ST. LOUIS — Democratic State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed is proposing an additional hurdle for the Better Together plan to merge St. Louis and St. Louis County.
Senate Joint Resolution 22 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would require any changes to the Missouri Constitution modifying the form of government of city or county governments — like those proposed in the Better Together plan — to be approved by the voters in the affected areas before going into effect.
This means any statewide vote on consolidating St. Louis City and St. Louis County would have to be approved by a majority of city and county voters in order for consolidation to occur.
“This resolution is about ensuring the voices of St. Louis City and St. Louis County are heard loud and clear throughout the consolidation conversation,” said Sen. Nasheed.
“If there is going to be a statewide vote on consolidating city and county governments, I want those residents to be the deciding factor. We cannot allow the state to impose its will on the City of St. Louis against our wishes. As I have said before, this is a matter of local control, and I want to make sure the future of St. Louis City and County is decided by us and not the rest of the state.”
KSDK reached out to Better Family in response to Senate Joint Resolution 22 and they declined to comment.