Bill would require peace-officer license for St. Louis sheriff candidates and set $50,000 deputy minimum

Representative Oler King presented House Bill 14‑56, which would require candidates for sheriff in the city of St. Louis to hold a valid peace-officer license at the time of filing and would set a minimum annual compensation of $50,000 for deputy sheriffs in the city.

"House Bill 14 56 proposes that candidates for the office of the sheriff in the city of Saint Louis must hold a valid peace officer license at the time of filing for office," Representative Oler King said in his presentation, adding that the minimum-pay provision is intended to improve recruitment and retention of deputy sheriffs.

Why it matters: The bill would change qualifications for a constitutionally elective local office in a charter city and would establish a state-level minimum for deputy pay in the City of St. Louis. Sponsors said the measures are intended to professionalize the office and stabilize staffing; opponents argued the proposal intrudes on local control and would create unequal treatment across Missouri’s counties.

Testimony and debate - Support: Sponsor testimony emphasized recruiting and retaining trained officers and parity with other jurisdictions. Representative Oler King told the committee the provisions "are vital for ensuring the sheriff's office operates effectively and continues to serve the community with integrity and professionalism."

- Questions from committee members focused on scope and mechanics. Representative Walsh Moore and Representative Voss asked whether the bill applied to St. Louis County; the sponsor clarified the bill addresses the City of St. Louis and does not change positions in other counties.

- Opposition: Arnie C. ACDINOFF, identified in the transcript as State Public Advocate, opposed the bill in public comment, arguing the state should not impose pay minimums or qualification requirements on charter-city offices and that the proposal was unfair to other counties. He said the City of St. Louis "needs to fully fund these salaries by themselves with local control and local funding and not funding from the state legislature."

Unresolved questions: Committee members asked whether the minimum salary would include POST certification requirements or cost-of-living adjustments; the sponsor said he would research whether the $50,000 baseline interacts with POST certification requirements and would follow up with members. Several members suggested COLA language or other mechanisms to keep pay competitive over time.

Next steps: The committee took testimony and asked questions; the transcript shows no committee vote on HB 14‑56 in the excerpt. The sponsor and members asked for additional information about interactions with county sheriffs and payroll mechanics before further action.

Ending: The committee closed public testimony and left the bill for further consideration pending follow-up research requested by members.