JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – For the first time in more than three decades, Missouri legislators have moved to update the state’s criminal code.
The bill, carried by Democratic Sen. Jolie Justus and Republican Sen. Bob Dixon, was voted out of both chambers on Thursday, and now heads to the governor’s desk. In addition to reorganizing the code, the legislation would create new classes of felonies and misdemeanors, lessen the penalty for first marijuana offenses, and strengthen penalties in child abuse cases.
“This is a reorganization effort for something that is desperately needed,” said Rep. Chris Kelly, a Democrat. Kelly said the new language is a “major step forward for the criminal law in the state of Missouri.”
Rep. Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia, carried the bill in the House. He said the bill is about “bringing the language current.”
Nixon, Missouri’s former Attorney General, has expressed concerns about the size of the bill and the potential for error in many of the technical updates. Speaking with reporters after the vote, Justus said there are not too many subjects in the bill and needed to be done with a holistic approach.
“We’re confident in our work product. It has not been rushed. This has been an eight year process,” she said. “We have been standing ready, willing and able to discuss for eight years.”
The bill did receive some opposition. Fifteen Democrats voted against it in the House, and two Republicans – both of which mulling campaigns for Missouri Attorney General in 2016 — voted against it.
“From having personally tried criminal cases, the impact if something doesn’t go right is terrible. By doing the entire project at one time, I believe it was too much to do and it was inevitable that something might have been missed,” said Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia. “My concerns are the same concerns the governor has. Even if the chance of missing something is remote, when you’re talking about criminal law, it’s the one thing you don’t want to miss.”
Nixon has until mid-May to take action on the bill, meaning lawmakers could theoretically override his veto before session ends.