Senator Brian Williams’ Legislative Column for March 3, 2023

Marching toward the Halfway Point

The month of March started on a positive note when my peace officer standard bill passed out of committee. Senate Bill 38 authorizes the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission to establish and require a 40-hour training course for all police chiefs who are appointed after Aug. 28, 2023. The proposal also raises the minimum requirement of basic training to be POST certified to 600 hours and adds additional grounds for disciplining officers who act egregiously or test positive for a controlled substance. Law enforcement is a challenging, noble profession, and I believe that increased training and strengthened accountability will greatly help peace officers perform their duties in a safe, professional manner.

One of the committees I proudly serve on is Senate Appropriations. Tasked with drafting our state’s operating budget for the next fiscal year, members of this committee primarily listen to funding requests from all of the state departments, while the House Budget Committee conducts hearings and advances proposals based on the governor’s recommendations. The Senate Appropriations Committee will also review the governor’s recommendations after the House approves their version of the budget. Click here to learn more about the FY ’24 budget. 

What if it was your kid?

A group of determined students from the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis filled the Capitol Rotunda on Feb. 28 to advocate for tighter gun laws and decry “Anti-Red Flag Gun Seizure” proposals that are progressing through both chambers. These survivors of a deadly shooting at their school on Oct. 24, 2022, led a self-named campaign, “What if it was your kid,” challenging lawmakers to look beyond the lens of Second Amendment rights and imagine the utter devastation of a school shooting happening in one of their communities, to one of their children. In a survey conducted in February by St. Louis University, 60-79% of those polled support red flag laws and other firearm safety measures. Having a red flag law in place could have prevented this senseless tragedy that resulted in three lives lost, so I hope my colleagues in both chambers listen to these students’ pleas and oppose what I believe to be dangerous measures.

It is an honor representing each of you in the Missouri Senate. If you have any ideas to improve our district or questions about legislation, please contact my office at 573-751-4106 or visit my Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Williams.