St. Louis Observer: July 22, 2022
Two new police watchdog agencies coming to City Hall; U.S. public schools still racially segregated; #STLBOA passes nation's first reproductive equity fund
Editor’s Note
In celebration of the historic passage of Board Bill 61, this week’s Editor’s Note is a snippet from a piece penned by our comrade Joshua Lawrence at St. Louis PoliticClips. The full text can be found here.
“Abortion is healthcare, healthcare is a human right, and human rights are non-negotiable. With Board Bill 61, St. Louis can become a leader of securing those rights for all. Introduced roughly a month ago by Ald. Annie Rice, now co-sponsored by a plethora of others, it would expand abortion access to St. Louis. This is absolutely vital as once Roe fell, Missouri was the first to trigger its abortion ban. Abortion — except for a few bureaucratic and traumatic exceptions — is now a Class B felony, meaning a sentence of 5 to 15 years. …
I kept seeing the same argument pop up again and again: “we don’t want to do this because we fear we might get sued”. This really holds no water, for the following points:
1. Inaction is inexcusable and will result in greater misery and death. When Roe fell, the United States (and especially Missouri) furthered its descent as a forced birth state. This is particularly heinous, as we have the highest maternal mortality rate of other “developed” nations. It is particularly, particularly heinous, as Missouri has a higher maternal mortality rate than the national average. This is particularly, particularly, particularly heinous, as the maternal mortality rate is even higher for the BIPOC community. These numbers increase even further for the BIPOC community. To do nothing out of fear that something that may or may not happen leaves the St. Louis community in further peril, which is an unconscionable act. …
2. Eric Schmitt loves to sue. If it’s not the Reproductive Equity Fund, it’s going to be something else anyway. Like Josh Hawley before him, Eric Schmitt (Eric #2 of the Republican Primary as we in the biz call him) frequently uses his office as nothing more than a campaign tool. This is a man who has gone after sections of Missouri — particularly those with more BIPOC representation — for COVID protocols, LGBTQI protections, and school board meetings. The list goes on and on, including a lawsuit against pretty much the entirety of China over COVID-19, but it’s sufficient to say that the Left ™ (Democrats) are his enemies and he has his lawsuits ready to go at any chance. …
3. Eric Schmitt does not actually care where his lawsuits go. When all you need for your campaign is to say “I tried to stop ‘socialist’ ideal of X, Y, or Z”, your hastily written lawsuits don’t really go anywhere. He doesn’t need, nor does he ever really get a win. It all follows a deeply, deeply stupid pattern of “big showcase of a lawsuit being filed, it appears in the campaign ad, lawsuit gets quietly thrown out or dropped months later. …
4. Board Bill 61 is well-written and vetted legislation that can stand up to scrutiny. I go back to what the Reproductive Equity Fund would actually do. It would not pay for the abortion directly; or help counsel someone into getting an abortion — two illegal things. Instead, it exploits a loophole where community partners can utilize the $1M to provide logistic support for reproductive access such as helping with childcare, transportation, and lodging costs — not illegal.
I am no big city lawyer, but it is a clear and definite needle that has been threaded to help folks in a way we can with what we have.”
