Black lawmakers cite racism as Missouri House OKs crime bill
By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Black lawmakers in Missouri are accusing House Republican leaders of racism after shutting down debate and passing a bill that could strip power from the Black woman elected as the St. Louis prosecutor. The racial tensions in Missouri echo similar complaints raised this week in Mississippi, where the majority-white, Republican-led Legislature voted to take power from local leaders in the predominantly Black city of Jackson. A Missouri lawmaker was talking about the Mississippi situation when debate was halted. The House then passed the bill that Republican leaders describe as an attempt to crack down on crime.
