article 32 proceedings to be presided over by a military lawyer whose rank is equal to or higher than the trial counsel and the defense counsel. In addition, the bill would require Article 32 proceedings to be recorded and a copy of the recording and a transcript to be made available to all parties, and the survivors and survivors’ counsel, upon request. The bill also includes a provision that would prevent crime victims from being forced to testify at Article 32 proceedings.

According to the Department of Defense, an estimated 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact occurred in the military last year, but only 3,374 sexual assaults were reported. Equally concerning is that many sexual assault survivors who do report these crimes drop out of the process before their cases even make it to trial. In fact, the Judge Advocate General for the U.S. Air Force, Lieutenant General Richard Harding, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March that nearly 30 percent of sexual assault survivors who had originally agreed to help prosecute their alleged offenders changed their minds before trial.

(AP) — A Kansas legislative committee has rejected most of a state senator’s request for pay for a meeting he nearly missed by arriving late.

Kansas City Democrat David Haley appealed to the joint claims committee after failing to receive $291 for his salary, expense allowance and mileage for a December 2012 meeting of another panel.

The claims committee said Monday that Haley should receive only $73 for mileage.

Haley’s claim was for a session of the joint health care oversight committee. Haley arrived shortly before it ended. Committee Chairwoman and Topeka Republican Sen. Vicki Schmidt took the unusual step of blocking Haley’s compensation.

Lawmakers aren’t supposed to be paid without attending at least half a meeting, but Haley noted that the committee shortened its session unexpectedly.

(AP) — The state auditor says thousands of dollars collected by two southeast Missouri sheriffs’ departments are missing.

Auditor Tom Schweich  released reports Tuesday on audits of the New Madrid and Stoddard county sheriffs’ departments.

Schweich says nearly $80,000 taken in by the New Madrid sheriff’s office was never deposited, and a deputy has been fired.

In Stoddard County, Schweich says more than $15,000 recorded on more than 300 receipts was not deposited. The department’s office manager was fired.

Criminal charges also have been filed in both cases.

The Stoddard County sheriff has started reviewing bank reconciliations and other accounting records each month. In New Madrid County, accounting duties have been divided, and the sheriff reviews all transactions.

(AP) – Missouri officials say a contractor will make a one-time $290,000 deposit to families affected by a failure to issue debit cards containing child support payments on time.

The state Office of Administration said Tuesday a subcontractor used by Systems and Methods Inc. did not mail the cards on time between Oct. 11 and Oct. 25. Parents were unable to access funds, and the state says about 10,000 families were affected.

Missouri officials say the company also will send a letter apologizing for the inconvenience, assist people facing fees for late-payments and pay the state about $6,800.

Systems and Methods Inc. did not immediately respond to a messag

(AP) – Missouri education officials are investigating academic integrity issues and reports that attendance was inflated at a struggling Kansas City charter school.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said in a news release Tuesday that Hope Academy’s sponsor, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, was notified about the problems Friday.

DESE spokeswoman Sarah Potter says one issue is that only 27.4 percent of students were in attendance during a surprise visit last month, although the school was reporting a 99.5 percent attendance rate.

DESE says the school’s board of directors has placed some staff on leave, appointed an interim superintendent and hired an external auditor to look into the concerns.

The school’s board said in a statement that its swift response shows it is taking the issues seriously.

(AP) – A Kansas City hospital is going on the road to provide dental care to students.

Truman Medical Center says its Lakewood hospital unveiled the Mobile Dental Coach on Monday at an Independence elementary school. Nearly $500,000 was raised over two years to purchase and outfit a 40-foot bus to provide dental screenings, X-rays and treatment for students. The money also will pay to operate the bus.

The Lakewood hospital’s dental practice began providing screenings and basic services to students in the Independence School Districts in late 2011. More than 6,000 students have received care. But until now, that care was provided in whatever space was available in the schools.

Independence superintendent Dale Herl says the mobile dental unit will remove barriers for young dental patients.

(AP) – The Springfield City Council is considering an ordinance that would allow people to have some municipal marijuana offenses removed from their records in certain cases.

The council took no action on the proposal Monday but allowed it to advance to a vote at a meeting in two weeks.

Under the ordinance, the offense could be removed if a person completes community service or probation and goes two years without any felony convictions or other pending charges. The ordinance does not impose any age restrictions.

The city’s legal staff has questioned the legality of the proposal. State law doesn’t allow the city to expunge convictions, but it doesn’t ban it, either.

(AP) – Hallmark Cards says will eliminate at least 225 jobs by doing away with its party ware business and streamlining parts of its greeting card operation.

The Kansas City Star reports 125 to 150 jobs will be cut over the next 15 to 20 months by eliminating party wares, which Hallmark says weren’t meeting revenue expectations. An additional 100 positions will be axed this year through streamlining.

Hallmark has about 3,200 employees in Kansas City and roughly 12,000 worldwide. It says the staff reductions will include severance packages for those who lose their jobs, while some workers may be reassigned to other positions within the company.