witness protection Archives

Missouri Congressman Clay focusing on gun violence, witness protection and jobs (AUDIO)

February 27, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s senior Democrat in Congress is seeking his 11th term on Capitol Hill. U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, traveled to Jefferson City earlier this week to file for re-election.

U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, traveled to Jefferson City on February 25, 2020 to file for re-election for his 11th term (photo from Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth)

Clay, who’s a dean in Missouri’s congressional delegation, chairs the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance. He’s also a senior member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Congressman Clay’s top priority in 2020 is combating gun violence in urban and suburban areas. He’s watching presidential candidates and others closely.

“What kind of firearm policies do you believe in, which firearm policies will you be promoting,” Clay says.

Clay represents St. Louis City and parts of St. Louis County in Congress. There were 194 homicides in St. Louis in 2019, including the shooting deaths of at least 13 children.

A recent study published by “USA Today” listed St. Louis as the 5th most dangerous city in America.

While Congressman Clay continues to support criminal justice reform, he’s also focused on crime victims and witnesses. He tells Missourinet he’s working with St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell to help them enhance a witness protection program.

“If it means that they need a budget item, a line-item, to actually protect these witnesses more, to maybe move them out of town, before a trial,” says Clay.

There have been teen witnesses to St. Louis homicides in recent years who have been killed, before they could testify.

That includes the highly-publicized “St. Louis murder mom” conspiracy case. The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reported this month that 23-year-old Tyrell Davidson was sentenced to 12 years in prison for second degree murder, for that case.

In exchange for that guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed first degree murder and witness tampering charges against Davidson.

Congressman Clay is calling for tougher criminal penalties for witness intimidation.

“And that would better protect these witnesses, will probably get them to come forward and to testify and to get these bad guys off the street,” Clay says.

This past weekend in Clay’s district, kindergartner David Birchfield III was shot to death when a gunman shot into his car. David, who was six, was killed. His nine-year-old sister was also shot.

Clay is also focused on economic development and jobs, including the NGA project, which he notes is the largest single federal government investment in St. Louis history.

“Welcome to a historic day at the corner of Jefferson and Cass,” Clay said at the November groundbreaking ceremony. It’s a $1.7 billion project.

Clay was first elected to Congress in 2000. He won re-election in 2018, beating Republican Robert Vroman with about 80 percent of the vote.

Northwoods Democrat Cori Bush has filed to challenge Clay in the Democratic primary. No Republicans have filed yet.

The last day to file is March 31.

Click here to listen to the full four-minute interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, which was recorded on February 25, 2020 at the Kirkpatrick Building in Jefferson City:

Missouri House GOP and Democratic leaders focused on urban violence

January 9, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Addressing the increasing violence in St. Louis and Kansas City is a priority for Missouri House Republicans and Democrats during the 2020 session, which began Wednesday in Jefferson City.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Color Guard presents the flags to start the 2020 session in the Missouri House on January 8, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, tells Capitol reporters that the cities need support for witness protection.

“When you have a city like the size of St. Louis facing almost 200 homicides a year, both the police force is sort of overwhelmed and their investigatory unit is sort of overwhelmed,” Haahr says.

There were 194 murders in St. Louis in 2019, along with 148 homicides in Kansas City.

U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison has said that St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield are three of the top 15 most violent cities in the nation, on a per capita basis.

As for House Democrats, they are outnumbered this year in the Missouri House 114-48, with one vacancy. House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, is also focused on increased support for witness protection. But she also tried to draw a distinction between the two parties, during her opening day press conference.

“We will not accept that children dying from gun violence on a weekly basis is the price that we pay for freedom,” says Quade. “And we will demand that common sense be restored to Missouri law to make it harder for the bad guy with the gun to get the gun in the first place.”

At least 13 children were killed in St. Louis City shootings in 2019.

Quade says House Democrats want to punish crime, not poverty.

The Missouri Senate Interim Committee on Public Safety is expected to come up with recommendations to address gun violence, for the 2020 session. The committee is chaired by State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff.

Speaker Haahr and Leader Quade held back-to-back press conferences at the Statehouse, on opening day.

Meantime, the Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming released its report in December. The committee views the legalization of sports betting as a “legitimate opportunity to increase state revenues” for education and other programs.

18 states will have implemented sports wagering by this year.

Speaker Haahr tells Missourinet there’s a lot of discussion about sports wagering legislation at the Capitol.

“I don’t think any of that discussion particularly falls along party lines,” Haahr says. “I think it sort of cuts across both caucuses and so, we’ll consider those bills as they are filed.”

The House Special Interim Committee on Gaming’s report concluded that Missouri would likely lose revenue if it doesn’t remain competitive with other states.

Major League Baseball (MLB) representative Jeremy Kudon traveled to Jefferson City in November to testify before the gaming committee. He testifies that Missourians are expected to wager $5.5 billion annually on sports, if it’s legalized.

The House has adjourned for the week, and they’ll return to the Capitol on Monday. Next week’s schedule will be light, except for Governor Mike Parson’s State of the State Address on Wednesday.

Speaker Haahr says about 800 House bills have been filed, adding that about 100 will be referred to committee this week. He expects House floor debate to begin during the week of January 20.

New Missouri Senate committee studying gun violence to hold first hearing Monday (AUDIO)

October 30, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A key Democratic state senator is pleased that Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, has formed an interim committee to study gun violence, saying she hopes the committee will come up with a blueprint to reduce the violence.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, briefs Capitol reporters in January 2018 (file photo courtesy of Missouri Senate photographer Harrison Sweazea)

The committee’s first hearing is Monday in Jefferson City.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, called on Pro Tem Schatz to create the committee, back in September. Nasheed describes the gun violence in her hometown as an epidemic.

“I mean when we have children dying on the street by way of AK 47’s and AR-15’s, yeah this is a massive, massive crisis,” Nasheed says.

She also says it’s a public health crisis.

“And I’m just happy that the senators are ready to roll up their sleeves and begin to look at best practices in terms of legislation so that we can help reduce the violence that’s plaguing the inner cities as well as outstate,” says Nasheed.

U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison has noted that St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield are three of the top 15 most violent cities in the nation, on a per capita basis.

At least 13 children have been killed in St. Louis city shootings in 2019, and Kansas City Police say there have been 122 homicides there this year. In central Missouri’s Columbia, there were five murders during the month of September.

The Senate Interim Committee on Public Safety is chaired by State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, and State Sen. Jeanie Riddle, R-Mokane, is the vice-chair. Republicans have a 4-3 majority on the committee, which Nasheed serves on.

Senator Nasheed tells Missourinet the committee’s first hearing is Monday morning at 10 at the Missouri Capitol, where they’ll hear from expert witnesses in areas like public safety and social work.

She has also called for increased protection for crime witnesses, saying they are fearful for their safety. Governor Mike Parson (R) has also expressed that concern.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, which was recorded on October 30, 2019: