The Associated Press

Update: A 2 p.m. scheduled press conference with Gov. Nixon on this topic was canceled without explanation to the press.

Updated at 3:46 p.m. April 20, 2011:

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says officials are making progress toward completing an agreement on a dog-breeding law to make revisions embraced by the governor.

The Legislature earlier passed legislation to rewrite a dog-breeding law that voters approved last year. Nixon didn't say Wednesday if he'll sign or veto that legislation.

The Missouri Senate has passed a funding plan for public schools as it begins debate on a $23 billion proposed budget.

• A Senate budget bill approved Wednesday would provide schools $3 billion in basic aid next year - the same amount as this year but an estimated $179 million less than called for under the school funding formula.

Legislators and Gov. Jay Nixon say the state cannot afford to pay schools the full amount they are due.

Severe Weather Hits Missouri

Tornados swept through eastern Missouri yesterday, damaging homes and yanking down power lines. No injuries were reported.

The Pike County Sheriff's Department says the storm hit the Bowling Green area late yesterday afternoon, and that three tornadoes were seen in the county in a 45-minute period. Some homes in the Clarksville area had roof damage, and barns and outbuildings in rural Pike County also were damaged.

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan says brokerage firm A.G. Edwards has reached a $755,000 settlement with the state of Missouri.

Carnahan said Tuesday in a release that the settlement ends an investigation that resulted from a complaint by an 81-year-old southwest Missouri investor. Carnahan said the consent order stemmed from her investigation that found the firm sold annuities to elderly customers without proper documentation.

The Illinois High School Association has approved a new policy requiring high school athletes who leave a game with head injuries to be cleared in the days that follow by a doctor or an athletic trainer working with a physician.

The IHSA board approved the new policy Tuesday. Previously the organization's concussion policy didn't require medical checks after the day the injury occurred.

The policy change follows months of reports on long-term damage athletes suffer from concussions in both pro sports and in college and high school.