Conservative push to curb local health department powers fails in Missouri Senate

A bill to limit the authority of local health departments in issuing emergency orders failed to gain initial approval on the Missouri Senate floor early Thursday morning.

Nine Republicans voted against the proposal, along with all 10 Democrats.

A similar bill, also in reaction to local health agency orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, sailed through the state House this month.

The bills would allow local public health departments to order business, school or church closures only for 15 days before needing to get a two-thirds majority approval from local lawmakers. A city or county council could also reject a public health order with a simple majority. The Senate bill would also allow businesses affected by shutdowns to claim property tax credits in their municipalities.

The proposals were a top priority of the state Senate’s Conservative Caucus members this year. Sen. Andrew Koenig, a Manchester Republican, reacted to local outrage over some business closures last December by holding a press conference outside a St. Louis County restaurant, which was shut down for defying the county’s indoor dining ban.

He has called the St. Louis County Executive, Sam Page, a “tyrant” and “dictator” over the local health orders.

The bill’s opponents said it would curb local authorities’ abilities to respond to future emergencies.

Debate over the measures this year has underscored Missouri’s long and uneven struggle over local control, which has resurfaced over issues such as residency rules for the Kansas City Police Department.

Gov. Mike Parson resisted calls to implement a statewide mask mandate or business restrictions, saying the authority should be left to cities and counties. But Republican backlash to St. Louis County’s restrictions was swift last fall.

“I don’t think there’s any question sometimes that on the local levels, they stepped over their bounds in different areas,” Parson said at a press conference last month.

This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 11:32 AM.