Tagged: domestic violence

Wagner Enters U.S. House Race

Former Missouri Republican Party Chairwoman Ann Wagner has announced her candidacy for a U.S. House race.  Congressman Todd Akin announced Tuesday that he will forgo re-election for his suburban St. Louis seat to instead enter the Republican primary to challenge Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. Hours later, Wagner announced that she will run for Akin's 2nd District seat.

Legislation overhauling Missouri's domestic violence laws for the first time since the 1970s has won unanimous approval in the state Senate.

Thursday's vote was 33-0. The bill now goes to the House.

Among other things, the wide-ranging measure would require that state prosecutors rather than local authorities handle cases involving repeat domestic violence offenders.

It would also exempt victims from paying filing fees when they ask a court to enforce a protection order.

• The state of Missouri has carried out its first execution in nearly two years. Early this morning, 47-year-old Martin Link was put to death for the 1991 kidnapping, rape and murder of 11-year-old Elissa Self-Braun. Missouri Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Cline says Link died by lethal injection shortly after midnight at the state prison in Bonne Terre. On Monday, Gov.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has unveiled the legislative changes he says will strengthen the state's domestic violence laws.

The 12 recommendations are the result of a task force Koster convened last year, and seven of them will require action by the General Assembly.

Most of the legislative proposals focus on strengthening orders of protection, which Koster calls the main tools to help domestic violence victims. He says current law doesn't allow juveniles to request those orders.