In her letter to Gov. Mike Parson, Gardner expressed that she had “a heavy heart but steadfast resolve.” She also stated that she had made tremendous strides in “redefining public safety.” I guess that is true, if you consider trying to take out a sitting governor and letting criminals run the streets of St. Louis as “redefining.”

Her staff of prosecutors, likely embarrassed by the office’s abysmal record, had nearly all left. While Rome burned, Gardner took up taking classes to become a nurse. That seems almost too ridiculous to be true.

It is important to remember, though, that Gardner was elected (and re-elected) by the citizens of St. Louis. Good, bad or indifferent – we get the government that we ask for and deserve. I’m hopeful that the folks that have decided to remain in the City of St. Louis, despite the rampant crime, will choose more wisely when it is time to elect a new prosecutor.

With Gardner gone, it is time for St. Louis and the State of Missouri to move on.

There are plenty of economic opportunities in the St. Louis region, but the entire state needs more able-bodied people to take on jobs; we also need a trained workforce. If you grow up in a community with little opportunities besides being a part of some criminal element, then there’s little to no opportunity for outcomes beyond crime and death.

St. Louis needs to clean up its act in many ways. It starts with reducing crime. We are also working to improve our schools statewide and there’s no better place to start than in St. Louis. The costs of crime and an unskilled workforce is costing the entire state in many ways.

This legislative session we have considered many proposals to remove Gardner. We have also considered taking over the control of the St. Louis police force. Fairly unique to Missouri, St. Louis’ police force was controlled by a state board until recently. Now, some politicians are considering bringing the governance of the St. Louis police away from St. Louis and back to Jefferson City. I think the new police chief needs a chance to make the system work before we intervene.

At some point, St. Louis is going to have to right its own ship. Inserting Jefferson City politics into the control of their police force is not a next step. With Gardner gone, we stand ready to help St. Louis get on the right track and succeed as one of our major economic drivers.

Senator Cindy O’Laughlin

Cindy O’Laughlin is the Missouri state senator representing District 18.

The post Opinion: With Kim Gardner’s resignation, St. Louis needs to police their own appeared first on The Missouri Times.

The goal of the Interim Committee is to understand and identify ways to discourage illegal immigration and capture revenues the state is missing from the underground economy. Committee members also plan to look into the abuses of out-of-state companies bringing illegal immigrants into Missouri to work without paying state taxes or obeying Missouri’s labor laws.

The committee heard from many witnesses who have seen these issues first hand, people who work to solve them or have to compete against them.

St. Charles County executive, Steve Ehlmann, testified about how he has seen this not only in his city but in the surrounding cities as well. He spoke about how this issue is becoming greater in all of Missouri, and that though he cannot speak for other counties, he “volunteers his county for this battle”.

Sen. Justin Brown, R-Crawford County, was very vocal about his desire to help the cause.

“We want to actually do something here and make a difference, not just pass litigation to say we did,” Brown said. “Though the last thing I want to do as chairman of this committee is make it more cumbersome for small businesses who are following the law to make a living in this state.”

Mark Dalton, Assistant Political Director for the Missouri Carpenters Union, spoke on how he has seen this issue firsthand. As far as he knows there has been very little done to combat it.

“These workers are being exploited, I am gonna be on the side of the workers even if they are not in my union,” Dalton said of illegal immigrant labor exploitation.

Justin McCarty, a field representative at Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 178 agreed with Dalton in his testimony, placing the blame on businesses breaking laws to use immigrant work for cheap.

“These workers are here to make a living, make a future, who can blame them?” McCarty said.

Department of Labor Director Anna Hui was also one of the witnesses who testified to the committee, hoping to end some confusion and offer a clearer perspective on who or what entity holds authority when it comes to prosecuting these companies. Though her testimony was helpful to understand the process to prosecute a business and who has authority depending on what department the issue falls under, it left the committee with more questions.

“Do any states regulate this well? It seems like it is a bunch of government organizations pointing fingers as to who can or should fix it,” Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Jackson County, said.

