GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION

SPECIAL MESSAGE 

WHEREAS, crime rates have rapidly increased across our nation and state, primarily in urban areas; and

WHEREAS, part of Missouri has already experienced more homicides in 2020 than what was experienced in the entire year of 2019 and is on track to have its deadliest year on record; and

WHEREAS, the unprecedented wave of violent crime existing in Missouri's urban areas needs to be addressed; and

WHEREAS, in the City of St. Louis, there were 138 murders as of July 22, 2020, compared to 105 murders at the same time last year; and

WHEREAS, legislative measures need to be taken to further address violent crime in Missouri and protect our citizens and residents; and

WHEREAS, in order to ensure the health and safety of our citizens, legislative measures need to be taken to further address violent crime in the City of St. Louis, and across the State of Missouri, in order to protect our citizens and residents.

NOW THEREFORE, on the extraordinary occasion that exists in Missouri:

I, MICHAEL L. PARSON, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, pursuant to the authority vested in me as Governor by the Constitution of the State of Missouri, do hereby amend the matters specifically designated and limited for consideration by the General Assembly in my July 15, 2020 Proclamation to add to those matters the following additional specifically designated and limited matters. The additional specifically designated and limited matters on which the action of the General Assembly is deemed necessary is as follows:

  1. To add a new section to Chapter 27, RSMo authorizing the Attorney General to commence and prosecute the offenses of murder in the first degree and murder in the second degree, in addition to any offense that was part of the same course of conduct, in the City of St. Louis;
  2. To enact legislation amending Section 84.344, RSMo removing the requirement that police officers in the City of St. Louis to maintain a residence in the City for at least seven years, and requiring the provision expire after three years;
  3. To enact legislation amending Section 211.071, RSMo changing the age for a certification hearing from twelve years old to fourteen years old, and removing the offenses of distribution of a controlled substance and manufacture of a controlled substance from the certification hearing requirement;
  4. To add a new section to Chapter 211, RSMo requiring the Office of State Courts Administrator to collect data concerning the number of juvenile certification petitions filed annually, the disposition of certification petitions filed, the offenses for which juvenile officers seek certification, the race of the juveniles for which the juvenile officers seek certification, and the number of juveniles who waive their right to counsel, and to make such data available to juvenile court personnel and the leadership of the General Assembly;
  5. To enact legislation amending Section 217.345, RSMo requiring the Missouri Department of Corrections to develop programming that include educational opportunities that result in a high school diploma or the equivalent for offenders under the age of eighteen, and to separate offenders under the age of eighteen from adult offenders; and
  6. To add a new section to Chapter 285, RSMo prohibiting residency requirements for public safety employees in the City of St. Louis so long as the employee's residence is located within a one-hour response time, and requiring that the provision expire after three years.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, in the City of Jefferson, on this 10th day of August, 2020.

[Michael L. Parson’s Signature]
MICHAEL L. PARSON
GOVERNOR

ATTEST:

[Jay Ashcroft’s Signature]
JOHN R. ASHCROFT
SECRETARY OF STATE

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