The city of St. Louis and the president of its city council, Megan Green, have filed a federal lawsuit against a new Missouri law that puts a state-appointed board in control of the local police department. The law, signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, gives the governor power to appoint four city residents to the board along with the city’s elected mayor. Critics suggest the move is an attempt to wrest control of the police department from the city’s Black female mayor, Tishaura Jones. The lawsuit argues that the law violates Green’s First Amendment rights and a provision of the Missouri Constitution prohibiting unfunded mandates.
The law also requires St. Louis to increase its spending on the police department each year through 2028. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has vowed to defend the law, urging city leaders to focus on building a safer St. Louis. St. Louis lost full control over its police department during the Civil War and only regained control in 2012 through a state constitutional amendment. Republicans argue that returning control to the state is necessary to restore order in the city amid population loss and rising crime rates.
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