Last provision of Mo. law aimed at curbing auto extended service contract industry takes effect
Republican Senator Scott Rupp sponsored the legislation after he says he received lots of complaints about the businesses in his suburban St. Louis district.
The last portion of the law to take effect requires the extended contract service providers, and their employees, to apply for a license with the Missouri Department of Insurance.
"If they've been let go from other companies for unscrupulous practices and things of that nature they can be denied a license to sell again, again giving more of a hook to the Department of Insurance to go after some of the unscrupulous salespeople that are out there," said Rupp.
Rupp says he expects the law to sharply cut down the number of complaints.
Other provisions of the law took effect last year, including requiring extended service providers to give customers a "free look" period.
Ill. creating online database of murderers
Even someone who took another life can get out of prison. Those who pushed for the registry say the public should know the individual is in their community. The law requires those convicted of first degree murder to check in with the state for a decade upon their release.
Many victims' families are on board with it. Patty Rosenberg's daughter, Andrea Will, was a student at Eastern Illinois University when an ex-boyfriend killed her in 1998. He served half of a 24 year sentence and is now free. Rosenberg says registering for a decade is nothing compared to what families have had to endure...
"I don't think that's too much," said Rosenberg. "I've lost 13 already. And I'll live the rest of my life without my daughter."
But advocates for former inmates say it's further punishment after their debt to society has been paid.
The murder registry would be similar to one for convicted sex offenders, listing names, addresses, physical descriptions and more. Those released since 2002 will have to sign up.
Missouri to display battle flags from Civil War
Missouri soon will be displaying an array of battle flags from the Civil War. The Missouri State Museum has overseen the conservation of 45 flags. The museum is displaying seven flags at a time in the state Capitol through June 2015.
Missouri's collection of battle flags was gathered after the Civil War, and they were turned over to the Missouri State Museum during the 1920s. There were attempts to conserve the flags in the 1930s through the Works Progress Administration.
Flag conservation continues through funding from Missouri's parks and soils tax.
