St. Louis Observer: December 17, 2021
Aldermen approve of new ward lines; local judges denying bail at excessive rates; SLDC launches fund to address North City redlining
Editor’s Note
Last weekend, an F-3 tornado ripped through an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, as workers reportedly were unloading trucks and unable to hear warning sirens. Six employees lost their lives, arguably due to Amazon’s anti-worker policies which, among other things, included a “no personal cell phones” policy while on the clock and neglecting to construct safe shelter areas or hold drills for inclement weather. As the tornado approached, drivers were told that they would lose their jobs if they returned to the warehouse to shelter from the storm. Amazon’s top executives offered their “thoughts and prayers” to the dozens of injured employees and to the families of the six workers who died, while simultaneously celebrating a Blue Origin space launch.
The workers’ deaths were avoidable, but for Amazon’s own negligence to provide a safe working environment. Jeff Bezos’ “let them eat cake”-esque response to the tragedy further underscored the class struggle between workers and the wealthy elites who barely acknowledged the loss of life.
As state and federal investigators begin their inquiry into Amazon’s insufficiencies and policies at the Edwardsville warehouse, we call on those authorities to hold all involved accountable for the company’s OSHA-violating policies and anti-worker culture. From Amazon paying unlivable wages while forcing employees to risk their lives for profit, to the local entities that approved occupancy for the unsafe facility, workers deserve more than just answers - they deserve justice at all levels.
In the News
Police and prosecutorial news and accountability
A recent national report revealed that states and federal governments carried out the fewest number of executions since 1988, citing a decline in public support for the death penalty. The Death Penalty Information Center reported that 10 of the 11 executions carried out in 2021 were of persons with significant mental impairments and had IQs in the intellectually disabled range. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Michael Tarn]
An Illinois assistant prosecutor has been appointed as an associate circuit court judge in the Third Circuit, which covers Madison and Bond counties. Andrew Carruthers leaves the Madison County State Attorney’s Office for the bench after spending a majority of his career in private practice and serving four years on the Illinois State Board of Elections. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Staff Reports]
St. Louis area judges are accused of denying defendants bonds in defiance of new cash bail rules that prevent judges from issuing high bail without considering a person’s ability to pay. As of December 1, approximately 570 persons were detained in St. Louis City jails because a judge denied them bond; on average, 85% of persons detained in City facilities are Black. [St. Louis Public Radio/Niara Savage]
After 10 children have escaped custody from the St. Louis City Juvenile Detention Center since September 4, the Chief Juvenile Officer Amanda Sodomka has announced the hiring of more staff and building upgrades. The institution is run by the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit and detains children under 18 who are waiting for their day in court. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Katie Kull]
Although hate crimes are on the rise in the St. Louis area, federal prosecutors admit that there have been very few investigations and criminal charges. Officials and advocates generally have blamed law enforcement, which is responsible for investigating hate crimes and collecting evidence and historically has poor relationships with Black communities, neighborhoods of color, and persons who identify as LGBTQ+. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Robert Patrick]
Economic development in St. Louis City and County
Census data has shown that more than 27,000 Black St. Louisans have left the City in the last decade, with the current number of Black residents being smaller than the Black population in the 1950s. Reasons for the mass exodus of Black residents includes better schools, lower crime rates, and greater property values in other parts of the state, like St. Louis County and St. Charles County. [St. Louis Public Radio/Andrea Y. Henderson]
The St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) has announced a $15 million loan fund to help finance development and homeownership in North St. Louis and low-income areas of South St. Louis. SLDC Director Neal Richardson stated that the fund will extend loans to developers who seek to build or rehab houses and to individuals who wish to purchase homes in areas historically redlined by banks and mortgage companies. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Jacob Barker]
Further reading
The St. Louis City Board of Aldermen have passed Board Bill 101, to not only redraw ward lines but to cut the number of wards in the City in half. All current aldermen will have to run in two years, with some serving two-year terms and others serving four-year terms. Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has not indicated whether she will sign the bill into law, but City Counselor Sheena Hamilton previously announced that the new ward lines are in compliance with federal redistricting guidelines. [St. Louis American/Dana Rieck; St. Louis Public Radio/Jason Rosenbaum]
Bobby Bostic, a Missouri man who was sentenced to 241 years of incarceration as a 16-year old, will be granted parole and released in 2022. Bostic’s release comes after a series of Supreme Court cases that prohibit the imposition of life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders. Bostic was denied his constitutional relief by the Missouri Supreme Court, but the Missouri legislature passed a law allowing juveniles serving “de facto” life sentences to receive parole hearings after serving 15 years. [The Riverfront Times/Ryan Krull]
In an effort to address accessibility issues, the City of St. Louis is hosting an in-person event this Saturday to assist persons with applying for $500 COVID relief cash payments. Forest Park Student Center at 5600 Oakland will host City officials as they help up to 720 City residents without access to the internet, seniors, and persons with disabilities. [St. Louis American/Dana Rieck]
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed into law a bill that repeals St. Louis City’s nonviolent marijuana ordinances. The new ordinance also states that the smell or presence of marijuana no longer can be used by police as probable cause for search and/or arrest and prohibits local police from enforcing state and federal laws against citizens for possessing small amounts of marijuana. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mark Schlinkmann]
The St. Louis City Board of Aldermen passed a resolution declaring the City to be a “sexual and reproductive health care safe zone.” During the discussion on the resolution, aldermen noted that Missouri has “trigger laws” that would immediately criminalize abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S.Supreme Court. [St. Louis American/Dana Rieck]
Quote of the Week
If you decided to come back, that choice is yours. But I can tell you it won’t be viewed as for your own safety. The safest practice is to stay exactly where you are. If you decide to return with your packages, it will be viewed as you refusing your route, which will ultimately end with you not having a job come tomorrow morning. The sirens are just a warning.
A text message from an Amazon dispatcher to a driver prior to the December 10, 2021, tornado that leveled half of the company’s Edwardsville, Ill., warehouse
Legislative & Legal Update
City of St. Louis
BB 19, introduced by Ald. Joe Vaccaro (Ward 23), would establish a Detention Facility Oversight Board for the St. Louis City Jail. The bill was perfected and passed by the full Board of Aldermen on November 23.
BB 101, introduced by Ald. Vollmer (Ward 10) and President Reed, would allow the Board of Aldermen to redraw their own ward boundary lines in consideration of voter-approved ward reduction and recent census numbers. The bill was passed by the full Board of Aldermen and has been sent to the Mayor’s Office to sign.
BB 118, introduced by Ald. Jesse Todd (Ward 18) would allocate $1.1 million received under the federal YouthBuilds grant program, distributing the first $80,000 received to SLATE. This bill has been placed on the informal calendar after its third reading on December 14.
BB 119, introduced by Ald. Todd and Ald. Ingrassia (Ward 6), would repeal the City’s current loitering ordinance and would provide a legal defense for the amended criminal charge of loitering. This bill has been held in the Public Safety Committee since November 16, 2021.
State of Missouri
The Missouri State Legislature is on recess until January 5, 2022.
Take Action
This week, to the extent that our readers are able, we would like to encourage you to donate to support funds for the families of the deceased Amazon workers. Despite being one of the wealthiest corporations on the planet, Amazon has failed to pledge or provide any support to the children, spouses, family, and friends of the employees who were killed as a result of the company’s anti-worker policies.
Links to individual fundraisers for the families of the deceased Amazon workers have been compiled here: