Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Highlights Black History Month and Outlines Priorities

Members of Missouri’s Legislative Black Caucus held a press conference at the Capitol Monday in honor of Black History Month. While talking about some accomplishments, they also outlined several challenges and key issues they’re focusing on this year.

A leading Missouri House Democrat wants to see Governor Mike Parson appoint more African-Americans to top state department positions. House Minority Caucus Chair Tommie Pierson Jr. who serves on the House Budget Committee, says none of the statewide elected officials nor department directors are African-American.

“And the number that I’ve been trying to keep a tally of is how many African-Americans have presented (during House Budget Committee hearings) this $28 billion Missouri budget, and that number is zero.”

Pierson says Missouri has a problem with diversity and inclusion.

A Missouri House committee will also hold a hearing today (Tuesday) on legislation aimed at preventing maternal mortality. St. Louis State Representative LaKeySha Bosley says African-American mothers in Missouri have a mortality rate twice that of the general population.

“Black women have a high maternal mortality rate in Missouri of 65 deaths per 100,000 live births.”

The Missouri House Children and Families Committee will hear the testimony on House Bill 664 from State Rep. Sarah Unsicker to establish the “Healthy Mothers Initiative.” which will create a committee of doctors, nurses and other professionals to study maternal mortality and recommend solutions.

Unsicker says a woman giving birth today is more likely to die in childbirth than her mother was, stating that “the crisis in worse in St. Louis and in the Bootheel.”