The St. Louis Observer: July 16, 2021
Board of Aldermen struggles to distribute federal COVID relief funds; Wash U reconsiders role of campus police; new Missouri law poised to reform policing
Editor’s Note
For nearly twelve hours on Tuesday, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen met, primarily to discuss Board Bill 2, the distribution plan for $500 million in federal American Recovery Act.
Although the Mayor’s Office had called together her 26-member Stimulus Advisory Board and the Board prepared a well-crafted, thoughtful proposal based on the feedback submitted by thousands of St. Louisans - there were still Aldermen who had to take care of their corporate sponsors.
There were the cash assistance payments for 10,000 of the neediest St. Louisans that barely passed the vote, taking up the majority of the special session. Several City wraparound service-providing departments were allocated much-needed assistance to expand and pilot new programs. But then came the Visa-specific gift cards to pass out to St. Louisans as they get vaccinated1, followed by the policing of who distributes and who receives the gift cards.
But, the real red flags arose when several aldermen parroted the same right-wing talking points we heard in 2020: “how do we make sure that *these people* are not spending this money on drugs.”
Despite very, very little evidence from the federal stimulus payments of 2020, which showed less than 2.5% of Americans used those funds for recreational goods (including alcohol or drugs), that dangerous rhetoric has permeated the Board of Aldermen for years. Tuesday’s meeting was no exception: the majority of the day was spent arguing over the cash assistance payments and the strings that certain aldermen wanted to attach to helping low income St. Louisans. Eyes were opened and constituents were horrified to hear the pro-policing, pro-violence talking points from their “Democratic” aldermen.
Rather than spending hours debating whether St. Louisans deserve help in the first place, imagine what instead could be accomplished if that same energy was spent on creating alternatives to policing, funding community education programs for financial literacy, and providing services that address the root causes of crime.
In the News
Police accountability and transparency in the St. Louis area
A Northwest Missouri prosecuting attorney has alleged racism, sexism, and violence against one of the police departments in her jurisdiction. Linn County prosecutor Shiante McMahon discovered that Marceline Police Department had displayed inside of the department one of her campaign T-shirts that had been “defaced with obscene, racist, and sexist writing,” and after finding no support with the city administration, shared a photo of the T-shirt on her social media page. [Missouri Independent/Rudi Keller]
Randy Hays, a former white SLMPD officer found guilty for his role in the brutal beating of fellow Black SLMPD officer Luther Hall, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison. Claiming that his 22 years of “dedicated service meant nothing to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department,” Hays’ sentence comes after a 2019 guilty plea to deprivation of civil rights under color of law, which required his testimony against other SLMPD officers who participated in Hall’s beating. [KSDK/Christine Byers]
Community programs continue to expand and develop as alternatives to policing
Congresswoman Cori Bush has secured $9 million in federal Community Project Funding for ten projects in the First District, including nearly $170,000 for Pot Bangerz’s shelter for gay and transgender women. Congresswoman Bush is also seeking $25.5 million in federal funding for infrastructure in Dellwood, Ferguson, and Jennings. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Rachel Rice]
Washington University in St. Louis has shifted its campus policing policies, starting with dispatching a 24/7 team of medical professionals to respond to mental health emergencies, instead of police. So far, this is the policy recommendation enacted following the school’s Public Safety Committee report on how to improve student/police relationships on campus. [St. Louis Public Radio/Kendall Crawford]
St. Louis County jail renews contract with notorious communications services provider, continues months-long search for outside investigator
St. Louis County has renewed its contract with Securus Technologies to provide services for the jail’s paid calling system, as well as electronic tablets “with a digital law library and educational and self-help content that [detainees] can use to find jobs.” The Securus contract comes after a competitor complained about the procurement process and irregularities were found in the bidding procedure. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Nassim Benchaabane]
After receiving only one incomplete application, St. Louis County has restarted its months-long search for an outside firm to investigate a series of suspicious deaths and detainees’ complaints at the St. Louis County Jail. An internal investigation by a consulting firm, owned by former St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, included nonspecific criticisms about former jail director Raul Banasco, frustrating efforts by the Justice Services Advisory Board. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Nassim Benchaabane]
SLPS prepares to reopen for upcoming school year; parents fight for their voice in those plans
