By Ben Embry
Kansas City, MO – After more than six weeks without a licensing office, Gov. Blunt's administration announced yesterday a new operator for the downtown Kansas City motor vehicle bureau. The Kansas City Star reports the Downtown Council, a nonprofit group of property owners, will manage the facility, which is scheduled to open by the end of the month. Revenue Department Director Trish Vincent apologized for the delay. The office closed in June as part of a plan by the governor to transfer the state-run offices to private operations as a cost-savings measure.
Missouri House member Michael Brown of Kansas City admits he spent campaign funds on himself. The freshman Democrat says he spent the money -- which may total several thousand dollars -- on necessities like utilities and telephone bills when he and his wife first arrived in Jefferson City last year.
A gay Republicans' group opens a chapter in Lawrence -- but the state G-O-P says it knew nothing about the organization's plans. The national president of the Log Cabin Republicans was in Lawrence yesterday to help the local chapter get its start. PatrickGuerriero said if gays and lesbians want to advance their goal of equal rights, they must go into communities and talk with straight people. Guerriero is on a natiowide tour to open new chapters, including one in Kansas City. He said that in the past three years, the Log Cabin G-O-P has grown from 25 chapters to 60.