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Committee starts investigation into Ferguson response

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Joint Committee on Government Accountability held their first meeting today in the Senate Lounge.

Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) was elected committee chairman and Rep. Kathie Conway (R-St. Charles) was elected vice chairman for the committee, whose first task will likely be a close scrutiny of the state’s response to protests and violence in the Ferguson region.

“There are two issues that we are probably looking at,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Glendale). “Specifically, one is how the money was spent. We were almost and nearly called into special session to pay for things that the governor later decided was actually appropriated to pay for. Secondly is the response, in regards to when the non-indictment was issued, it came out. I think all of us are wondering and asking the same questions. How, in a state of emergency, was called for. The National Guard was in St. Louis. The National Guard was in Clayton. The National Guard was downtown. Why the National Guard was not in Ferguson when one of our communities was burning.”

The committee has full investigatory abilities, including issuing subpoenas. It will meet throughout the year and seek answers as to how money was spent and investigate how the situation was handled. The meeting today was an organizational one, and not expected to be particularly explosive. The committee will have ample material to investigate, ranging from Gov. Jay Nixon’s initially slow response in the days immediately following Michael Brown’s death to grievances raised by local authorities that the National Guard didn’t provide as much help as it could have to first responders.

Sens. Kurt Schaeffer, Eric Schmitt, Will Kraus, Reps. Paul Curtman, John Mayfield, Kathie Conway, and John Rizzo were present. Other members called into the meeting. The committee is comprised of 4 Republicans and 3 Democrats from each chamber.

Outgoing House Speaker Tim Jones (R-Eureka) was present outside the lounge.

Press held a slight majority of the audience, with the remaining attendees being comprised of mostly Capitol staff.