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Missouri’s governor to call special legislative session about violent crime (AUDIO)

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Missouri’s governor confirms he plans to call a special session later this year, to address violent crime in the state. Governor Mike Parson (R) made his comments Monday at the Statehouse in Jefferson City, in response to a question from Missourinet.

Missouri Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe (right) applauds as Governor Mike Parson delivers his State of the State Address on January 15, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The governor says it’s a critical issue.

“I think I’ve talked to most of the mayors for weeks now, about the issue of crime,” Parson says.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is asking the governor to call a special session about crime, saying his city is at a “crisis point”. There have been at least 101 homicides in Kansas City this year, and the “Kansas City Star” reports 2020 is on pace to be the city’s deadliest year on record.

Across the state in St. Louis City, Missourinet contributor Jill Enders reports 24 people were shot over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, seven of them fatally. One of them was a four-year-old boy.

The governor says he had a good phone conversation this weekend with Kansas City’s mayor.

“We talked about some of the officer shootings they’ve had, more on the violent crime side,” says Parson. “I emphasized to him I thought through the legislative process last year we should have got some key elements done. He agreed that that should have been done.”

Mayor Lucas notes two Kansas City Police officers were shot last week. He also says criminals shot into an apartment building last week, killing a four-year-old sleeping inside.

Mayor Lucas wants to see funding increased for witness protection, and wants more tools for law enforcement to be able to interrupt conspiracies to commit murder.

It’s unclear when the special session will start.

One of the key proposals in Governor Parson’s January State of the State Address was about $1 million in funding for witness protection, in an effort to battle increasing violence in urban cities.

Despite bipartisan support in both chambers, the measure did not pass.

State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, is a strong supporter of witness protection, telling Missourinet at the January State of the State that witnesses fear retribution.

“I hear law enforcement say that very thing that there are people that they know that know who these individuals are that are committing these crimes but they’re scared to death to come forward because they don’t want to be the next victim,” Basye said that day.

Mayor Lucas, Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, St. Louis Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones were special guests at the January State of the State Address.

There were 194 homicides in St. Louis and 148 in Kansas City in 2019.

Click here to listen to Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s response to Brian Hauswirth’s question about a special session on violent crime, and about the governor’s phone conversation this weekend with Kansas City’s Mayor:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Missouri protests continue over the death of Minnesota’s George Floyd

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Hundreds of protesters have lined streets in Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, and the St. Louis area this weekend chanting phrases like “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “No justice, no peace”. They have been calling attention to this week’s death of George Floyd, an African-American man in Minneapolis. A white police officer is accused of third-degree murder after pinning Floyd to the ground by pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes.

Photo courtesy of KMBC-TV

The casualty is stirring up the pain felt when 18-year-old Michael Brown, Jr. was shot to death in 2014 by a Ferguson police officer. Brown, an unarmed African-American man, was killed by Darren Wilson, who is white.

Brown’s death led to protests for days on the streets of Ferguson, looting, and vandalism – some of the same acts happening in Minneapolis, Atlanta, and elsewhere during protests. His death also sparked a movement driven to stop unarmed African-Americans from getting killed by law enforcement.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas tells KMBC-TV he wants this weekend’s protesters to work for change in the community between African-Americans and police.

“What we are not out here to do is act a fool, is to have generalized hooliganism, is to do something that will, I think, tarnish not just the life of George Floyd but also to tarnish, I think, what is a wonderful peaceful rally,” he says.

Lucas, who is African-American, spoke with passion about bringing people together – not driving them apart.

“We’re not here to just try to start something that is tangential to what the goal of us is – is to make sure that people can live equally, to make sure that people can walk around feeling safe, to make sure that every black mother in this city has the chance to say ‘I know my son’s going to come back and he’s not going to get shot by somebody on the street, he’s not going to get shot by the police, he’s not going to get messed by somebody in those different areas.’ That’s all I’m asking,” says Lucas. “And that’s all we want today.”

Taylar Johnson Coody spoke with heavy emotion.

“I’m tired of having to wake up and go to social media to see every, I’m sorry, of having to see another black person on the floor. I’m tired of people dying and I’m tired of having to come out here and protest for the people I love and care about,” she tells KMBC.

In Kansas City, some protesters have been arrested and police have used pepper spray on some individuals. On Twitter, the Kansas City Police Department confirmed officers are using tear gas to keep people off of streets.

