Capitol Report

Greetings from Jefferson City. This week I was happy to see some folks from back in the District representing Missouri Farm Bureau, Ozark Trail Realty Group and Christos House all come by the office. We appreciate getting the opportunity to talk with constituents in regards to certain concerns and needs for their organizations. Communication is a key ingredient in effective governance. I would much rather hear from you the people about what is important to you. The 155th State House District takes great pride in serving our constituents with any level of government in which they need help or assistance.

Yesterday we passed HB 301 by a vote of 109 for and 35 against regarding violent crime in the City of St Louis.

I remember his Opening Day Address that Speaker Plocher told his colleagues they “cannot be bystanders as unchecked crime causes the systematic destruction of our proud state.” He called on House members to make it a priority to enact common sense reforms and provide the resources necessary to protect every Missouri community. Plocher said HB 301 represents a good faith effort by the legislature to provide assistance to areas of the state such as St. Louis where violent crime has run rampant. “As someone who is from St. Louis and who cares deeply about the families and businesses who call our part of the state home, I want to do everything we can to ensure we have safe communities where kids live without fear and criminals know they will be prosecuted for their violent actions,” said Plocher. “However, with hundreds of murders each year and thousands of unprosecuted criminal cases, we see a St. Louis that is anything but safe and that drives people and employers away from our area. I’ confident HB 301 can give us an important tool to restore law and order to St. Louis or any part of our state where violent crime has grown out of control.”

HB 301 is a wide-ranging public safety bill that includes a key provision that would allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor in areas of the state with an excessive homicide rate. The bill specifies the governor would be empowered to appoint a prosecutor in any circuit or prosecuting attorney’s jurisdiction that has a homicide rate in excess of 35 cases per 100,000 people and where the governor determines there is a threat to public safety and health. The special prosecutor would be appointed for a period of up to five years.

The sponsor of HB 301, who previously served as director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, said it’s important that the state act to help with the problem of violent crime in St. Louis or in any part of the state.

“Crime in our state, and across the nation, is a concern but particularly in our urban areas where at this point at least one of our communities has a per capita crime rate that more than doubles the per capita crime rate of Chicago,” said the bill sponsor. “I’ve been told that I shouldn’t be meddling in this community’s business, but I would submit to you and anyone else who wants to listen, I am not a meddler. I’m not an outsider. I’m a Missourian. In the past five years 1,043 Missourians have died in the city limits of St. Louis. That is not acceptable. It would not matter where in this state such a thing occurred, it would still not be acceptable.”

HB 301 specifies that the prosecutor appointed by the governor would have exclusive jurisdiction to initiate and prosecute offenses specified in the bill. The state will provide funding to the special prosecutor, who would be authorized to hire up to 15 assistant special prosecuting attorneys and up to 15 staff members.

HB 301 also contains several other provisions designed to improve public safety in Missouri. The bill would establish the Peace Officer Basic Training Tuition Reimbursement Program to help address the shortage of police officers in some parts of the state. The bill would also ensure the Department of Corrections to implement a policy to help offenders apply for Medicaid and obtain vital documents such as a birth certificate or Social Security card. Additionally, the legislation establishes factors for a judge or judicial officer to consider when setting bail, includes protections for a judicial officer’s personal information, and creates Blair’s Law.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

After hearing so much testimony about the terrible crime in St Louis it made me realize how blessed we are to live in the Ozarks. While we still have our share of problems at times, it doesn’t even begin to compare with what is going on in metropolitan areas across the nation. It’s nice to know, appreciate, and love our neighbors. God bless you and yours.