One of five election and campaign reform hearings to be in Cape

Hearings to discuss election and campaign reforms will be conducted at five sites across the state -- including Southeast Missouri State University -- over the next two months.

State Sen. Anita Yeckel, R-St. Louis, called for the hearings.

"I'm certain we will develop some legislation that will remedy some of the problems that have affected Missouri in recent elections," she said shortly after being named to head the Senate Interim Committee to Reform Elections and Campaign Finance.

Yeckel was named to chair the committee by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau.

"I will attend some of the hearings," Kinder said. "I'd like to attend the Cape Girardeau hearing."

The local hearing will be at 8 a.m. Oct. 25 at the Show Me Center's North Meeting room.

Yeckel has also invited members of the House Interim Committee on Elections to take part in the hearings.

The hearings are open for people to testify regarding election reform. People who plan to testify are asked to provide a written copy of remarks to the committee.

People unable to attend the meeting can mail their testimony to Yeckel's office at State Capitol, Room 431, Jefferson City, Mo., 65101.

Yeckel sponsored legislation in the 2001 session what would have made some changes to Missouri's election system, but time ran out. The bill was being debated when the session ended May 18.

Members of the Senate committee include three Republicans -- Yeckel, John Loudon of West St. Louis County and Sen. Bill Foster of Poplar Bluff -- and two Democrats -- Sen. Ronnie DePasco of Kansas City and Steve Stoll of Festus.

Specific areas to be investigated, says Yeckel, include voter fraud, updating and maintaining accurate voter registration and voting rolls, a need for standardized counting statewide and improved disclosure laws for contributions to state officials.

The sessions are:

Oct. 22, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Millenium Hall Rooms, 7:15 a.m.

Oct. 25, Southeast Missouri State University, Show Me Center, 8 a.m.

Nov. 7, University of Missouri-Kansas City. 8 a.m.

Nov. 15, University of Missouri-Columbia, 8 a.m.

Nov. 15, State Capitol, Jefferson City, 1 p.m.

rowen@semissourian.com

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