Court hearing canceled on Mo. special elections

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A hearing has been postponed in a lawsuit seeking to compel Gov. Jay Nixon to call special elections for vacant legislative seats, because no one showed up to represent the governor.

Cole County Circuit Judge Dan Green had scheduled a hearing Monday in the case but canceled it when no one from Nixon's office or Attorney General Chris Koster's office appeared in court. The attorney general typically represents the state in legal matters.

The lawsuit by 10 Missouri residents contends Nixon is shirking his duties by not setting elections to fill three vacant House seats and one empty Senate seat.

Four of the plaintiffs were present in court Monday. Some of them accused Nixon of using stall tactics to avoid scheduling special elections for April.