In the News
Police, prosecutorial, and judicial accountability
This morning, St. Louis County leadership heard the findings of an audit report conducted as part of a larger investigation into the St. Louis County Justice Center. The audit particularly focused on the circumstances around at least a dozen suspicious deaths that have occurred in recent years, as well as recent charges of corruption involving “The Family,” referring to long-time jail leadership and administrators. [KSDK/Rhyan Henson]
As part of Board Bill 47, passed by the Board of Aldermen last week, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office has been given authority to create the Public Integrity Unit, to work in collaboration with the newly-established Division of Civilian Oversight, under the Department of Public Safety. The two new governmental watchdog groups will have the authority to independently investigate police misconduct, a role previously reserved for the police when they investigated themselves. [Fox 2 News/Elliott Davis]
Economic development & housing
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has signed into law Board Bill 61, which establishes the Reproductive Equity Fund and provides financial assistance to pregnant St. Louisans with doula assistance, transportation, lactation support, postpartum care, childcare, and other logistical support, including accessing abortions across state lines. The fund also allocates public dollars to programs that address St. Louis’ high maternal mortality rates and address racial disparities in the delivery of prenatal, birth, and postnatal medical care. [St. Louis Public Radio/Rachel Lippmann; St. Louis American/Ashley Winters]
The short-sighted House Bill 1606, passed by Missouri legislators and signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson, is already having an impact on unhoused persons living in the state. Sponsored by State Sen. Holly Rehder, advocates say the legislation puts pressure on police to conduct round-ups, violate the dignity of residents in encampments, and to further criminalize marginalized groups. [KMOV/Nicki Clark]
Trans teen Vienna Austin, who collaborated with the Hazelwood mayor to amend city code to include anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ residents, has been blocked by the Hazelwood City Council. Austin, already a high school graduate at 16, has stated that she will try again and is asking the city council to enact the same protections as other area municipalities, like Ferguson and St. Louis City, have done. [Riverfront Times/Monica Obradovic]
Further reading
A recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office has determined that public schools remain highly segregated along racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines. Findings include more than a third of all students attending a predominantly same-race/ethnicity school and the overwhelming majority of segregated schools are located in the Northeast and the Midwest. [St. Louis Public Radio/Sequoia Carrillo, Pooja Salhotra]
A federal judge has denied the Missouri Attorney General’s request to dismiss a lawsuit related to the state’s bungled management of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, allowing litigation to move forward against the Department of Social Services. The current state setup for enrollment and renewal of benefits mandates a telephone interview, but call center dysfunction has effectively prevented applicants from completing the required interview component. As a result of this intentional, systemic obstruction, the State of Missouri rejected around ½ of applicants due to failure to complete an interview. [Missouri Independent/Clara Bates]
Despite charter schools gaining a 7% increase in enrollment since 2020, Black student enrollment at charters has dropped by 5%. Nearly all charter school growth since the start of the pandemic has been virtual, and education experts are unclear how these new systems will be able to support students as the country moves forward through the pandemic and back to traditional learning. [St. Louis American/Maya Pottiger, Word in Black]
Beyond the Paywall
To read these below articles in full, please visit SLPL.org and access these articles through the Digital Content tab. St. Louis City & County residents can read these publications for free using their library cards.
“St. Louis County jail [detainee] died Saturday morning, officials say,” by Janelle O’Dea, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Missouri taxpayers spend about $2,900 on costs associated with gun violence, study says,” by Matti Gellman, Kansas City Star
“Mayor signs plan to help St. Louis women get abortions, bucking attorney general,” by Austin Hugulet, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“St. Louis County opens 7 absentee voting locations in effort to expand access,” by Kelsey Landis, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“St. Louis County parks foundation to donate $900,000 for Kinloch Park overhaul,” by Nassim Benchaabane, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Legislative Update
St. Louis City Board of Aldermen
The St. Louis City Board of Aldermen currently is in recess. The Board will reconvene on September 16, 2022.
BB 26 and BB 29, sponsored by Ald. Green, would put before City voters the ballot issue of enacting a surcharge on developers who reduced the number of units for housing rehabs and redevelopment. The bills were assigned to the Neighborhood Development Committee on May 13.
BB 47, sponsored by Ald. Clark Hubbard (Ward 26), will strengthen the City’s Civilian Oversight Board and would add paid support staff, as well as create the new Division of Civilian Oversight within the Department of Public Safety. Finally, this bill would legislatively create the Public Integrity Unit through the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office. The bill was passed by the full Board of Aldermen on July 15 and has been delivered to Mayor Jones to sign.
BB 56, also sponsored by Ald. Clark Hubbard, would allocate emergency funding for rental and other housing assistance. The bill was perfected and passed by the entire board on July 13.
BB 61, sponsored by Ald. Annie Rice (Ward 8), establishes the Reproductive Equity Fund that would assist pregnant people in St. Louis with logistical support to access abortion services in other states. The bill was passed by the full Board of Aldermen on July 15 and was signed into law by Mayor Jones on July 21.
Learn more about how a bill becomes a City ordinance.
Quote of the Week
That lightning didn’t strike, that wasn’t just a fluke, that the people meant to send me to Congress, because sending me to Congress sent us to Congress.
— U.S. Representative Cori Bush to supporters at Fairgrounds Park