JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Among his first actions in office, new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to issue a variety of orders targeting crime. The tone-setting move on Monday reflects a trend in the U.S. After a period of relaxed sentencing laws, a tough-on-crime approach is back in political favor. Republicans and Democrats alike are promoting anti-crime initiatives as a new year of lawmaking gets underway in state capitols. That comes after voters in several states in November embraced stricter penalties for crimes ranging from shoplifting to deadly drug dealing.
