The Associated Press

A law enforcement group is supporting legislation to address a backlog of jail inmates waiting to be transferred to crowded state psychiatric facilities.

It will be harder to find a place to smoke on the University of Missouri's Columbia campus this summer.

Starting July 1, smoking will be allowed only in designated areas. The smoking areas aren't final yet, but they are likely to be in parking lots and on the top floors of parking garages.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that the stricter rules are a step toward the university's goal of being entirely smoke-free by Jan. 1, 2014.

The university's current policy prohibits smoking within 20 feet of doors, windows and fresh air intake systems on campus. The Tribune reports that the policy is not strictly enforced, with campus administrators mostly leaving it to students and employees to police each other.

Missouri Senate Committee to Release Redistricting Map Today

A Missouri Senate committee is preparing to consider a plan for developing new congressional districts. Missouri is losing one of its nine seats in the U.S. House, and the state Legislature is responsible for drawing the boundaries of the eight resulting districts. The Senate committee on redistricting is scheduled to release its proposed map today.

An effort to cap campaign contributions to candidates in Missouri has moved one step forward.

The secretary of state's office on Friday approved a summary for a proposed ballot measure. That clears the way for supporters to begin collecting the more than 91,000 signatures needed to put the question to voters in 2012.

The proposal would bar candidates from accepting more than $5,000 per donor for each election.

Missouri's campaign finance laws have undergone numerous makeovers in recent years.

Reporting from Illinois Public Radio's Luke Runyon used in this report.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk says Libyan rebels should be given weapons to help them quickly overthrow Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

The Illinois Republican says furnishing weapons will help end the Libyan war and limit costs for the United States and its allies. 

Kirk spoke with reporters Friday. He says the conflict in Libya needs to be finished quickly.