Missouri Governor raises the State’s takeover of St. Louis -Police in the State of the State Address • Missouri Independent

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe doubled on his support for a state takeover of St. Louis Police Department Tuesday and told legislators during his first state state that the crime in the city is “unacceptable.”

He also carefully waded into the debate on abortion and stopped shortly after suggesting any rollback of reproductive rights that were laid down by voters in the State Constitution and instead proposed further funding for alternatives to the procedure.

“Let’s work together,” Kehoe told a joint session about the general meeting, “to support Missouri women, so abortion doesn’t even need to be considered an opportunity.”

Moments after he was sworn in as a governor earlier this month, Kehoe signed six executive orders that he said were designed to fight crime in Missouri. The orders created Task Forces to arrest people with excellent warrants and educational programs for immigration enforcement for Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe emits orders to track undocumented migrants, increase trooper -salary

In his address on Tuesday, Keho promised In order for law enforcement to access postsecondary education outside of basic education.

“These steps are critical,” he said, “to make Missouri the best state in the nation to be a law enforcement
officer.”

He also expressed support to increase sanctions for rebellion or flee in a vehicle as well as a crash on stunt driving and street games. Drug dealers selling Fentanyl killing a Missourian should be charged with first -time murder, Kehoe said.

But the most controversial proposal is Kehoe’s support for a state takeover of St. Louis’ Police Ministry.

“Like the economic power center in our state,” Kehoe said, “We can’t continue to let the crime kill growth in the region and drive businesses and families to move outside our state’s borders.”

Kansas City is currently the only big city in the country where the elected local leaders do not control the police department-a state-appointed police board.

Until 2013, St. Louis in the same boat. But the city gained local control over its police department after a State Refugee in 2012.

St. Louis leaders have pointed to a decrease in the total crime in the city, including a decrease in the number of murders. St. Louis -Police Chief Robert Tracy, who was checked in Kehoe’s speech as “one of the country’s top police chiefs,” traveled to Jefferson City earlier this month to witnessed as opposed to a state takeover of the city’s police force.

But GOP legislators question the statistics showing a decrease in crime and noting that the city continues to lose the population. Kehoe repeated these concerns in his speech on Tuesday and said the days of “Political and subjective statistics are performed under my administration. “

“The voting data I love,” he said, “is whether a company feels safe enough to invest in our cities. It’s the barometer. Period.”

The house’s minority leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said Kehoe’s agenda places too much emphasis on “what happens after the crime is committed and not enough to prevent this crime from ever taking place.

“To deny St Louis taxpayers for control over their local police,” she said, “will not do anything to reduce crime as our experience with the state of Kansas City Police Department has taught us.”

Abortion

Voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment in November that overturned Missouri’s ban on abortion.

Since then, Republicans have promised to respond, but have not yet gathered around a plan.

Meanwhile, Democrats have promised to beat any attempt to overthrow the vote in November.

Kehoe provided some guidance on the question in his speech on Tuesday, recognizing that plot of a path forward “will not be easy.”

“The policy in today’s world tells us that we cannot work together,” he said, “and that consensus just is not possible. But I have built a life and a career to do just that without sacrificing my core, Christian, conservative faith. “

The Sen of the Republican State. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, one of the architects of Missouris now overturned a ban on abortion, said she was “disappointed that he did not take a stronger attitude to undo change suggestions 3.”

Missouri Republicans want to limit abortion again. Can they agree on how?

The governor changed his campaign lift to eliminate Missouri’s income tax, which suggested that legislators phase it out instead of making a one -time cut.

“It won’t be easy,” he said. “It will take time, but I have instructed the Missouri Department of Revenue to work with my staff on a sustainable and comprehensive plan to eliminate the individual income tax once and for all.”

Kehoe also suggested that the state could support new or improved stadiums to house chiefs and royals and prevent the teams from moving to Kansas.

Voters in Kansas City in April defeated an expansion of VAT that would have supported plans for new stadiums, and Kansas has passed legislation offering large incentives if the teams jump the state line.

Kehoe did not mention the teams by name, but in a section of the talk of economic development included sports teams among the companies he believes could benefit from the creation of a Deal-Closing Fund.

“We have to work hard to keep and recruit companies here in Missouri,” he said. “From producers, to retailers, to Missouri’s sports team, these companies that provide jobs and opportunities for Missourians are an important part of our state’s financial success.”

This story was updated at 1 p.m. 17 with reaction from legislators.