A complete overhaul of Missouri’s criminal laws is more than the legislature wants to bite off this year. .Leaders are moving to create a months-long study of recommendations from the Missouri Bar. Senate leader Rob Mayer is asking for formation of a special committee to pore through the recommendations and to suggest legislation for the 20-13 session.
The House is being asked to agree to forming the committee.
A bill carrying the recommendations was introduced in the Senate last month. It is more than 1,000 pages long. Sponsor Jolie Justus said she had no hope of the bill gaining approval this year. But she says it was being introduced to get the process started.
The last time the state criminal code was rewritten was in the mid-1970s….and that was the first rewrite in about 140 years.