Mo. House, Senate push for elimination of Sue Shear Institute
The Missouri House has approved legislation that would strip state funding from an institute that trains women for careers in politics.
The Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life is located at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and bills itself non-partisan. Its detractors, however, argue the Institute caters to Democrats - a characterization that Springfield Democrat Sara Lampe strongly disputes.
"I find that incredibly offensive, because it’s focused on women," she said. "It'’s not focused on political activity, it’s focused on women, and it’s about not wanting women in this place. We have only 22 percent of the people in the legislature now that are women."
The House's measure moves onto the state Senate, where another group of Republicans is also trying to strip funding from the Institute. One Senator, Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau, has shut down all business in the chamber in his effort to eliminate the money.
Second group of elk to arrive in Mo. this month
Missouri’s elk population is about to double.
The state Department of Conservation says 35 elk are expected to arrive at the Peck Ranch Conservation Area in southern Missouri on May 18th. They’re the second group of animals coming from Kentucky as part of an elk restoration project in the state.
Forty-nine elk were captured in Kentucky last year as part of the program. 15 died before making it to Missouri, and three more died of natural causes after reaching the state. The state's herd now has 31 adult animals and 5 calves born in Missouri.
Up to 150 elk will be reintroduced over several years in parts of three southeastern counties.
Ill. looks to change parole length for juveniles
Amanda Vinicky contributed reporting for this story.
Advocates in Illinois are pushing legislation that would limit the amount of time a juvenile in the state can spend on parole.
Current state law mandates that a juvenile convicted of a crime remains on parole until they are 21, regardless of when they committed the crime. The measure, presented by Chicago-area Democrat Robyn Gable, would limit that to six months to a year, which is the norm for adult parolees. The period could be lengthened on a case-by-case basis.
Gable says juveniles often end up back in detention centers for minor violations, such as being late to school or missing curfew.
