KANSAS CITY CONFRONTS 'DEFUND POLICE' COMEUPPANCE!!!

Local pundits and politicos are set to cry crocodile tears this week as the Missouri GOP Super Majority is likely to pass SIGNIFICANT funding changes for Kansas City police.

However . . . 

LET'S NOT FORGET THAT MISSOURI REPUBLICANS TINKERING WITH THE KANSAS CITY POLICE BUDGET WAS SPARKED BY MAYOR Q'S FAILED EFFORTS TO DEFUND POLICE!!!

Hack newsies and sketchy politicos will argue about the legality of this move . . .

But TKC readers REMEMBER that Mayor Q lost this fight in court . . . A quick reminder of the decision: 

"In his ruling, Judge Patrick Campbell said Kansas City cannot change the police department's spending after appropriations without approval from the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

"Campbell issued a writ of mandamus that will require the city to put $42.2 million back in the police department's budget for this fiscal year." 

We can talk about "local control" and autonomy . . . Which might both be inevitable . . . However, there's simply no denying that Mayor Q is now on the losing side of this debate that will tie his hands on funding issues in the very near future . . . Here's another summary of the hot mess in the making . . . 

After the Democratic mayors of Kansas City and St. Louis last year moved to shift police funds towards community outreach and crime prevention initiatives, Republican lawmakers in Jefferson City vowed a response.

GOP-backed legislation filed this year would increase the portion of Kansas City’s budget it must devote to its police department. Another bill would take control of the St. Louis police away from local officials and return it to a state-run board.

The Kansas City proposal is on the precipice of heading to the governor’s desk, with both the House and Senate passing different versions this year.

Monday afternoon, a Senate committee voted to send the House version to the full Senate for debate. And the Senate’s version of the bill is eligible for a vote at any time in the House.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

GOP eyes bill forcing Kansas City to put more money toward police as session nears end

Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, introduced a bill increasing how much funding Kansas City must devote to its police in response to moves made last year by the mayor and city council. // Courtesy of Missouri Senate Communications After the Democratic mayors of Kansas City and St.