Earlier this month, Missouri Republicans passed a controversial anti-crime bill in the House of Representative by a vote of 109-35.
House Bill 301 was introduced by state Rep. Lane Roberts (R-Joplin) and includes several provisions Republicans say would combat crime in the state, including one that would allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor in regions with high homicide rates.
But Democrats say the bill does little to nothing when it comes to providing mental health treatment and funding for social services. The bill also doesn’t mention guns, even though Missouri has the fourth-highest rate of gun fatalities in the country.
Several of the bill’s provisions come from recommendations from a public safety report by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. According to the report, almost three quarters of Missouri business leaders believe crime negatively impacts the state’s economy.
“Missouri is always going to be a state that upholds the rights of the Second Amendment,” Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dan Mehan told Up To Date on Friday. “We're not threatening that at all. But we've got to try to find a solution.”
Mehan joined Up To Date to discuss the impact crime has on the state’s economy and how he believes HB 301 will help solve the problem.
- Dan Mehan, CEO and President of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry
