St. Louis Observer: March 11, 2022
City leadership still fighting over ARPA funds; ESOP calls for public safety chair's resignation; County to remove marijuana testing for most jobs
Editor’s Note
In 2022, how much do you think it would cost to sway a state representative to change his vote? Is that threshold higher, the more people who are impacted by that legislation? If the bill is on a topic that the lawmaker doesn’t follow, would it cost you more in order to convince them to care? What if the bill you want to pass blatantly violates other state or federal laws - does that powerbroker’s vote cost you more to obtain?
While seemingly a state lawmaker’s vote would cost tens of thousands to sway, here in Missouri, our legislators have become notoriously cheap to buy. Want to criminalize those seeking abortions for non-viable ectopic pregnancies? Republican Rep. Brian Seitz’s MEC reports show that his vote can be bought for a few hundred dollars. But if you want to stop your child-bearing population from leaving the state altogether for health services, Missouri’s own “Martha,” Republican Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, can be convinced for the slightly higher price of $500 or more.
But as much as Missouri Democrats like to complain about their Republican counterparts’ votes being “for sale,” we cannot ignore that they, too, are willing to be corrupted in exchange for campaign donations. For example, if gutting Missouri public schools is your ultimate goal, Democratic state representatives have accepted $1,000 to $2,000 donations from the Missouri Charter School Association - sacrificing $18 million to St. Louis Public Schools to reallocate those funds to privately-managed charter schools. Charters, which openly flaunt that they are subject to a different set of laws, are not legally required to admit Black children or children with disabilities into their facilities; they are not required to provide a free, quality education like public schools are.
Do you know how much is your representative’s vote worth? Have you checked their MEC reports to see who they’ve accepted money from? Are you sure that your elected official won’t vote away your rights, or your children’s future, in exchange for a campaign donation?
In the News
Police, prosecutorial, and judicial accountability
The Ethical Society of Police has called on Alderman Joe Vaccaro (Ward 23) to resign from his position as Public Safety Committee chairman, following the release of police bodycam footage showing an interaction between Vaccaro and an SLMPD officer. Despite evidence to the contrary, Vaccaro claimed that the officer was an “a—hole” to him during the story and that Police Chief John Hayden had offered to “fix” the ticket. Both assertions were untrue. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Staff Reports]
Economic development in St. Louis City and County
Half a million dollars from the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation have been distributed to the Real Estate Tax Assistance Fund, an assistance program that helps City homeowners settle property tax debts before the City “takes” the property and auctions it off. Up to $3,500 per household is eligible and the screening process may also connect families with legal assistance and financial education, as needed. [St. Louis Public Radio/Rachel Lippmann]
Despite federal guidelines stating otherwise, Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed has declared that ARPA funds allocated to the City can be used for non-COVID relief-focused programs. Federal rules disallow “general economic development” with the funds, but several aldermen seem determined to test the limits of these guidelines, potentially resulting in the City having to repay any misused dollars. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Jacob Barker]
Black business owners, who have been shut out of most of the medical cannabis licensing process, are calling out the “Legal Missouri 2022” ballot initiative that would bring recreational-use cannabis to Missouri but could reinforce inequity built into the current system. The proposed initiative would allow monopolies within the state cannabis industry and would generate “micro-licenses” to residents in areas with higher rates of drug-related convictions, grossly undercutting minority participation and investment opportunities. [Missouri Independent/Rebecca Rivas]
Further reading
The embattled, unqualified Normandy Schools Collaborative superintendent Marcus Robison has resigned, following nearly two years of disputing that the former Opportunity Trust and charter school founder did not actually have the appropriate credentials to lead the school district. Normandy Schools failed to improve testing scores in reading and slipped further behind in math schools during Robinson’s tenure. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Blythe Bernhard]
The nearly $1 million project to fund and establish the City’s first permanent intentional encampment has been killed, mostly due to Alderman James Page (Ward 5) and his opposition to the project. Sponsored by St. Patrick’s Center, the encampment would have served hundreds of the City’s unhoused and plans included wraparound services, like medical and mental health screenings, job training, and other transformational support. [St. Louis Public Radio/Kayla Drake]