Senator Brown agreed with Cierpot’s sentiment, placing blame on the federal government for its failure to secure the borders.

“If the federal government was doing their job, we would not be sitting here today. Every state is now a border state, not just Texas, or New Mexico or Arizona, all because of this issue,” Brown said. “I’m not one to tuck tail and run on this problem. the buck stops here with us.”

The committee has been open to outside-the-box solutions to stopping this issue, solutions like E-Verify, which was debated among the committee and witnesses at the last meeting. E-Verify is a federal web-based system used by other states that allow enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.

This week the main idea that some members of the committee seemed to ponder was giving more authority to local governments that face the issue every day.

“I do like the idea of more local control because they do see it more than others,” Brown said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to stop these bad companies that are not playing by the rules because it creates an unfair advantage … I refuse to believe we can’t do something, we can do something, this is why we are here together, to serve the business community and its constituents.”

The committee is made up of six senators. Led by Chairman Justin Brown, the other members include Vice Chairman Sen. Mike Cierpiot (R-Jackson County), Sen. Doug Beck (D-St. Louis County), Sen. Mike Bernskoetter (R-Cole County), Sen. Karla Eslinger (R-West Plains), and Sen. Barbara Washington (D-Jackson County).

The formation of the committee comes after Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Greene County, added $100,000 to the Department of Labor’s budget earlier this year to begin addressing the issue of illegal immigration in Missouri.

As of now, there is no specific date or time for the next meeting, the committee will announce this information in the coming weeks.

Featured Image: From left, Senators Doug Beck, Barbara Washington, Justin Brown, Mike Cierpot and Karla Eslinger listen to citizen testimony at a meeting of the Senate’s Interim Committee on Illegal Immigration in Lebanon, Mo. on July 20. (Scott Faughn/The Missouri Times)

Brady Hays

Brady Hays is a 2023 graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in History. He is currently attending the University of Missouri School of Law and is on pace to graduate with his JD in 2026. He has been working for the Missouri Times since early March 0f 2022.

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The post Senator Brown’s Illegal Immigration Committee meets with Missouri leaders appeared first on The Missouri Times.

The complete ban of no-knock warrants in St. Louis builds upon a board bill passed in 2020 that limited the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases. 

Sen. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis City, filed Senate Bill (SB) 1234 last session seeking to set a Missouri-wide policy for carrying out no-knock warrants. SB 1234 does not seek to completely ban no-knock warrants at a state level.

Of course, it would be an extremely rare occurrence for an increasingly conservative state to mimic a policing policy of its most liberal city. However, Roberts believes there is a real chance at legislative compromise. In his view, both sides could stand to benefit from a state-wide no-knock policy.

“This isn’t something that’s dead on arrival, like gun laws,” Roberts said. “It would be one of those compromises on something that they’re (Republicans) trying to get done. Then having something that we’re trying to get done, as well — that’s fair, reasonable, and would have bipartisan support.”

The bill states, among other provisions, that courts must find clear and convincing evidence of a potential no-knock target having a violent background. This includes being alleged to have committed a violent crime, such as a firearm charge or domestic violence charge. 

“What we’re finding is outside of St. Louis, all of these other municipalities have their own rules and standards,” Roberts said. “So my vision was to create a uniform policy that would be applied across the state… to provide consistency across the state to prevent a tragedy like what happened with Breonna Taylor from happening again.”

SB 1234 was not given serious legislative consideration last session, but Roberts believes that the bill stands a chance at passing in the future. Attributing the bill’s failure to a contentious and slow-moving session.

“This was a very unusual legislative session, not much got done, especially in the Senate,” Roberts said. “With all of the federal funding coming in regarding the state budget. And then, of course, the congressional redistricting.”

Roberts has spoken about the legislation with the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). The FOP stands as one of Missouri’s most powerful political entities, and one of the most influential voices in state Republican politics. He described the talks with the FOP as “positive.”

“I think that’s (no-knock legislation) something we can work through and get done,” Jay Schroeder, Missouri FOP president said. “We’re all for sitting down and coming up with legislation that everybody likes.”

