Capitol Calling
Missouri's irreverent and vital news source.
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It’ll be touch and go at this site as the legislative session comes to a close. But here’s a bit from an article Jo Mannies and I composed for the St. Louis Beacon. It’s on state legislative redistricting, which is performed by a bipartisan panel appointed by the governor:
The 24th District state senate seat of Republican incumbent John Lamping of Ladue gets moved from mid-St. Louis County to southwest Missouri.
The residences of state Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, and Jim Lembke, R-Lemay, get tossed into the same district. And part of Chesterfield would be shifted into the district now represented by a Franklin County Republican, Brian Nieves of Washington.
On the surface, such tentative boundary lines would seem to reflect the dream Democratic map aimed at targeting most the St. Louis region’s Republicans.
But the city of St. Louis’ two state senators — Democrats Robin Wright-Jones and Joe Keaveny — are furious over what the preliminary map does to their respective 5th and 4th districts.
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So what issue is Sen. Tim Green, D-Spanish Lake, sick of hearing about?
“Local control” of the St. Louis Police Department.
Why is sick of that issue? Click on the audio clip to hear more.
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Sen. Joe Keaveny’s legislation that would, among other things, remove the governor’s power to appoint members of the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners. It colloquially known as the “local control” bill.
It’s an issue that’s effectively forged surprising alliances throughout the Missouri political universe. Supporters include Democrats - including St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed and Keaveny - as well as powerful Republicans like House Speaker Steve Tilley, R-Perryvile, and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder.
But the measure also attracted a wide set of opponents, such as members of the St. Louis Tea Party, Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, and Gov. Jay Nixon. And it’s likely to face a filibuster throughout the day.
The above audio clip is an exchange between Keaveny and Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit. Kraus unsuccessfully tried to attach an amendment that would include the other city without local control - Kansas City - in the legislation.
