JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Social media has been abuzz with rumors that the Senate President Pro Tem intending to file legislation to merge the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County.
That information came about following a tweet from Ellisville Mayor Adam Paul, who alluded to the potential filing of a bill.
Ron Richard is going to file #moleg legislation for @BTstl and his billionaire mega donor Rex Sinquefield. The fix is in. #pay2play
— Mayor Adam Paul (@mayoradampaul) October 13, 2017
But, it seems, that is not the case at this time. Richard released a statement Tuesday, saying:
“My intent is to get a general conversation started about the future of public safety and governance across the state. However, I do not plan to file any legislation at this time.”
It does not mean legislation will not be filed at a later time, as the issue has been a topic of discussion for some time now. Whether the county and city should merge has been hotly debated, and the President Pro Tem has not been shy about sharing his thoughts on the matter.
But, for now, his intent is only to start the conversation. Whether a bill will be filed on the matter still remains to be seen.
Legislators may pre-file bills beginning Friday, December 1. The next legislative session begins on Wednesday, January 3.
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