Missouri is one step closer to creating a novel prison nursery program that would allow new mothers who are incarcerated to remain with their newborns for the first 18 months. Similar programs in other states have led to stronger family bonds, lower recidivism, and improved maternal health outcomes. [MIssouri Independent/Tessa Weinberg]
The U.S. Census Bureau announced that its 2020 census undercounted Black, Latino, and indigenous populations, citing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and interference by former disgraced president Donald Trump. Undercounting historically has led to voter suppression and misallocation of much-needed federal funds to schools, hospitals, and social support programs. [St. Louis Public Radio/Hansi Lo Wang]
The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act has finally passed both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, marking a decades-long battle to designate lynching as a federal hate crime and attaching up to a 30-year sentence for those convicted. [St. Louis American/Isaiah Peters]
In a direct response to some school boards banning books, a local nonprofit group, Missouri Equity Education Partnership, has stepped up to raise money to purchase “Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison, and has distributed nearly 600 copies of the book. The group has also fought back against a “parents’ bill of rights,” bans on teaching critical race theory, has promoted anti-racist, anti-bias curricula in Missouri public schools. [Missouri Independent/Mike Fitzgerald]
The St. Louis County Council has voted to remove screening for cannabis use as a requirement to employment with the County, citing the state’s permitted medical use of cannabis and bringing County laws current. The bill was passed along party lines, with all three Republican men voting against it.[Riverfront Times/Daniel Hill]
Legislative & Legal Update
BB 119 and BB 125, both introduced by Ald. Todd and Ald. Ingrassia (Ward 6), would repeal the City’s current loitering & panhandling ordinances and establish legal defenses against the charges. These bills have been stalled in the Public Safety Committee since November 16 with no forward movement.
BB 150, introduced by Ald. Ingrassia, would establish legal and property rights of unhoused residents living in St. Louis. This bill was perfected and passed by the Board on March 4 and has not yet been scheduled for further movement.
BB 195, introduced by Ald. Bosley, would require new SLMPD officers to stay with the department for a minimum of four years, or risk having to repay for the cost of training if the officer leaves for another law enforcement job. This bill was perfected and passed by the Board on March 4.
BB 206, introduced by Ald. Oldenburg, would re-fund the Real-Time Crime Center using Corona Virus Local Fiscal Recover Funds originally allocated to cover SLMPD officer overtime expenses. The bill was read for a second time on March 4..
BB 208, introduced by Ald. Bosley, seeks to establish a Reparations Fund to support the significant others and children of St. Louis City residents who are incarcerated. The bill was perfected and passed by the Board on March 4.
Resolution 159, sponsored by Aldermen Sharon Tyus (Ward 1), Jeffrey Boyd (Ward 22), and Pamela Boyd (Ward 27), would resolve that any new or expanded facility for unhoused persons be constructed in the wards that do not already have facilities. This resolution was assigned to the Health and Human Services Committee on January 14 with no forward movement.
Resolution 201, sponsored by Alderwoman Tyus, would declare that the City’s unhoused cause an increase in crime and a decrease in property value, would question the legality of pop-up and emergency shelters, and would encourage further hardship & deprivation to homeless residents. The bill was assigned to the Public Safety Committee on March 4.
Learn more about how a bill becomes an ordinance here.
State of Missouri
HJR 79, introduced by nine white Republican men, would detrimentally modify the citizen initiative petition process for statewide ballot initiatives, raising the minimum required number of signatures from 5% to 10%, and would require 2/3 vote to pass an initiative instead of the current simple majority. The resolution was perfected in the House and passed to the Senate for further consideration on February 16.
HB 1897, introduced by Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins (D-St. Louis), would establish a Corrections Nursery Program, to keep incarcerated mothers and their infants together. This bill was read for the first time in the Senate on March 10 ad continues to gain bipartisan support.
HB 2627, introduced by Reps. Mark Sharp (D-Kansas City), Raychel Proudie (D-Ferguson), and Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin), would designate February as Black History Month and November as “Native American Heritage Month” in Missouri. The bill passed unanimously out of committee on March 1.
SJR 36, introduced by Sen. John Rizzo (D-Kansas City), would modify the current legislative term limits for Missouri state representatives and senators, from 8 years to 12 years. The bill’s public hearing was conducted on March 1.