In the St. Louis region today, protesters lined the streets in Clayton, University City, and in Ferguson. Some demonstrators blocked traffic on Interstate 70.

State Representative Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis, spoke during today’s rally.

“This is our moment. Let’s make it right. This is our moment to show the world that we ain’t f***ing around no more,” he says. “Just because we’re mad don’t make us violent. Just because we’re pissed don’t make us terrorists.”

Before an Urban League donation drive today, Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, said there should be justice for George Floyd.

“If George Floyd would have been white, would he have died on the street like an animal begging for mercy while he struggled to breathe,” asks Clay. “The three officers who stood by and did absolutely nothing to save his life must be charged as accessories to murder.”

After Brown’s death, Clay helped to create a consent decree between the City of Ferguson and the U.S. Department of Justice to help change policing practices.

Here are scenes from earlier today in southwest Missouri’s Springfield:

In response to the protests, Gov. Mike Parson has declared a state of emergency. He has signed an executive order giving the Missouri Adjutant General or his designee the power to activate National Guard soldiers if necessary. In a press release, Parson says the Missouri National Guard and the Missouri Highway Patrol stand ready to support local authorities.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of George Floyd. We are also saddened by the acts of violence that have transpired across our nation and state in response to this event. At this time, we are taking a proactive approach to protect Missouri and its people,” the governor says. “Citizens have the right to peacefully assemble and protest, and the State of Missouri is committed to protecting the lawful exercise of these rights.”

Parson says despite the many peaceful assemblies, other events have created conditions of distress and hazards to the safety, welfare, and property of residents and visitors that are beyond the capacities of local authorities.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Kansas City restaurants, gyms can reopen Friday – with some rules

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Beginning Friday, Kansas City restaurants can reopen to in-person dining but must follow some restrictions. At a press conference today, Mayor Quinton Lucas says employees will be required to wear masks and dining room tables must be 10 feet apart. Disposable menus are encouraged and frequently touched areas must also be cleaned often. All dining surfaces, including tables, non-disposable menus, chairs and highchairs must be cleaned and sanitized between customers.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas

Bar seating, buffets and self-service food operations are still banned.

“We will continue to balance the public health and economic needs of our community as we continue our road to recovery. The guidelines we’ve announced today seek to protect restaurant patrons and employees as our region continues to grapple with the effects of COVID-19.”

Lucas says non-essential Kansas City businesses can reopen on Friday under the 10/10/10 Rule, unless otherwise specified and subject to guidelines issued by the Director of Public Health, Sites must limit the number of customers to no more than 10% building occupancy or 10 people – whichever is greater. They must record the contact information of customers who are on site for more than 10 minutes.

Playgrounds, dog parks and gyms will also be allowed to reopen Friday. Gyms and fitness centers may be subject to additional rules to be issued by the director of public health.

Youth sports can resume Friday but must follow the mayor’s 10/10/10 Rule.

Lucas says gathering limits of 10 people or 10% inside and 50 people outside will continue.

“We want to avoid crowds. We want to avoid crowded activities. We want to make sure we are being smart with reopening. As we all know, it is hard to close Pandora’s box,” says Lucas. “What does this does not mean is that because the stay-at-home, as we knew it, will have expired, that everybody should just go out and have the biggest party and have the greatest time ever and just hang out with 200 of their best friends.”

The guidelines are in effect through at least May 31.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Missouri’s largest city prepares for soft reopening – with strong restrictions for “nonessential” businesses

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Kansas City is having a soft reopening next Wednesday – with strong restrictions for some “nonessential” businesses including retail stores and salons. They must limit the number of customers to no more than 10% building occupancy or 10 people – whichever is greater. At a press conference, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the businesses must record the contact information of customers who are on site for more than 10 minutes.

“Our goal isn’t actually to see what everybody is doing or to be Big Brother,” says Lucas. “More of our goal and our emphasis on that is to make sure that if there is an outbreak – at a beauty shop, at a barber shop at a church – that our trackers can actually track down everyone, that we can know where an outbreak is, we can address it quickly.”

Religious gatherings, including weddings and funerals, are limited to 10 people for inside events and 50 people outside. People are still supposed to stay at least 6 feet apart and attendees’ contact information must be tracked.

Restaurants, bars, gyms, government buildings and other businesses that draw large crowds must wait to until at least May 15 to reopen. Food service workers and bartenders will be required to wear masks and gloves.

