The St. Louis Observer: September 30, 2022
MO DOC considers privatization of prison food; SLDC announces new direction, equitable priorities; Roorda fired from SLPOA; upcoming Election Day changes to polling places, ID requirements
Editor’s Note
This week, we would like to congratulate our comrade Joshua Lawrence at St. Louis PoliticClips for making the Riverfront Times’ Best of St. Louis List! St. Louis PoliticClips was recognized as the Best Community Service in the Form of a Twitter Account.
“The account doesn’t just post potentially viral clips from aldermanic meetings but also transcribes the dialogue and tracks the bills being discussed in a Google doc open to all,” wrote Riverfront Times reporter Jenna Jones.
“@STLPoliticClips is a testament to the dedication residents devote to making the city a better place, an exercise in keeping local government accessible to the general public and an effort worthy of a round of applause.”
Police, prosecutorial, and judicial accountability
Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) introduced legislation this week that would fund mental health resources to support individuals and families impacted by police violence. The “Helping Families Heal Act” was drafted in collaboration with St. Louis area families who have lost loved ones to police brutality, including Lezley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, and Robbie Tolan, father of Bobby Tolan, who played for the Washington Nationals at the time of his murder by a Texas police officer. [St. Louis American/Alvin A. Reid]
The Missouri Department of Corrections is considering privatizing the preparation and service of meals for the state’s 23,500 inmates, to “alleviate some of our staffing shortages, save money, and improve delivery of services.” The last time a similar proposal was considered and rejected was in 2007, and other states that have contracted with private meal service companies have reported rotten and spoiled meals, maggots in kitchens, and food shortages. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Kurt Erickson]
In this op-ed, civil rights attorney John Chasnoff addresses the Post-Dispatch’s recent calls to add more police to the Southside Schnucks, where SLMPD has created a “revolving door of short-term incarceration.” Instead of throwing more police at the issue, which is St. Louis’ typical response, Chasnoff suggests introducing social workers and resources to “actually deal with he problems that our fellow residents are having.” [St. Louis American/John Chasnoff]
Economic development & housing
The St. Louis Development Corporation has released its 78-page Economic Justice Action Plan, which sets out development priorities and redirects resources to disinvested neighborhoods in North and South St. Louis. SLDC has also released a draft of its new scorecard, which will be used in consideration of property tax abatements and other incentives in the development process. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Jacob Barker]
Phase 1 of a new mixed-income housing project at Preservation Square has been completed, offering nearly 700 market-rate and affordable housing options just north of downtown. The new development replaced 342 apartments, the residents of which will have first choice of the new units. [St. Louis Public Radio/Amy Mayer]
Despite Missouri being the only state to opt out of a federal program to address food scarcity for low-income families, Gov. Mike Parson created a performative spectacle at the governor’s mansion, including a canned food drive and decorative lighting. Parson also declared September to be “Hunger Action Month,” and proposed no policy or funding plans to address the statewide issue of childhood hunger. [Missouri Independent/Jason Hancock]
Nonprofit organizations in St. Louis and Springfield are challenging a new state law that targets unhoused communities by blocking government agencies from allocating state and federal funding to permanent and rapid rehousing programs. The law, sponsored by Sikeston state senator Holly Rehder and Chesterfield state representative Bruce DeGroot (both Republicans), further criminalizes sleeping on state-owned property and allows the Missouri Attorney General to sue municipalities for not enforcing the state law. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tony Messenger]
Further reading
Members of the Otoe-Missouria tribe are being welcomed back to their ancestral lands, nearly 200 years after the tribe was forcibly relocated to a reservation in Oklahoma. While ownership of the land has not been restored to the tribe, the mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, signed a proclamation recognizing the tribe and harm inflicted by white settlers. The forced displacement resulted in the deaths of thousands of Missouria tribe members, requiring the remaining 100 relatives of the tribe to join the Otoe band to survive. [Nebraska Public Media/Jackie Ourada]
An 1894 Black schoolhouse is being reconstructed at Faust Park’s Hisotirc Village. The historically-significant building, named “African School #4,” was originally constructed in the Chesterfield area after Black residents successfully sued in 1893 and remaining in-tact are the original logs, bookshelves, and chalkboards. The school closed in the 1950s following the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, to desegregate public schools. [St. Louis Public Radio/Jason Rosenbaum]
St. Louis residents will be able to cast their votes at their usual location or any of the citywide “voting centers” on November 8. Election officials have also reminded voters of the new ID restrictions in place, and voters must present one of the following in order to cast their ballots: (1) a non-expired Missouri driver or nondriver license; (2) a non-expired military ID, including a veteran’s ID card; or (3) a non-expired U.S. passport. [KSDK/Clarissa Cowley]
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 free using their library cards.
“Two aldermen join calls to boost St. Louis police pay and benefits,” by Austin Huguelet, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“City of Ferguson settles suit with former police official for $80,000,” by Katie Kull, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Jeff Roorda out as manager of St. Louis police union,” by Dana Rieck, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Forward Through Ferguson offering $800,000 in grants to fight racial inequity,” by Austin Huguelet, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Lawsuit: Breckenridge Hills police have a pattern of abuse,” by Katie Kull, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Legislative Update
St. Louis City Board of Aldermen
BB 26 and BB 29, sponsored by Ald. Megan Green (Ward 15), 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 and have made no further movement since.
BB 87, sponsored by Ald. Pamela Boyd (Ward 27) and Ald. Carol Howard (Ward 14), would add a new police district to cover Lambert International Airport, raising the number to 7 total in the City of St. Louis. The bill was assigned to the Public Safety Committee on September 16.
Resolution 113, also sponsored by Alds. Boyd and Howard, would raise SLMPD’s pay rates to match the pay rates of St. Louis County Police Department and would allow new perks to police officers not given to other City employees.
Learn more about how a bill becomes a City ordinance.
Quote of the Week
Alderpersons are not urban development planners. That is not our role, we need to stay in our lane, we are legislators. We have two departments that provide us with assistance for the expenditure of funds…both of them spend our money. They vet the projects.
We do not sit down as alderpersons, it is not our role to determine who gets a contract. We don’t actually create the contracts. We don’t sign off on the contracts. That is not our role.
Ald. Marlene Davis (Ward 19), discussing her perspective that alderpersons should not vet developers’ projects when they are presented to them.