Those who oppose returning local control of their police department to the citizens of St Louis after 150 years of state control have one primary argument, and it’s about pensions. During testimony last week in Jefferson City on Senate Bill 23, which would return local control to the people of St Louis City, a well-known legal expert testified exactly how the opponents pension arguments are not only hollow but false.
Listen to Jim Deustch testify regarding the pension issue
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. He is very thorough explaining the issue and why the City of St Louis CANNOT change the existing pension plans for the police department. Not only can they not change the existing pension plan, they won’t even control it. It is in a trust not controlled by the city.
The opposition to local control is political in nature. It can’t be supported by the facts regarding adverse impacts to the pension system.
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[...] As I’ve written previously, the one legitimate question raised in the local control discussion has been about the pension plan. The pension plan has been protected from the beginning in House Bill 71 and Senate Bill 23. The city can’t change it and won’t control it as clearly stated by expert legal testimony played here Local Control: It’s About Pensions – Really?. [...]