Lucas says Kansas City has added worker protections preventing non-essential businesses reopening next week from firing employees who do not feel safe to return.

“We still encourage everyone to stay at home as much as possible,” he says. “We still encourage everyone who can telework to do so – at least through the period of May 15.”

State data shows that since Missouri’s peak hospital case count on April 7, the Kansas City area has had a 41% decline in the number of people who have been treated at a hospital for the coronavirus.

“All of the important steps that we have taken over the last six weeks have led to fewer infections, have led to fewer hospitalizations and have saved lives,” says Lucas.

To view the updated order, click here.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Parson extends Missouri stay-at-home order through May 3 with reopening planned in phases

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Missouri’s stay-at-home order will continue through May 3. Gov. Mike Parson says the date has been extended to get Missourians ready to go back to work on May 4. During today’s COVID-19 briefing, Parson says the extension would give the state more time to do additional testing and recovery from the coronavirus.

Gov. Mike Parson (Photo courtesy of Governor’s Flickr page)

“We think by that time we’re going to have a lot more data to be able to go out there and justify what we’re doing and to make sure we’re protecting people every day,” says Parson. “The whole idea is to make sure we’ve got enough time to get people ready to go back into the workforce and allow people that opportunity.”

Parson’s original order was scheduled to continue through April 24.

He says his plan to reopen the state will happen in phases.

“Missouri is incredibly diverse and our reopening efforts will be careful. They will be deliberate and done in phases,” says Parson. “The timing may not look the same in every community. Our hardest hit areas like St. Louis and Kansas City may take longer to fully recover.”

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says his stay-at-home order is scheduled to continue until May 15. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson have also extended their orders and say they will revisit their restrictions around mid-May.

Today, Missouri reports at least 152 people have died from COVID-19 and 5,111 others have tested positive for the respiratory disease.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Coronavirus expected to smack Kansas City’s nightlife where it hurts

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New federal guidelines aim to help flatten the coronavirus growth curve, but it will come at a cost to many businesses and workers. They include closing schools and avoiding groups of more than 10 people.

On Facebook, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the city’s popular nightlife and the people who make it all happen will take a hit. Under his order issued Monday, all city bars, restaurants and taverns are banned from operating unless they are providing takeout, drive-thru and delivery. Many servers and bartenders who live off tips will be out of luck.

“This is an awful, awful moment for a lot of people in our city. It’s an awful moment for me frankly,” says Lucas. “We’re going to try to make sure we that come out better on the other side – that we come out healthier and that we can protect as many people as possible.”

Hotels will still be open but wild parties are out of the question.

For those who hope to tie the knot soon in Kansas City, intimate gatherings only.

“For the next several weeks, unless your wedding is fewer than 10, we’re suggesting that it be either rescheduled or that we find some other way to hold it, and I say that with an amazing amount of regret,” says Lucas.

KCI airport remains open but the coronavirus has led to some airlines cutting back on flights.

Lucas says Kansas City area public and private K-12 schools will close until at least April 2. The mayor says many schools have plans to deal with getting meals to students while classes are out.

Listen to Mayor Lucas’ announcement:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Kansas City mayor: “Economic development is about providing affordable housing”

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An annual Kansas City survey shows 25% of all residents have reported taking a second job, working more hours and using credit cards to pay for rent or their mortgage. During Mayor Quinton Lucas’ first State of the City address last night, he says the city will work to better leverage its funding resources to provide more affordable housing.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas

“One of the biggest divides in wealth between east side and west side in Kansas City, between black and white in Kansas City, relates to the dealt between home ownership in our city. We’re not allowing for wealth creation enough in the inner city of Kansas City, Missouri and we’re not doing enough to help support lending in our inner cities,” he says.

Lucas says several recent meetings with the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department have led to Kansas City getting nearly $14 million in regional funding for local homelessness and housing programs. He says the city needs to ensure adequate housing and housing conditions in every part of Kansas City.

“When we think about economic development, it isn’t just a strip mall, it isn’t just a three-story building somewhere. It’s about providing new affordable housing for families,” he says. “It’s about providing jobs for people in our neighborhoods. It’s about providing funds to help support rehabilitation of our significant single-family stock in Kansas City, which importantly we cannot forget. New multi-family housing is something we see all the time. We’re talking about maintaining our neighborhoods and doing that in every part of Kansas City.”

Lucas, who grew up poor in Kansas City and was homeless part of the time, says housing security affords citizens the chance to better their lives.

