Missouri senators debate SB 52 and SB 44 amid dispute over St. Louis policing authority
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Summary
Missouri Senate leaders sparred over Senate Bills 52 and 44 as the chamber entered its seventh week; proponents framed the measures as public-safety priorities, while the minority leader said they threaten local control in St. Louis City. Committee hearings continue and the bills remain on the informal calendar.
Missouri senators began the seventh week of the 2025 legislative session with public safety among their priorities, Majority Floor Leader Tony Luke Demeyer of Parkville said.
The chamber’s agenda includes Senate Bill 52 and Senate Bill 44. Supporters described the measures as steps to back law enforcement and reduce violent crime; critics warned the bills could roll back recent local decisions that affect policing in St. Louis City.
“Supporting our men and women in law enforcement, making sure that they have the resources that they need to do their jobs and also to crack down on violent crime and make sure that we're removing those violent criminals from the streets,” Tony Luke Demeyer, Missouri Senate majority floor leader, said.
Doug Beck, Missouri Senate minority floor leader of Afton, said he believes Senate Bills 52 and 44 are the wrong approach. He said lawmakers this week “saw an attempt to overturn the will of the people” by reversing a voter decision intended to ensure local leaders in St. Louis City can be held accountable for policing their community.
Lawmakers spent several hours on Senate Bills 52 and 44 this past Tuesday, and both measures remain on the informal calendar; a date for further floor consideration was not specified. Committee hearings on other matters also continued in the Missouri Senate, reporting from the state capital said.
No formal vote results or final actions on either bill were recorded in the transcript provided.