While the FOP is open to no-knock reform, Schroeder noted the rarity of no-knock warrants being carried out even without legislation in place. St. Louis hadn’t performed a no-knock warrant in the past year before Mayor Jones’ ban.

Roberts is currently running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Congressional District (CD) 1 against incumbent Cori Bush. Should he win, legislators will need to pick up the torch on SB 1234.

Roberts pointed out Sen. Barbara Washington, D-Jackson County, and Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis City, as two senators who could carry the legislation should Roberts find himself in Congress.

May serves on the Senate’s Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence subcommittee with Roberts. SB 1234 was referred to the subcommittee during spring session but was never voted on.

“I think the initial discussions that I’ve had with our law enforcement agencies have been positive, they’re supportive — they get it,” Roberts said. “I’d be glad to have them (Washington and May) carry the torch on this issue. And I think that it’s something they’d be able to get done.”

Featured Image: Sen. Steven Roberts on “This Week in Missouri Politics” on June 12, 2022. (This Week in Missouri Politics/The Missouri Times)

Matthew McFarland

I’m a journalist hailing from the Detroit area. I love to tell investigative stories with a focus on everyday people.

You can contact me by email at matthew@missouritimes.com

The post Sen. Roberts seeks to set statewide policy on no-knock warrants appeared first on The Missouri Times.

Jeff Roorda, a former Democratic member of the House, received seven endorsements from June 2 to June 8, including endorsements from the St. Louis City and St. Louis County Police Associations.

Roorda switched sides of the aisle in December over concerns of defunding the police force. Roorda filed for the Senate District (SD) 22 race as a Republican.

Roorda stands as one of four Republican candidates vying to win the August primary in the suburban district.

The support of the police force was to be expected for Roorda, who served as a Jefferson County police officer for 17 years before his career in politics. Roorda currently holds the position of business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers Association.

“I am honored to have the endorsement of so many local leaders who want to ensure our next State Senator will be an effective leader on the issues important to District 22. I will be a steadfast voice for this region and our values in the State Senate,” Roorda said in a press release.

Roorda is expected to do well with voters who support the police force. Although he will split that voter base with fellow Republican candidate Rep. Shane Roden of Cedar Hill, who’s background also includes law enforcement.

Endorsements will be important to Roorda’s campaign, as he attempts to re-define himself to voters as a Republican amidst a crowded field of candidates.

The winner of the Republican primary will go on to face Benjamin Hagin, a Democrat and small business owner from Jefferson County who is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Hagin previously ran against Speaker of the House Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, in 2018 and garnered 38% of the vote.

To read about every candidate in the SD 22 primary, check out our Primary Preview.

Roorda’s full press release can be read by clicking here.

Featured Image: Jeff Roorda, business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers Association. Roorda announced in December 2021 that he was switching parties to become a Republican. (PROVIDED)

Matthew McFarland

I’m a journalist hailing from the Detroit area. I love to tell investigative stories with a focus on everyday people.

You can contact me by email at matthew@missouritimes.com

The post Police organizations back Roorda in Senate District 22 appeared first on The Missouri Times.

The district currently stands as a Republican strong-hold. All six of Jefferson County’s State Representatives are Republican, with one seat vacated by former Rep. Becky Ruth, who is also a Republican.

Current Sen. Paul Wieland defeated then Democratic candidate Jeff Roorda in 2014, garnering 54% of the vote. Wieland went on to win decisively as an incumbent, winning by over 20% in the 2018 election.

Wieland will be leaving the Senate due to term limits, with four Republicans running with the hope to take his place.

The Republican candidates are, Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman from Arnold, Rep. Shane Roden from Cedar Hill, former Rep. Jeff Roorda, who served as a Democrat before switching to the Republican party in January, and Rep. Dan Shaul from Imperial.

Each of the candidates served in House districts that fall inside of SD 22, giving them all local ties to the suburban district.

Mary Elizabeth Coleman

Coleman is a mother of six and views herself as a “conservative fighter.” A former Arnold Alderwoman, Coleman flipped House district 97 in 2018, defeating an incumbent democrat.

Coleman hopes to protect the Republican seat in SD 22.

“With Paul Wieland termed-out, I think it’s important to have a strong conservative voice at the State Senate who’s going to not just vote for the conservative issues, but who’s going to fight for that,” Coleman said. “So that’s, I think really what differentiates me in this race — I’m going to be working really hard to fight for the party platform.”

Coleman believes she can appeal to a wide array of conservative voters. She expects to do especially well with pro-life voters.

In her time in the House Coleman was among the most aggressive anti-abortion Republicans. Proposing a bill that would allow for private citizens to sue other citizens for helping those who obtain an abortion outside of state lines.

“For those who are looking for someone who’s going to be a champion for the unborn, I’m going to be their strong favorite,” Coleman said. “I think that no matter what your base issue is, when you look at whether it’s protection of privacy rights, or immigration, protecting our labor force. That (Coleman’s platform) is going to really resonate.”

Despite her intent to “fight for the party platform,” Coleman doesn’t want the Senate to get tangled up in the conservative caucus versus moderate Republican squabbles that have plagued policy-making recently.

“I think that fighting for policies is incredibly important. But that’s different from fighting with personalities,” Coleman said. “No matter what constituency is represented at the Senate, whether they’re Democrats or Republicans from rural or more suburban areas. I’ve worked with anybody and everybody to pass the kinds of issues that my voters care about in Jefferson County.”

Coleman hopes to see her fellow Republicans work together instead of engaging in the intra-party conflicts that have become characteristic of past sessions.

“I am very conservative. But I hope that we’re going to see a return to a functioning Senate next session,” Coleman said. “My hope is that we’re gonna have a new day in the Missouri Senate, because at the end of the day the Republican supermajority has got to learn to work together.”

Coleman’s Campaign Finances

First quarter contributions: $20,955.25

Loans: None

Biggest contributor: Believe in Life and Libery, BILL PAC, $2,500.00

Conservative Solutions for Missouri PAC Cash on hand: $15,315.00

Total money on hand: $97,304.00

Shane Roden

Roden is considered the under-dog in this race, which is something he’s used to. Roden entered state-level politics after the 2012 election, saying he was tired of politicians and lawyers running for office. At the age of 31 he was considered a heavy underdog in his 2014 House race.

“I was young and politically inexperienced at that time (2014 House race), I started door knocking and was considered the underdog in that race and somehow managed to pull it off,” Roden said. “I was energetic. I have a public servant’s heart and they (voters) saw that and they were kind enough to like me and put me back in for the last four years.”

Experience in public service is key to Roden’s campaign. Roden currently serves on Missouri’s Task Force One.

His involvement with the task force lead to him missing a veto session in the House while helping out with relief efforts related to Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. Roden also served in law enforcement prior to getting involved in politics.

Roden’s time in law enforcement and public service have made criminal justice reform one of the core issues of his platform.

“The criminal justice system has gotten pretty skewed in the last couple of years,” Roden said. “We’re seeing backlog cases from certain cities, and we’re seeing crime rise. So these are all issues that deal with the criminal justice reform, that have to be addressed — before it turns into the wild west.”

Roden sees his path to winning the SD 22 primary being similar to his path for winning his House of Representatives seat, grass-roots campaigning and connecting to his voters.

“Once we talk to people, they realize, I’m just another another person, just like everybody else in this community that wants to see our community thrive, see our kids have a better life,” Roden said. “It’s just a matter of getting out and talking to the people and listening to what they have to say. It’s no different than when I ran for House of Reps.”

Roden has raised the least amount of money during his campaign, backing up his grass-roots approach. The discrepancy in funding between him and his competition doesn’t seem to bother him much.

“That’s just politically puffing your chest, you know, if you loan yourself $100,000 or whatever, it doesn’t mean you got to spend it. I find it very difficult or disingenuous to sit here and tell people ‘I’ve raised $100,000-plus’ when in reality, you just went to the bank and got yourself a loan,” Roden said.

