Court Rules Unanimously
The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously struck down a law that threatened homeless people with jail time for sleeping on state land. The judges ruled that the law violated a section of the Missouri Constitution, which prohibits legislation from containing multiple unrelated subjects. The law, a sweeping 64-page bill, also dealt with city and county governance and banned COVID-19 vaccine requirements for public workers in Missouri.
“Invalid in its Entirety”
In their decision, the judges declared the law “invalid in its entirety.” Judge Paul Wilson, who wrote the court’s decision, emphasized that the law violated the Missouri Constitution. This ruling means that unhoused individuals will no longer face jail time or fines for sleeping on state land without permission, and vaccine mandates for public workers will now be allowed in Missouri.
Consequences of the Law
The law, enacted in 2022, not only criminalized homelessness but also prohibited state funding from being used for permanent housing for homeless people. Instead, the law directed funds towards temporary shelters and assistance with substance use and mental health treatment. Advocates for homeless people argued that the law failed to address the root cause of homelessness – the lack of affordable housing – and offered no real solutions to address mental health or substance abuse issues.
Attempts to Clear Homeless Encampments
Records obtained by The AP show that attempts to clear homeless encampments have increased in cities across the country, including Los Angeles and New York. These efforts have been spurred by public pressure to address what some residents describe as dangerous and unsanitary living conditions. In March, a once-busy homeless encampment near the Mississippi River and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis was bulldozed, ending nearly a year of debate on how to handle the situation.
Lawmakers’ Approach and Future Actions
The Supreme Court judges focused on whether the homelessness issue fit within the bill’s subject of political subdivisions and concluded that the connection was “remote at best and, in some instances, completely missing.” State lawmakers had added the homelessness provision, along with 49 other new sections, in an attempt to advance bills before the end-of-session deadline in 2022. The lawmaker responsible for the homelessness provisions has since left office, and no other legislators have filed bills to reinstate the policy. As the next legislative session in Missouri begins in January, the impacts of this court ruling and potential future actions remain to be seen.