Missouri’s reputation for extreme conservatism harms St. Louis, Mayor Tishaura Jones says.
The mayor sat down with the Riverfront Times a day after she railed against “far right-wing Republicans” in Jefferson City during her second State of the City address earlier this week.
She discussed a wide range of topics, from Republicans in Jefferson City to the prospect of Kim Gardner running for reelection. At one point she laid into Missouri’s conservative politics and its adverse effects on the city of St. Louis.
Missouri has one of the strictest abortion laws compared to any other state. This year, Missouri legislators filed more anti-LGBTQ+ bills than any other state. And the state’s loose gun laws could very well be the reason why Black people fall victim to homicides here more than any other state in the nation, a recent study concluded.
“We have seen that conventions have decided not to come here,” Jones said. “Students have decided not to come here for secondary or post-secondary education because of our abortion laws. If things get even more extreme, I’m wondering how that’s going to hurt our economy as well.”
To legislators in Jefferson City, Jones said during her State of the City address, a 12-year-old receiving gender-affirming care is “a bigger threat than a 12-year-old with an assault rifle.” She described legislation against transgender kids and their families as “ugly attacks.”
Last month, Governor Mike Parson visited St. Louis and told reporters that crime in St. Louis harms the image of the state, and that when he travels to recruit businesses, he has to “deal with that situation all the time.”
But Jones said she deals with the flip side of that problem — and that Missouri’s negative image could contribute to St. Louis’ population decline.
“I think that people look for places where there’s opportunity,” Jones said. “They look for places where there isn’t a lot of interference between the cities and the state government. Where cities are allowed to exist, or where cities are allowed to flourish, despite what the state does — or in spite of what the state does.”
“I think in the past you saw a more collegial relationship between cities and the state government, but now it’s more antithetical,” Jones continued.
Yet there are many contributing factors to the perception that the area is troubled. If the national narrative isn’t focused on Missouri’s reactionary policies, such as the attorney general’s attempt to restrict transgender health care, they’re often highlighting dysfunction, such as the problems plaguing the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner came under intense public scrutiny after a man out on bond crashed into and maimed a visiting teenager. News of the crash cascaded into widespread criticism of Gardner’s office. The Missouri Attorney General has launched an investigation into the office, which has since been described by a judge as a “rudderless ship of chaos.”
Jones said shortly after the crash that Gardner had “lost the trust of the people.” When asked if Gardner had lost her personal trust, Jones said she “stood by” her previous statement.
“I realize that is a difficult office to run, and we have offered our support, because no one wants to see the Circuit Attorney’s Office fail,” Jones said.
Gardner has said she’ll run for reelection despite calls for her to resign. Will Jones support her?
“We’ll see if she runs for reelection,” Jones said. “You know, filing doesn’t open until February 2024. People can say that they’ll run and then change their mind. You never know.”
Coming soon: Riverfront Times Daily newsletter. We’ll send you a handful of interesting St. Louis stories every morning. Subscribe now to not miss a thing.Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