“I look at this race, I’m the underdog at this point in time. And, you know, it’s okay. They didn’t take me serious in 2014. I was the underdog in that race as well — and sometimes a long-shot wins.”

Roden’s Campaign Finances

First quarter contributions: $0

Loans: $0

Biggest contributor: N/A

No PAC supporting

Total money on hand: $3,475.92

Jeff Roorda

Roorda recently made his transition to Missouri’s Republican party official, but many had seen that transition coming for several years. Roorda changed sides of the aisle in January over concerns of Democrats defunding the police.

Roorda served as a police officer in Jefferson County for 17 years prior to being elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. He views himself as a politician that can “get things done,” something he believes his competition has failed to do.

“I looked at the the three candidates who had signaled their intention to run. And as a resident of the 22nd, I just didn’t think any of them were up to the task,” Roorda said. “One of my opponents voted against funding the $25 million for the port of Jefferson County … Another one, completely mishandled the congressional redistricting process and sort of made a mockery of Jefferson County. I mean, these are not serious lawmakers who can get things done.”

Like Roden, Roorda’s background in policing makes criminal justice reform a key issue of his platform. Roorda described his platform as  “populist” and “blue-collar.”

“There’s nobody that voters trust more to stand up against police de-funders and open border advocates than me,” Roorda said. “I put a lot of dangerous people behind bars. And you know, we’re just not letting our police officers do that anymore. I want to get back to a time where criminals are held accountable and people feel safe.”

Roorda believes he will appeal to a larger base of Republican voters than his competition. In his view, the other candidates are fighting over the same votes.

“The bulk of voters out there are like me, they believe that that workers should be treated fairly. They believe that police and fire and EMS should be supported, public education should be supported,” Roorda said. “And that we should roll our sleeves up and get work done. Rather than continue to watch a Senate spiraling down the drain.”

Instead of watching a Senate “spiraling down the drain,” Roorda wants to work to bring moderate Republicans and members of the Senate’s conservative caucus together.

“I’ll work with every senator. I think that’s one of the problems is, we have these deep fissures that people have sort of, you know, bunched up on one side of this imaginary line or another and I think we need to get away from that,” he said. “I am confident that I can help rebuild, you know, sort of a damaged caucus.”

Roorda’s Campaign Finances

First quarter contributions: $14,360.00

Loans: $130,001.00

Largest contributor: Social Bar & Grill LLC, $1,099.69

No PAC supporting

Total cash on hand: $139,724.05 

Dan Shaul

Honesty is the best policy for Shaul, something he feels he’s become known for during his time in the House. Shaul feels his straight-forward style of policy-making is one his biggest strengths.

“It’s one of the things I’ve been known for in the Capitol. While I’ve been a member of the House, and also with the Grocers Association, I really don’t try to beat around the bush,” Shaul said. “If there’s something we need, or something I want to get past. I certainly go right at it. And don’t sugarcoat it … It’s just it’s so much easier to keep things simple. And to work with the relationships you build to be successful.”

Shaul sees himself as the truest conservative in the SD 22 race. He feels his leadership abilities and commitment to the conservative platform make him stand out.

“You know, everybody’s gonna say they’re pro-life, pro-gun, less government,” Shaul said. “But I think if you look at what I’ve actually done in my body of work, both before politics, and now. I think I’m the true conservative in the race, the one that is willing to take a position and hold it and fight for it.”

Shaul doesn’t see a need to change his campaign strategy to win the SD 22 primary. In his view it comes down to who works the hardest to win the nomination.

“I think our success in the primaries is gonna be based on what the success has been in the last four general elections … hard work, community based election campaigns,” Shaul said. “We’ve been in events, we show up early, we stay late for events. Talking to people to have a true feel of what the people in Jefferson County are thinking.”

“It comes down to hard work, not only by the team, but by the candidate — And I don’t think anybody’s gonna outwork me,” he added.

