Every Day Numbers for the 14th District
CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
Division of Child Support Enforcement
(314) 264-7700
Jewish Family and Children's Services
(314) 993-1000
NAACP - St. Louis County Branch
(314) 389-1552
St. Louis County Human Services
(314) 615-4453
Youth Emergency Services
(314) 727-6294
CONSUMER PROTECTION
Consumer Credit Counseling Services
(314) 647-9004
Consumer
Credit Reports
1-877-322-8228
Missouri Consumer Protection Hotline
1-800-392-8222
Missouri Dept. of Insurance Consumer Information
1-800-726-7390
CRISIS HOTLINES
Youth Emergency Service Hotline
(314) 727-6294
St. Louis Housing Resource Center
(Homeless Hotline)
(314) 802-5444
Life Crisis Services, Inc. (for Adults)
(24-Hour)
(314) 647-4357
Elderly Abuse Hotline
1-800-392-0210
Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline
(24-Hours)
1-800-392-3738
Alcohol Drug Interventions & Drug Treatment Referrals
1-888-762-3750
Trevor Lifeline
(For at-risk LGBT youth: 24-Hours)
1-866-488-7386
HEALTH-RELATED SERVICES
Alzheimer's Association
1-800-272-3900
Birth & Death Records
(314) 615-1720
HIGHER EDUCATION
Missouri School for the Blind
(314) 776-4320
Paraquad, Inc.
(314) 289-4200
HOUSING
Beyond Housing
(314) 533-0600
Housing Authority -
St. Louis County
(314) 428-3200
Home Improvement Grants (North County)
(314) 615-8232
PREGNANCY COUNSELING
Abortion Alternatives
(314) 962-5300
Planned Parenthood & Reproductive Health Services of St. Louis
(314) 531-7526
SENIOR CITIZEN SERVICES
Missouri Rx Program
1-800-375-1406
Long-Term Care Information - Ombudsman
(314) 918-8222
Older Adult Community Action Program
(314) 993-5181
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (Elderly Law Unit)
(314) 534-4200
TOUR THE CAPITAL CITY
State Capitol Tours
(573) 751-2854
TRANSPORTATION
Call-A-Ride
(314) 652-3617
VETERANS BENEFITS
American Red Cross Blood Services
(314) 658-2000
Missouri Veterans Commission
(573) 751-3779
St. Louis County Office of Veterans' Services
(314) 552-9890
VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS
Big Brothers
Big Sisters
(314) 361-5900
Foster Grandparents
(314) 961-8000
ext. 370
Newsletter
Feb. 12, 2015
Friends & Neighbors,
If you would like to learn more about the issues addressed in this newsletter or would like to discuss any matter involving state government, please contact my Capitol office.
Thank you,
Maria Chappelle-Nadal
14th District
Joint Committee Seeks Answers on Ferguson Response
Last night, our Joint Committee on Governmental Accountability met to begin our investigation into the management of civil disorder in Ferguson. Our questions were tailored to reconstruct a detailed account of every step in a process that, ultimately, failed to prevent the situation from descending into chaos. The subjects of investigation included the tense months following Officer Darren Wilson’s killing of the unarmed teenager Michael Brown, as well as the night of the grand jury decision not to indict Wilson. Present witnesses included municipal leaders and on-site personnel, providing varied perspectives.
Our first witness was James Knowles, the Mayor of Ferguson. Mayor Knowles’ story featured a rush to make contact with the governor’s office and bring out the National Guard as the crisis escalated the night of the grand jury decision. While multiple attempts at contact were made – directly and through other officials – he was unsuccessful, and noted that this absence of communication with the governor’s office persists to the present day. He indicated that he had not been consulted in most of the decision-making that originated from Unified Command, the on-site police headquarters dedicated to monitoring the unrest. An additional revelation, as he stated, was that there were areas of Ferguson officers were in fact prohibited from entering due to issues of safety. His narrative was expanded upon by Calverton Park Mayor Jim Paunovich, who had received requests for additional support that night.
Perspectives from the ground were provided by testimony from Greg Brown, Chief of the Eureka Fire District, and Matt LaVancy, Assistant Chief of Pattonville Fire District. They reported an absence of support from the National Guard when “force protection” for firefighters was needed. This resulted in the eventual order for on-site firefighters to “drop hoses” and retreat from the scene for their safety. LaVancy noted the distress this caused him and his colleagues, as abandoning an ongoing fire “went against everything they had trained for.” He added that he could still see an individual behind the glass of one of the burning buildings when the order came.
