Afternoon Update

Associated Industries of Missouri has endorsed Gov. Nixon’s plan to broaden Medicaid to cover 35,000 additional low-income parents. The group, which represents large businesses and manufacturers, said Tuesday that expanding government coverage and reducing the number of uninsured Missourians would drive down the cost of private insurance. (Post-Dispatch, KWMU)

A Senate committee has passed legislation allowing Ameren UE to charge ratepayers in advance of a new power plant's construction. The new bill, written by Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, gives the Public Service Commission more time to decide on whether or not to approve a new nuclear plant. The original bill allowed three months for the process — the new bill makes it 12 months for initial approval and another 11 months for the facility review process.(KY3, Post-Dispatch, Rosenbaum, Senate Newsroom)

The House has passed bill requiring immediate statewide elections for officeholders leaving office midterm. The bill comes at an interesting time as the midterm Senate election between Secretary of State Robin Carnahan and Congressman Roy Blunt takes off.  Rep. Jeff Roorda, D-Barnhart, exclaimed "“Should this bill be titled, ‘Everybody thinks Roy Blunt’s going to lose the election?" (Post-Dispatch)

A newly formed coalition threatens to produce a statewide ballot initiative to counter Ameren UE's construction work in progress legislation. The coalition which includes AARP, Missourians for Fair Electrical Rates and Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future among others have weighed in the "so called" CWIP legislation as being detrimental to consumers whose utility rates may increase if such legislation were passed.  The coalition believes they would sponsor a referendum to the state to reverse the legislature's action. (Post-Dispatch)

GOP House leaders have been secretly hashing out ideas for spending $1 billion in federal stimulus money ,  and are now preparing to roll out their plans. Most of the major decisions are still being debated behind closed doors. The questions include whether to give rebates to taxpayers, repair scores of state buildings or revive college construction projects halted by Gov. Jay Nixon. (Post-Dispatch)

The House Rules Committee sent a proposed constitutional amendment altering the state's Non-Partisan Court Plan to the floor. The bill makes a number of changes to the plan that selects appeals court and Missouri Supreme Court judges. Those changes include allowing the governor to reject a panel, adding another lay person to the Appellate Judicial Commission and increasing the panel the governor chooses from to four. (Jason Rosenbaum)

KC Star: Equalize scholarship funds in Missouri. The state sends the wrong message when it tells students they can qualify for a better scholarship if they attend a private school. (KC Star) At present, Access Missouri provides a maximum scholarship of $2,150 a year if the student attends a public college. That maximum jumps to $4,600 if the student attends a private college. (Missourinet)

Demographer: Missouri could keep House seat. Missouri's top population counting official says the state should not be resigned to losing a congressional seat after the 2010 census. (News-Leader)

News-Leader: Secrecy helps lead to audits. At an increasing rate, local residents have been organizing petition drives and pressing the state's fiscal watchdog into service. Wary they're not getting the straight scoop from local officials, taxpayers push for audits. (News-Leader)