MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

  Exit  

MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News

MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

  Exit  

MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News

Help  Close

Safe Schools Softened

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri House has softened the governor's "Safe School" proposal.

The House approved an amendment that would limit when a student who assaults a school employee could be charged with criminal, felony assault.

The governor's original proposal would allow a prosecutor to file assault charges for any act of violence against a school worker.

But the House approved an amendment that would allow assault charges only if the student "knowingly" attempted to cause injury with a weapon.

"Students recklessly do things," said Rep. Bill Alter, R-High Ridge, the amendment's sponsor. "Not just intentional, but reckless (assaults) now face 2-5 years. We need basic laws that deal with assault and battery."

But opposition argued examples need to be set to deter students from committing violent assaults.

Still, Alter said that under the original version of the bill, prosecutors would not pursue the maximum sentence for a student. Other representatives said there were discrepancies in the way crimes are reported to police from the schools.

"There are situations where the police doesn't get all the information," said Rep. Quincy Troupe, D-St. Louis. "You can pass all the laws you want until real prosecutors prosecute,"

Supporters of the amendment charged the bill was too tight in some places.

"We can label a child for the rest of their lives," said Rep. Mary Bland, D-Kansas City. "We've got to make the parents accountable, the school board accountable and teachers accountable."

In the mean time, while the governor's "safe school" legislation was being debated on the floor, Democratic leadership was missing. House Speaker Steve Gaw, D-Moberly, and House Majority Leader Gracia Backer, D-New Bloomfield were missing from Jefferson City -- somewhere in Springfield and aides were unsure when they would return.

In Gaw's absence, Rep. Gary Witt, D-Platt City, presided over the House, cutting off debate and failing to recognize other representatives, much to the chagrin of Republican leaders and the bill's sponsor.

Some even went so far as to say the House had returned to the "good old days," referring to Bob Griffin's 15-year reign as Speaker of the House.

While the amendment was officially perfected, according to a statement released later Wednesday night from Witt's office, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Steve McLuckie, D-Kansas City, will be recognized for a motion to reopen debate.