“This is key and central to every part of economic development policy,” he says. “Everyone sleeps somewhere. We need to make sure that when we talk about housing, it isn’t just advocates at city hall. It’s us making sure we care about the homeless. It’s us making sure that we care about the housing and secure. It’s us making sure that when we talk to schools and we talk to businesses, we’re seeing that the core reason sometimes that there may not be the success that we want is because of our own failures and policy at city hall and the state Capitol.”

Lucas, who was elected last summer, says the city has made great strides in housing quality, but more work needs to be done.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Kansas City mayor wants more boots on the ground to fight violent crime

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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is proposing to add more police officers on the streets. During his first State of the City address last night, Lucas says the city cannot stop caring about residents who deserve to grow old in the community.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (Photo courtesy of his Twitter page)

“We owe it to the victims, to their families, to our own community, to the lives we may yet save of victims and assailants,” he says. “But we also importantly recognize that more boots on the ground alone will not solve our violent crime problems. We invest this year in more social worker positions, but we also invest in more probation officers.”

Last year, 148 people were murdered in Kansas City.

“Nothing matters if we lose another 148 of our sisters and brothers next year,” he says. “If we lose 500 Kansas Citians over the next year, 1,000 over eight years.”

Lucas is rolling out his budget proposal today to detail how many extra police and probation officers and social workers he wants.

He also announced plans to work with Councilwoman Melissa Robinson on her proposal to study violent crime.

Lucas has been to the Missouri Capitol several times to meet with the governor and call for increased witness protection in violent crimes.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Deadly Kansas City bar shooting not believed to be gang-related

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A man opened fire overnight outside of a Kansas City night club – killing a 25-year-old woman and wounding 15 others. The shooting happened at 9ine Ultra Lounge near I-70 between Lee’s Summit and Independence. Three of the victims have critical injuries and police think a security guard shot and killed the suspected shooter. KMBC-TV reports hundreds of people were at the club at the time of the shooting and many of them quickly bolted from the scene.

Deadly Kansas City bar shooting not believed to be gang-related

During a press conference today, Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith says there’s no indication the shooting was gang related.

“We know that there were multiple firearms involved,” says Smith. “So we think the security guard’s actions definitely saved lives.”

Smith says Raven Parks, 25, was killed at the scene.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says he won’t tolerate violent crime.

“This type of person who would shoot up a bunch of people outside of a bar is a menace,” says Lucas. “And we want to make sure we’re catching menaces like those and we’re able to prosecute them, we’re able to get them off the streets before they offend once again.”

KMBC reports the night club is owned by former Kansas City Chiefs player Alfonso Hodge.

Kansas City mayor says bipartisanship is critical in battling crime (AUDIO)

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Kansas City’s mayor says the hardest part of the job is dealing with the increasing violence in his city.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (right) visits with
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and their four respective police chiefs on November 25, 2019 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s office)

Kansas City saw at least three homicides in 24 hours this weekend, bringing the total number of homicides there this year to 141. That’s up from 120 in 2018, with a full month to go.

Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted this weekend that “we can never accept the violence”, describing it as senseless. He says each victim’s life was important.

Meantime, Mayor Lucas is optimistic about the four meetings that have taken place between Governor Mike Parson and the mayors of Missouri’s four largest cities.

Lucas, a Democrat, met with GOP Governor Parson and the three other mayors last week at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City.

Missourinet asked Lucas about a tweet sent to him, questioning why he would meet with the Republican governor. Lucas emphasizes this is a bipartisan issue.

“Nobody wants me to sit around and be a proud Democrat and four years from now we still have 140 homicides every year in Kansas City,” Lucas says. “And so, I’ll meet with the governor everyday of the week if we can get this problem solved.”

Lucas says the crime priorities outlined last week in Jefferson City by Governor Parson and the mayors are reasonable ideas. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure and Columbia Mayor Brian Treece also spoke at the press conference.

“What we’re saying is we’re going to make the community safer by making sure that children aren’t walking around with handguns,” Lucas tells Capitol reporters. “That domestic abusers can’t walk around with guns and threaten their past victims and survivors of domestic violence.”

Other priorities for the governor and mayors include witness protection and relocation and mental health treatment.

Click here to listen to the full press conference involving Governor Mike Parson (R) and Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, which took place at the Statehouse in Jefferson City on November 25, 2019:

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet