COUNTY CLERKS WILL MEET IN CAPE THROUGH FRIDAY

County clerks from all over the state will be in Cape Girardeau this week to participate in the 85th annual conference of the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities.

The conference, being held in Cape Girardeau for the first time, also will include the annual training session that clerks are required to have.

Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney Miller, who is president of the association, said he looks forward to having officials from all 114 counties of Missouri coming to this part of the state. He said this year's conference should provide clerks with some important information to help them do their jobs better.

The conference will be at the Holiday and Victorian Inns with registration from 2-5 p.m. today. Tonight, the clerks and their spouses will have an opportunity ride the St. Louis Iron Mountain steam train in Jackson and have a picnic. The first session will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Topics of training sessions will include new laws and revised Missouri statutes; record keeping; redistricting at the local level; risk management and liability from the county clerk's perspective; voter canvassing and registration; and the new Ethics and Campaign Financial Disclosure Law.

Speakers will include John Ballard, governmental affairs specialist for the University of Missouri; Steve Puro of the News Elections Service; Juanita Donehue, executive director of the Missouri Association of Counties; Allen Bailey, director of the Missouri Public Entity Risk Management Fund; Steve Byers, director of elections for the Secretary of State's Office; and Gayla Thomas, director of the division of campaign reporting for the Secretary of State's Office.

Secretary of State Roy Blunt will be the featured speaker at Thursday's luncheon.

At Thursday's banquet, Miller will end his one-year term as president of the association and will turn over the gavel to Leo Marler of Camden County.

The association will honor two legislators for their service: Sen. Norman Merrell, D-Monticello, and Rep. Steve Carroll, D-Hannibal.

Merrell has been in the Senate since 1971 and is a former president pro tem of the chamber. He serves as chairman of the Local Government and Economic Development Committee. Merrell has been a longtime advocate of issues on behalf of county officials.

Rep. Carroll, an attorney, has been in the House since 1985. He is chairman of the Economic Development and Professional Registration Committee, and is the youngest member of the House Budget Committee. He serves on eight committees or advisory councils in Missouri government, which is more than any other legislator.

The conference will conclude Friday morning with the annual business meeting.