Last week, the Missouri Senate completed its work on a bill at the heart of an extra session called by the governor to address violent crime.
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee met and approved Senate Bill 1, which I sponsored. The bill then went to the Senate floor for the consideration of the full Senate. Working late into the night on Aug. 6, the Senate debated and negotiated details of the bill for over 12 hours. While compromises were made, I believe the integrity of the bill remains intact and the legislation approved by the Senate will help reduce violent crime and improve public safety throughout our state.
Some provisions of the bill did change slightly, but the bill remains largely the same as it was when it passed out of committee. Senate Bill 1 still allows certain witness testimony to be admissible in court proceedings if the perpetrator engaged in wrongdoing prevented the witness from testifying, and it creates the “Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund”. These protection programs exist to ensure the safety and protect witnesses and their families from those who would harm them for testifying. This bill also includes providing weapons to a child to the offense of endangering their welfare and increases the penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony for those who unlawfully transfer a weapon to a child without parental consent. The notable changes come from the residency requirement and juvenile certification provisions.
Senate Bill 1 removes the residency requirement for police and public safety officers in St. Louis, so long as they live within a one-hour response time. A sunset clause was added to this section, meaning it will expire after three years, unless extended. This clause will provide some consistency for newly hired officers while also providing the opportunity to reevaluate the removal of the residency requirement in a few years. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, they are currently 142 officers short and losing 10-12 officers per month, mostly through attrition. In my opinion, the shortage of officers in St. Louis has a direct effect on the violent crime experienced by the city. By eliminating this requirement, we are allowing the city to cast a wider net when it comes to recruiting police officers. I believe more trained officers on the ground means safer streets and neighborhoods, and will help the city’s police officer shortage.
The legislation also requires a court to hold a hearing to consider certifying a juvenile between the ages of 14 through 18 as an adult if they are charged with a felony offense of an unlawful use of a weapon or armed criminal action. This does not require a juvenile to be certified as an adult, but simply requires a hearing when a juvenile is charged with these serious and violent offenses. The bill also removes the requirement for a mandatory certification hearing for the offenses of the distribution of drugs or the manufacturing of a controlled substance. Additionally, the bill requires certain data be collected regarding juvenile certification, including information about the juvenile’s race, the number of juveniles who waive their right to counsel and more. This information will help provide key insights into the juvenile certification process.
After receiving approval from the Missouri Senate on Aug. 7, SB 1 now heads over to the Missouri House of Representatives for additional consideration. It has been an honor handling and sponsoring this bill through the Missouri Senate. As my time in the General Assembly comes to an end, I appreciate one last opportunity to help make Missouri a safer place to live, work and raise a family.
It is an honor serving the great people of southeast Missouri. Please call (573) 751-4843 or email doug.libla@senate.mo.gov to share your concerns and ideas.