The St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education met to review reopening plans for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year as activists demonstrated outside. Bridge 2 Hope, a parent organization, attended the meeting to demand more personalized reading and math plans through the proposed Individual Academic Recovery Plan (IARP) program, but have had difficulties connecting with SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams. SLPS’s newest Board member Alisha Sonnier empathized with parents, saying “institutions can always do a better job at including community and including stakeholders.” [St. Louis American/Sophie Hurwitz]
St. Louis Post-Dispatch called to acknowledge its historic role in perpetuating racism, white supremacy
Although newspapers across the country are reconciling their historic roles with racial biases, preserving white supremacy, and participation in disenfranchisement, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has yet to recognize its longstanding involvement with Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, Viet Nam protests, and beyond. The St. Louis American, the City’s Black newspaper, has called on the Post-Dispatch to publicly acknowledge its role in propagated and upholding racist institutions in St. Louis. [St. Louis American]
Further reading
Betty Thompson, former local and state lawmaker and civil rights activist, passed away at 81 on July 12. Thompson also served her community as a business owner, radio host, and member and leader of numerous boards; “her impact can be felt throughout the region through the deep and meaningful connections she built with the people and communities she served.” [St. Louis America/Tishaura Jones]
The Missouri Supreme Court is set to decide if remote testimony violates a criminal defendant’s right to confront witnesses against him. The Missouri Constitution specifies that a defendant has the right “to meet the witness against him face to face,” challenging evolving technology and court operations that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. [Missouri Independent/Rudi Keller]
Missouri law has been updated for the first time since the 1980s, reducing the criminalization of HIV transmission from an infected person to a non-infected person. Under the new law, prosecuting attorneys must prove that someone “knowingly” exposed another, and the minimum sentence was reduced from 10 years to 3. An estimated 13,000 Missourians live with HIV. [St. Louis Public Radio/Kayla Drake]
Congressional Democrats have introduced legislation that would federally legalize marijuana in all 50 states by removing the plant from the Controlled Substance List. Sponsored by New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the legislation also would immediately expunge low-level marijuana offenses and would open the door to banks and financial institutions participating in the industry. [Riverfront Times/Lee DeVito]
Governor Mike Parson enacted new legislation that repealed a previous law that limited how much state colleges and universities could raise tuition. Previous limits required increases to align with inflation, compensation for cuts in state education aid. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Associated Press]
Governor Parson is expected to sign into law a pro-charter school bill, a gas tax increase (introduced in phases so as to avoid the otherwise required voter approval), and two policing bills. [Missouri Independent/Jason Hancock]
New research has shown that Missourians (and Kansans) are at a greater risk of lead exposure through drinking water than nearly every other state. Missouri is estimated to have 5,462 lead pipes per 100,000 residents. Lead exposure is linked to learning disabilities, hearing loss, cardiovascular disease, brain and nervous system damage in children and adults. [Missouri Independent/Allison Kite]
Quote of the Week
“I understand people are in great need right now…when this first came about, it was like ‘people are going to actually die’ if we didn’t pass this board bill by June 30. And I haven’t heard of anybody actually dying because we haven’t …passed this board bill.
Alderman Jeffrey Boyd (Ward 22) during the July 13, 2021, aldermanic special session, in response to a community-sourced recommendation that $5 million of the roughly $500 million of federal American Recovery Act funds be distributed to 10,000 low-income St. Louisans in the form of a one-time $500 cash assistance payment.
Legislative & Legal Update
City of St. Louis
After a record-setting special session of the Board of Aldermen, Board Bill 2 was amended and passed by the full Board. A proposed plan, community-sourced and originally submitted by the Mayor’s Office, was stripped of key provisions by the HUDZ Committee and funding instead was allocated to SLMPD and private real estate developers. A number of amendments passed restored some of the community-supported provisions, like $500 cash assistance payments and gift card incentives for COVID-19 vaccines. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mark Schlinkmann]
Take Action
The last St. Louis Board of Alderman hearing before the summer recess starts at 10:00 a.m. this morning. You can watch the live stream of today’s final Board meeting on YouTube here.
Aldermanic political ally and former congressman Lacy Clay now lobbies for California-based BlackHawk Network, which sells prepaid Visa gift cards and phone cards; MasterCard is headquartered nearby in O’Fallon, Mo.