Shaul got first-hand experience with the Senate’s conservative caucus as the House’s redistricting chair during the congressional redistricting process. Shaul believes that experience has prepared him to ease tensions between the “Rowden” Republicans in the Senate and the conservative caucus.

“I think, if the map has taught us nothing, it’s that I’m willing to take a stand for positions and then work with all parties to get to where we need to be,” Shaul said.

“I think my tolerance in other people’s passions, I think it’s important. And I think that’ll make me successful in the Senate … I think sometimes it’s best just to listen to members of your own caucus, whether you agree with them or not, but also the other party. I think it’s very important to listen more than speak sometimes.”

Shaul’s Campaign Finances

First quarter contributions: $5,000.00

Loans: $0

Biggest contributor: MO Retailers PAC, $1,500.00

JeffCo Vision PAC cash on hand: $76,192

Total cash on hand: $132,033

The winner of the Republican primary will go on to face Benjamin Hagin, a Democrat and small business owner from Jefferson County who is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Hagin previously ran against Speaker of the House Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, in 2018 and garnered 38% of the vote.

Editorial Note: This story is part of an on-going series covering each Senate primary race. There is no Democratic primary for SD 22.

 All campaign finance information provided by the Missouri Ethics Commission. 

Featured Image: The Missouri Senate Chamber. (PROVIDED)

Matthew McFarland

I’m a journalist hailing from the Detroit area. I love to tell investigative stories with a focus on everyday people.

You can contact me by email at matthew@missouritimes.com

The post Primary Previews: Senate District 22 appeared first on The Missouri Times.

$1.9 million of state money was set aside to assist school districts in implementing a new app to report emergency situations during the spring legislative session.

For Missouri teachers, the app would make the process of reporting armed intruders faster and more efficient. One touch of a button on the app sends an alert out with no phone call necessary.

A Request for Proposal (RFP), would be issued once Parson signs Missouri’s budget, the deadline for Parson’s signature is July 15. Once the RFP is issued by the Missouri Office of Administration, parties interested in building the app would apply and be selected.

The app could be in Missouri’s schools by the fall semester if the process of getting Parson’s signature on the budget and issuing an RFP goes smoothly. School districts are not mandated to implement the app, and legislators don’t expect the majority of schools to take part in the program.

“It connects the educator or administrator in real time with public safety officials at the federal, state and local levels. Because a lot of stuff gets lost in translation,” Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, said. “This would notify any and all parties that were applicable, all following under the same technology, essentially.”

Hough grew familiar with the system as a member of the Senate’s Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety committee.

The alert system has garnered more urgency from those involved after the tragic mass shooting of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 24.

“I think the educators that I’ve talked to since, you know, since what happened in Texas have said ‘any, and all tools that can keep our kids safer are going to be on the table,'” Hough said. “Of course, the governor hasn’t signed the budget bills yet we don’t exactly know where all that stuff lands yet.”

Once Parson signs off on the budget, Hough doesn’t see many hang-ups in getting the system in place in time for school in the fall.

“Usually the folks that put these apps together are usually pretty good at it … If we had 100 of them (Missouri school districts) that were wanting to be a part of this, I imagine it can get put together pretty quickly,” Hough said.

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, a retired U.S. Army Officer and expert on lethal force has experience with emergency alert systems, he said implementation in Missouri can happen seamlessly and efficiently.

“This could be an immediate, proactive measure Missouri schools can take in preparation of the upcoming school year with no interruption to students and staff,” Grossman said.

“Industry leaders agree that upon adoption as nearly 1,000 schools can be “turned on” in a month’s time.,” said Grossman. “With nearly 2,500 K-12 schools in MO, all of them can be equipped with the new technology to help deter and stop school shootings in just under 3 months because there is no hardware or infrastructure needed.”

The Missouri Department of Public Safety was not available to provide comment on the priority of the new system’s implementation. Work on budget projects cannot start until Parson signs off.

The Department of Public Safety has worked with Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as DESE explores ways to ensure student safety.

“Whenever I meet with our school leaders, it’s always of the utmost importance to make sure that we’re doing everything to make sure that our public schools remain among the safest places,” Margie Vandeven, commissioner of DESE said.

