Omnibus immigration bill gets first-round nod in Missouri Senate
By JASON NOBLE

The Star’s Jefferson City correspondent

JEFFERSON CITY | A wide-ranging bill on one of the marquee issues of the legislative session glided through the Missouri Senate on Tuesday with surprisingly little debate.

Senators spent just over an hour debating an omnibus illegal-immigration bill before passing it on a voice vote with just five lawmakers present. It must be approved once more in the Senate before going on to the House for further scrutiny.

“I didn’t expect to get it through in an hour,â€