My fellow St. Louisans,
I want to begin by saying thank you for all your support throughout my 14 years of public service, first as your State Representative and then as your State Senator.
Because of term limits, 2020 will be my last year in the Missouri Legislature.
Going into my final session, I am driven by the same goal that has kept moving me forward all these years: to make St. Louis better than the one I grew up in. To make sure that a child born like me – into violence, into poverty, into despair – will not just survive, but thrive.
That’s why I’ve worked for better schools and safer streets. It’s why I’ve brought millions of state dollars back home to St. Louis to lift up our communities. And it’s why I’ve never been shy of speaking truth to power – especially when it gives a voice to the voiceless.
I have filed several bills in 2020 to continue this work, and the legislation detailed below will be my policy priorities throughout this legislative session. Over the next five months, I will be working to get these bills through the legislative process and to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
I have one year left in the State Senate, and I intend on using it to keep fighting for the City of St. Louis. Because Black Lives Matter. Each of you matter. And what we do together matters.
If you have further questions about these legislative proposals, please feel free to contact my office at (573) 751-4415. As always, I welcome your feedback and am honored by your support.
Sincerely,
Senator Jamilah Nasheed
State Senator Jamilah Nasheed – Legislative Priorities 2020
- Senate Bill 541 – This legislation modifies the Missouri Supreme Court rule regarding the timing of motions for a new criminal trial to allow a prosecuting attorney to file for a new trial at any time.
- Senate Bill 542 – This bill allows former felons to vote, except those with felonies connected to the right to vote.
- Senate Bill 543 – This bill allows a law enforcement officer, family member or household member to petition a court for a firearm restraining order for an individual believed to be a threat to themselves or others. If approved by the court, the restraining order prohibits the individual from purchasing, possessing, receiving or having in their custody any firearms for a period of time.
- Senate Bill 626 – This legislation requires public schools in St. Louis City to develop intensive reading instruction programs for students struggling to read. It also allows students not reading at a second grade level to be promoted to the third grade only if certain conditions are met.
- Senate Bill 627 – This act requires that members of the St. Louis City Board of Education be elected from seven sub-districts from the city starting in April 2021. These sub-districts will be created by the Board of Election Commissioners of the City of St. Louis; must not cross ward lines; and be compact, contiguous and as equal in representation as possible.
- Senate Bill 814 – This legislation requires those incarcerated in jails or prisons to be assessed for substance abuse disorders and have access to medication-assisted treatment services.
- Senate Joint Resolution 35 – This proposed constitutional amendment, if approved by voters, would allow incarcerated individuals to be counted as residents of their last known address before their incarceration, rather than as a resident of a correctional facility, for matters related to the census.