“For our part we are working very closely with various partners throughout the state. Specifically, the Missouri Department of Public Safety to provide additional safety measures, and the Department of Mental Health, to make sure that leaders have the most up to date training and professional development.”

For some, preventative measures such as increased access to mental health resources stand as a priority in limiting gun violence. Sen. Hough has been a major advocate for increased mental health resources in Missouri.

“We’ve invested an incredible amount of money recently in mental health services, you know. My hope always is going to be that no one that wants help goes without it,” Hough said. “I think we’ve made some investments. I mean, there’s always more work to do. I will be happy to sit down and work with anybody who’s got constructive ideas on this, because I’m not gonna ever claim to be the expert here.”

Florida was one of the first states to mandate such a service and there were several qualified vendors that met the specifications in their RFP and mobile alert apps are now active in all schools in the state. There are several companies that offer this technology, but a few of the vendors who have expressed interest in Missouri’s RFP include: Guard911 (offers SchoolGuard for K-12), 911 Cellular, App Armor, Rave, ARES Security, VOLO, Secure Alert, United Date Tech and ASR Technology.  

Federal Gun Reform

Reports from the Uvalde, Texas mass shooting have revealed that law enforcement officers were unable to stop the gunman for more than hour, prompting a federal investigation. 

Going forward, gun reform and attempts at stopping gun violence could gain increased federal legislative attention.

Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt has recently opened the door to working with Democrats on “red flag” laws. Red flag laws would make it possible for law enforcement to take away firearms from individuals deemed “dangerous” with the approval of a judge.

“I’m very open to more red flag opportunities — though nobody has a stronger red flag than New York, I don’t think, and they just had an equally horrendous event,” Blunt said to Politico.

Featured Imagine courtesy of the Office of Gov. Mike Parson

Matthew McFarland

I’m a journalist hailing from the Detroit area. I love to tell investigative stories with a focus on everyday people.

You can contact me by email at matthew@missouritimes.com

The post New emergency alert app could be coming to Missouri schools appeared first on The Missouri Times.

In their endorsement, the APOA said: “When we as police officers in Jefferson County have needed someone to stand up and fight for us, Dan Shaul has always had our back. Now we’re proud to have his. We wholeheartedly endorse Dan for State Senate because we know he’ll stand up against the disastrous movement to defund our police.” 

Shaul is a U.S. Air Force veteran and has been the executive state director of the Missouri Grocers Association since 2006. He said his experience at the Missouri Grocers Association led him to push back on government shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It’s an honor to have the support of our local law enforcement officers,” stated Shaul. “Liberals have been doing everything in their power to hamstring and defund our police officers. This won’t happen on my watch. I will never stop fighting to ensure our law enforcement officers have the resources they need to do their jobs and protect Jefferson County citizens.” 

Shaul currently represents parts of Arnold, Barnhart, Imperial, Jefferson, and Kimmswick counties in HD 113.

Brady Hays

Brady Hays is a 2023 graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in History. He is currently attending the University of Missouri School of Law and is on pace to graduate with his JD in 2026. He has been working for the Missouri Times since early March 0f 2022.

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The post Arnold Police Officers Association announces endorsement of Dan Shaul for Senate appeared first on The Missouri Times.

“Eric Schmitt is the one candidate running for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat who understands what Missouri police officers deal with daily to keep Missouri safe,” Rick Inglima, president and labor chair of the Missouri FOP. “Missouri police officers know we can count on Eric Schmitt to work with us and support us as we go about our jobs.” 

Jay Schroeder, president of the St. Louis Police Officers Association Lodge 68 and Missouri FOP vice president, said Schmitt “is the only candidate that has shown by words, and most importantly by actions, he supports and stands with law enforcement officials.” 

“We know Eric Schmitt and know of his commitment to public safety and the men and women in uniform tasked with keeping our streets safe,” said Kevin Ahlbrand, immediate past president, national trustee, and legislative director of Missouri FOP. 

