Missouri governor pushes to allow attorney general to prosecute St. Louis murder cases
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Gov. Mike Parson called Monday for lawmakers to approve legislation that would allow the state attorney general to take over St. Louis murder cases.
Parson held a news conference in the Capitol to announce his proposed legislation and push for it to be taken up during the ongoing special session.
“This proposal is not about taking away authority. It is about fighting violent crime, achieving justice for victims, and making our communities safer," Parson said in a news release.
Watch the news conference in the player below.
State senators introduced multiple bills addressing violent crime when the session started about two weeks ago.
Missouri state representatives with the Missouri House Judiciary Committee and the House Rules Committee on Administrative Oversight discussed SB 1 Monday afternoon.
If signed into law, the state Senate bill would allow children as young as 12 to be tried in court for gun crimes.
It could also allow the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to recruit and hire officers outside of city limits.
The bill also calls for additional funding for a state witness protection program.
Parson has tweeted recently that one of the main issues at the center of the special session is creating more protections for witnesses of violent crimes.
Gov. Parson to hold another briefing on Friday
The governor is scheduled to hold a separate news conference at noon Friday from the Missouri State Fair.
The governor's office sent out an itinerary that said the Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn would join Parson at the briefing.
Recently, the governor has held news conferences on Wednesdays but switched up the weekly appearance opting for the end of the week.
