Legislative Column for Sept. 4, 2020
The extra legislative session called by the governor on July 15 reached closer to a conclusion this week. Although the House of Representatives still needs to vote on a few legislative changes, the Senate’s work appears to be done. After nearly six weeks of deliberation over proposals to combat violent crime in Missouri, the Senate passed five bills introduced in the House of Representatives, amending one to include an additional provision requested by the governor.
When the extra session began on July 27, Legislators had just one bill before them. Senate Bill 1 contained six specific proposals requested by the governor. That bill passed the Senate and was sent onto the House of Representatives on Aug. 7. Three days later, the governor expanded his call for the extra session, asking the Legislature to grant Missouri’s attorney general “concurrent jurisdiction” to prosecute murder cases in the City of St. Louis. The House held a hearing on SB 1 but decided to repackage the governor’s requests as individual legislative proposals, each to be considered separately.
This week, the Senate took up five bills passed by the House. All five bills passed, although three received changes and will require further action by the House. The following measures were approved by the Senate:
- House Bill 2 allows certain otherwise inadmissible witness statements to be entered into the court record if a defendant has intimidated the witness or prevented them from appearing. This bill was amended to include the concurrent jurisdiction authority the governor sought for Missouri’s attorney general. The House will have to approve the change.
- House Bill 11 expands the definition of endangering the welfare of a child, making it a crime to encourage or cause a child to commit a weapons offense. A minor grammatical fix sends this legislation back to the House for another vote.
- House Bill 16 makes transferring a weapon to a child to avoid arrest or prosecution a felony. The House will need to look at this legislation again, as the Senate revised the bill.
- House Bill 46 addresses a chronic shortage of police officers in St. Louis by temporarily lifting a residency requirement for the city’s public safety employees. The House bill was unchanged by the Senate, so this measure now goes to the governor’s desk.
- House Bill 66 creates a “Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund.” This bill, too, is ready for the governor’s signature.
In my opinion, few people would have predicted this extra session would take so long or become so complicated. In the end, nearly every measure requested by the governor is on track to become law. The Legislature made it easier for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police to recruit new officers, and we’ve taken steps to encourage witnesses to come forward and testify. We’ve also begun to address the alarming rise of violent crime among juveniles. Although none of these measures will eliminate violent crime in Missouri, I believe they will help.
It is my great honor to represent the citizens of the 33rd Senatorial District. Although the Legislature has adjourned for 2020, I remain your senator throughout the year. If there’s anything that I can do to assist you, please feel free to contact my Capitol office at (573) 751-1882.