Schmitt is running for the seat being vacated by Senator Roy Blunt. The slate of GOP candidates for the position also includes Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, Congressman Billy Long, state Sen. Dave Schatz, former Gov. Eric Greitens, and attorney Mark McCloskey. 

“Helping keep Missourians safe and delivering justice for victims have been hallmarks of my service to Missouri as their attorney general,” Schmitt said. “As Missouri’s chief legal and law enforcement official, I am in awe of the work police officers do to keep our streets safe.”

The Attorney General’s Office launched the Safer Streets Initiative in 2019 — shortly after Schmitt’s appointment amid an executive shakeup — as a way for Schmitt’s office to prosecute the state’s most violent criminals in federal court. The partnership between the Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri was the first of its kind, according to Schmitt. 

The post Missouri Police back Schmitt for Senate appeared first on The Missouri Times.

The new group is billed to “help increase collaboration and improve intelligence sharing and analyses across participating states to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations and cartels, combat human smuggling, and stop the flow of illegal drugs to states.”

“The Biden administration has failed to secure our nation’s southern border, allowing millions of migrants and hundreds of thousands of pounds of illegal drugs to pour into the U.S,” Parson said. “Time and time again, Governors have tried to work with the White House to discuss real solutions to secure the border. Instead, our concerns have been ignored, crime is out of control, and illegal drugs continue to infect our communities and harm our kids. Today, Governors are stepping up once again to do what the federal government refuses to do: secure our communities and protect our citizens.”

This action by the group of governors comes as more than 221,000 migrants were encountered at the U.S.-Mexican border in March — the highest number in over 20 years, according to the Governor’s Office. 

Additionally, more than 2 million migrants have been encountered within the last year at the U.S.-Mexican border, according to internal government estimates. 

“The crisis at our southern border is out of control. In the absence of federal leadership, we will do what is required to help solve this growing problem and protect the people of Missouri,” Parson said.

The other states whose governors also signed on include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The director of the Department of Public Safety will be Missouri’s designee on the American Governors’ Border Strike Force. The agreement does not obligate states to expend funds.

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Kelton Turner

Kelton is a 2023 graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. He is a native of mid-Missouri and likes to write politics at both the state and federal levels. Kelton joined the Missouri Times in April 2022

www.themissouritimes.com

The post Parson joins other governors in Border Strike Force group appeared first on The Missouri Times.

In the 30-second spot, Hartzler played a clip of a pro-Greitens’ campaign ad accusing her of backing an amnesty plan for more than 1 million undocumented immigrants. 

“It’s a lie from Eric Greitens,” Hartzler said in her ad. “That’s what he does.” 

She contended the bill referenced in her competitor’s ad was one backed by Trump and opposed by every House Democrat. The legislation included $25 billion for a border wall and hampered sanctuary cities (places that limit cooperation with the federal government on immigration laws), she said. 

Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer and Congresswoman Ann Wagner also voted for the bill. However, Congressmen Billy Long and Jason Smith did not. 

“If Eric Greitens had any honor left, he’d apologize to President Trump and maybe a few other people, too,” Hartzler said. 

The ad from Team PAC, which supports Greitens, said Hartzler was “part of the problem” of an influx of undocumented immigrants coming into the U.S. Hartzler was the only person criticized in the ad. 

NumbersUSA, an advocacy group that seeks to limit certain immigration, has given Hartzler a career score of 91 percent, an A. She received perfect marks for her votes on reducing “illegal immigration rewards” and reducing chain migration. 

Candidates in the GOP primary for the open U.S. Senate seat in Missouri have sought to align themselves with Trump, who has not endorsed anyone of yet. 

Greitens, who resigned as Missouri’s chief executive amid sexual and campaign finance misconduct allegations in 2018, was recently accused of physically abusing his ex-wife and children. 

Aside from Hartzler and Greitens, Congressman Billy Long, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, state Sen. Dave Schatz, and attorney Mark McCloskey are vying for the GOP nomination. 

The post Hartzler says Greitens should apologize to Trump in new ad appeared first on The Missouri Times.