Committee passes bill to give local control over the St. Louis police department
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Committee passes bill to give local control over the St. Louis police department

Date: January 19, 2011
By: Sherman Fabes
State Capitol Bureau
Links: HB 71

Intro: 
The House Urban Issues Committee passed a bill to give back St. Louis control over their own police department. Sherman Fabes has more from Jefferson City.
RunTime:  0:39
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The committee voted 7 - 2 to pass the bill that would take away state control of the St. Louis police department.

Redditt Hudson, program associate for the ACLU of Eastern Missouri, says St. Louis is a step closer to controlling what is rightfully theirs.

Actuality:  HUDSON.WAV
Run Time:  00:08
Description: "It makes no sense at this late stage in our nation's history to have a situation involving taxation without representation."

Hudson, a former St. Louis police officer, does not stand on the same page as the St. Louis Police Officers Association, who staunchly oppose the bill.

The legislation passed a committee hearing last session, but failed in the House.

From Jefferson City, I'm Sherman Fabes.

Intro: 
A House committee passed a bill to take control of the St. Louis department away from the State. Sherman Fabes has more from Jefferson City.
RunTime:  0:37
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The House Urban Issues Committee voted 7 - 2 in favor of passing a bill to give St. Louis control of its own police department.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay was represented by his Chief of Staff, Jeff Rainford.

He said the bill is necessary for the people of St. Louis.

Actuality:  RAINFORD.WAV
Run Time:  00:06
Description: "If something goes wrong, they should know where to go to get accountability and to get justice. And we don't have that right now."

The opposition to the bill came from the St. Louis Police Officers Association citing, local politicians are not fit to handle the police department.

The legislation passed a committee hearing last session, but failed in the House.

From Jefferson City, I'm Sherman Fabes.

Intro: 
The St. Louis police department has been under state control since the Civil War, but now a house committee passed a bill to change that and the officers are not on board. Sherman Fabes has more from Jefferson City.
RunTime:  0:30
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Vice President of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, Joe Steiger, says the association is strongly opposed to the bill.

Actuality:  STEIGER.WAV
Run Time:  00:10
Description: "The St. Louis Police Department operates much more efficiently without local politician intervention. The state control makes us a much more effective and efficient police department."
 
But even  with the opposition, the bill passed the House Urban Issues Committee with a 7 - 2 vote.

The legislation passed a committee hearing last session and failed in the House.

From Jefferson City, I'm Sherman Fabes.