Needless to say, the gravity of this testimony affected us all. While these witnesses helped us to better understand the timeline of events in Ferguson, questions still remain concerning the origins of certain decisions and protocols. While no official action has been determined, our committee will hold future meetings in pursuit of more information.
Studio Interview with Jaime Allman
Last week, I joined Jaime on The Allman Report, broadcasted by ABC St. Louis. We discussed the importance of communication and bipartisanship in times of crisis, as well as putting community before party politics.
You can watch our interview by clicking here or on the picture below.
UPDATE -- Attorney General’s Office Supports Provisions of Ferguson Bill
On Friday, the Attorney General’s Office released a report outlining their recommendations from their Roundtable on Representative Policing, which they hosted last fall in St. Louis and Kansas City for the purpose of improving relations between police agencies and their communities. Two of the recommendations stated in the report are reflected in my law enforcement bill. These provisions are related to facilitating body-worn police cameras and amending Missouri’s deadly use of force statute.
The full report can be found here.
Senate Bill 21 Moves Forward, Citizens Tell Their Story
On Feb. 4, our Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee heard the presentation and testimony for my law enforcement reform legislation, Senate Bill 21. This bill is an answer to what I had seen and heard in the streets of Ferguson – brutality against unarmed citizens and unrestrained use of weapons such as tear gas to suppress free speech. These experiences illustrated the gulf in relations between community and law enforcement. Through this legislation, our hope is to move toward restoring the faith that should exist between police agencies and the people they are sworn to protect.
Such a task can only be accomplished by introducing accountability and restraint. In this regard, one step SB 21 takes is to require police officers to wear body cameras. Not only will this win back some measure of trust, but having this footage will also protect officers from wrongful accusations.
Another important step SB 21 takes is to redefine Missouri’s acceptable “use of deadly force” definition to only apply in cases where a suspect poses a clear danger to the officer or the public. This has been the standard since Tennessee v. Garner, a 1985 case in which the Supreme Court limited acceptable use of deadly force to these situations. It is time for Missouri statute to reach that standard – due process under the law is a right guaranteed to every human being, and our law must reflect that. My bill also provides for oversight, requiring that all officer-related deaths or shooting injuries be investigated by a special prosecutor, and setting an accreditation timeline for all police agencies.
I was not alone that day; after explaining the bill, I was joined by Phyllis Daugherty and Alex Whitt, two representatives from Eyes on Ferguson, a volunteer organization committed to uplift efforts for the Ferguson community. Their accounts illustrated the long-term effects of these events, bringing this issue home to many in the room who would normally be far removed from these problems. The ACLU also acknowledged their support.
Click here or on the picture below to watch my testimony on Senate Bill 21.
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Response in Ferguson Draws Scrutiny (NY Times)
Missouri Senate advances bill to limit fines in city budgets (Washington Times)
Steps to sensible use of force law (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Senate committee discusses law enforcement bill (Ozark Area Network)
Missouri legislative panel approves proposal to help expand charter schools (The Republic)
Missouri Attorney General Urges Changes to Deadly Force Law (Associated Press)
Maria Chappelle-Nadal to present bill addressing body cameras, deadly force (KMOV)
Missouri state Senator introduces bill to change police conduct (KTRS)
Missouri legislative panel approves proposal to help expand charter schools (Associated Press)
Missouri Senate confirms two of three curator nominees (Columbia Daily Tribune)
Bill limiting police deadly force gets Missouri Senate hearing (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
“Great interview, keep up the good work and fighting for the children!” – Holston Black Jr.
“Maria Chappelle-Nadal was sitting by me at U City School Board study session. Her impassioned comments about envisioning social justice as a core concept/subject for the district's branding grabbed me emotionally, and I told her so … Then later conversation about her exciting legislative work at Jeff City this session. Keep up the good work, Maria!” – George Lenard
“I saw you yesterday! You were so kind to shout out to us! That looks like RISE. Have fun!” – Darlene Veronica
This weekend I had the honor of hanging out with Daniel Hernandez Jr., former intern, and the hero that saved Gabby Gifford’s life. He now engages in advocacy, and serves as a school board member for the Sunnyside School District. He also authored his own memoir, They Call Me A Hero.
Maurice B. Graham was recently confirmed by the Senate to the University Of Missouri Board Of Curators. He is also the President of Gray, Ritter & Graham, a St. Louis law firm specializing in complex business and commercial litigation. He has given talks, as well as authored work on the subject of legal ethics.