COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday evening vetoed a sweeping public safety bill that would have allowed more people who were wrongfully convicted to receive compensation from the state.
The Republican governor also signed 31 other bills into law, including measures that exempt seniors from paying income taxes on Social Security benefits, remove the salary cap for Kansas City police officers and allow public schools to teach electives on the Bible. Many of the new laws will take effect Aug. 28.
In a letter explaining his single veto on Thursday, Parson said that the state should not pay for prosecutorial errors at the local level.
“Missourians from every part of the state should not have to foot the bill for a local decision,” he said. “Local governments should bear the financial cost of their own actions.”
The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican, would have allowed those who were cleared by the courts to receive restitution. Currently only wrongfully convicted people who were cleared by DNA evidence can be eligible for payments from the state.
Kevin Strickland, a Black man, was released in 2021 after serving in prison for a triple murder he did not commit. Strickland, who served Missouri’s longest sentence for a wrongful conviction, is not eligible for compensation because his case did not involve DNA evidence.
The legislation also would have increased the amount of money owed to those wrongfully convicted from $100 per day to $179. It also would have increased the yearly cap from $36,500 to $65,000.
Parson on Thursday acknowledged that his veto pen also struck down several other priorities, including “Blair’s Law,” which was intended to prevent celebratory gunfire and other firing into the air. But he said “these unintended consequences unfortunately outweigh the good.”
The Republican governor also signed into law the remaining 31 bills on his desk, many of which were priorities from lawmakers of both parties. They range from a measure intended to attract more Kansas City police officers to legislation that would expand health benefits for low-income pregnant women.
One bill Parson signed would allow county governments to freeze the home valuations of low-income property owners on Social Security.
Individual counties will have the opportunity to approve the tax relief through an ordinance or a countywide vote. It comes as some Kansas City area residents with surprisingly high property assessments are hoping this tax relief will assist vulnerable seniors.
The Kansas City police measure removes the maximum salary cap for the city’s police chief and its officers in an effort to attract and retain more officers. It also removes the requirement that applicants for chief be under 60 years of age and allows the police board to establish a salary range for officers.
Prior to the new law, Missouri set the maximum salary for chief at $189,726. A probationary KCPD officer could earn up to about $3,987 a month. The probation period lasted six months. The salary cap for police officers topped out at $6,958 a month. That amount doesn’t include if there are any cost of living increases after the top step, according to KCPD.
Removing the salary cap received support from both parties this year as the department lags behind other cities in how much it pays chiefs and officers. The salary problem has been compounded by the fact that Kansas City is the only city in Missouri that does not control its police force.
The department is overseen by a five-member board of police commissioners. Four are appointed by the governor and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas fills one spot
Parson also signed into law a bill that would allow public schools to offer elective courses on the Bible.
The legislation, filed by state Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat, allows public schools and public charter schools to offer elective social studies classes including but not limited to the “Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament of the Bible” and the “New Testament of the Bible.”
Another piece of legislation Parson signed allows low-income pregnant mothers to receive full state health care coverage for a year after they give birth
It comes as Missouri has had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country for years.
Prior to Parson’s signature, low-income pregnant and postpartum women who receive benefits from Missouri’s Medicaid program could get pregnancy-related coverage for up to two months after the end of a pregnancy.
Another bill Parson signed on Thursday bans Missourians from texting and using a cellphone while driving.
Parson’s signature makes Missouri the second to last state to ban the practice. Previous state law banned texting while driving for anyone under 21. Montana is the only other state without a ban.
The ban includes other uses of a cellphone including anyone who holds a cellphone, watches a video on a device and searches something online. The penalty for violating the ban would be a fine. A person could be charged with a felony if they violate the ban and kill someone.
However, an officer would not be able to stop someone solely for using their phone.
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