Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman, 22nd Senatorial District

Capitol Building, Rm. 334, Jefferson City, MO 65101

For Immediate Release: May 1, 2023

Contact: Seth York, 573-751-1492

JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, is leading an effort to stand up for law enforcement officers and their families by offering an amendment to House Bill 1108, prohibiting the Missouri Department of Transportation from naming any highway for a person convicted of killing a law enforcement officer.

The need for this amendment recently came to light after a portion of highway in Kirkwood, Missouri, was named after Kevin “Rockhead” Johnson who was convicted of killing William McEntee, a 20-year veteran of the Kirkwood Police Department.

“It is unconscionable that an individual who took the life of a law enforcement officer should have a portion of a Missouri highway named after them,” Sen. Coleman said. “We ask a lot of our law enforcement officers and their families. We owe it to them to protect the memory of their loved ones and honor their service.”

House Bill 1108, a public safety bill, was passed by the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence on May 1 and may now be brought up for discussion on the Senate floor.

Please visit Sen. Coleman’s official Missouri Senate website for more information on her legislative agenda at senate.mo.gov/Coleman. 

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