UPDATE 2: The St. Louis Tea Party has pushed back against comments by Republican House Speaker Steven Tilley, who in floor debate over the local control bill suggested that opponents of local control had engaged in "race baiting." (A previous version of this post said that Tilley accused the Tea Party of race-baiting. Tilley never mentioned the Tea Party in his comments).
"We truly regret that Speaker Tilley has chosen to make the vote over Local Control an issue of race, as opposed to what is truly best for the citizens of the city of St. Louis,” Bill Hennessy, Co-Founder of the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition, said in a statement.
The statement says the Tea Party has a "long history in denouncing racism at its root," citing the group's support of Kenneth Gladney, a conservative African-American activist injured at an August 2009 town hall melee.
UPDATE: Sen. Rob Mayer, the president pro tem of the Missouri Senate, offered good news and bad news for supporters of the local control measure. Mayer said he supports the concept of local control and expects to push the issue forward in the Senate.
But Mayer also said he's heard from six or seven senators opposed to the bill. Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, has been the most outspoken opponent of the bill in the Senate, but Mayer said there were some Republicans opposed to the issue as well.
The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, is expected to be voted on in committee on Wednesday.
JEFFERSON CITY • State lawmakers in favor of local control for the St. Louis Police Department lashed out at opponents in speeches on the House floor today, accusing them of "race-baiting" in opposing a bill sponsored by Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis.
Nasheed's bill -- supported by a coalition of St. Louis political and business leaders -- passed with a veto-proof margin, 109-46. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Before the bill passed, both Nasheed and Rep. Tishaura Jones, D-St. Louis, said they were ashamed at those fighting local control for injecting race into the debate. The representatives were referencing a blog post affiliated with the St. Louis Tea Party that accused Nasheed of being affiliated with the "New Black Panther Party."
The blog post also criticized Speaker of the House Steve Tilley, R-Perryville, for supporting the bill. In a speech on the floor before the vote, Tilley drew attention to the race issue.
"I think we've seen race-baiting at a level that I haven't seen since I've been here," Tilley said.
Some members of the local Tea Party group are also members of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, which has opposed local control. Members of the police association have argued that the bill could affect their pensions, health insurance, and payouts to family members of police officers who die in the line of duty.
There is wording in the bill that would require the city to keep benefits for current police officers at their existing level.
A large number of police officers from St. Louis were in the House galleries during debate on Nasheed's bill. Rep. Mike Colona, D-St. Louis, noted that the bill includes a provision that bans St. Louis police officers from lobbying the Legislature while they are in uniform or officially representing the department or the city.
"We're not transferring power back to the citizens of the city of St. Louis. We are punishing the citizens of the city of St. Louis," Colona said, referencing the amendment to the bill that limits police officers' ability to participate in the political process. Colona voted for the bill.
Those who opposed the bill said a vote in favor of local control was a vote against police officers. State Rep. Tim Meadows, D-Imperial, said he was choosing to "back the badge" and vote with the police officers, many of which he said he grew up with in south St. Louis.
The proponents of local control, however, won big, with enough yes votes to potentially overcome a veto by Gov. Jay Nixon, who has indicated at least some opposition to the bill.
Tilley's support for the issue was key, as the local control issue had died in the House in recent legislative session. This year, though, the bill benefited from support from key city leaders -- including Mayor Francis Slay and president of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed -- as well as business leaders and retired St. Louis investor Rex Sinquefield.
Sinquefield is a prolific political donor to top Republicans in the state, as well as Slay.
EDITOR'S NOTE: State Rep. Tim Meadows grew up in south St. Louis. An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect location. This version has been corrected.
