JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Gov. Mike Kehoe made juvenile justice reform a top priority, and Missouri lawmakers are taking action.
A new bill being considered by the Missouri House of Representatives aims to crack down on juvenile crime by giving prosecutors greater power to try young offenders as adults. The House committee could vote on the proposal as soon as next week. A companion bill is also moving through the Senate.
St. Louis Republican Rep. Brad Christ introduced a bill to reform the juvenile justice system.
Gov. Mike Kehoe made juvenile justice reform a top priority, and Missouri lawmakers are taking action.(KCTV5/Hannah Falcon)
“It’s been a problem that’s picked up in the state over the last four years, and that every law enforcement agency wants to figure out, every community wants to figure out,” Christ said.
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Christ’s bill would expand prosecutors’ authority to try juveniles as adults and extend lockup periods for young offenders. The lawmaker believes this approach will break the cycle of repeated arrests and demonstrate that Missouri can effectively address juvenile crime.
“The juvenile system is set up for rehabilitation and that’s not what’s happening now,” Christ said. “We are seeing crime come down in the state with bills like last year and this year, and I think we’re set up to show the world what Missouri is made of and I think Gov. Kehoe has got us on the right path.”
Proponents argue the current system isn’t working. They point to cases where young people are arrested, released by police, and picked up again shortly after, a cycle they say perpetuates crime and puts communities at risk.
The proposal has garnered bipartisan support. Democratic representatives, including Rep. Rachel Proudie of St. Louis, voiced backing for the effort.
“All in all, I’m glad we’re focusing on this; this is definitely scratching an itch,” Proudie said.
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Gov. Mike Kehoe made juvenile justice reform a top priority, and Missouri lawmakers are taking action.(KCTV5/Hannah Falcon)
However, not everyone is convinced the solution will work. Advocates for youth justice raise concerns about transferring young people to the adult system.
“Threatening children with adult prosecution does not reduce crime. It destroys futures and increases recidivism,” said Clinton Davis with the Missouri Justice Coalition.
While community groups have raised objections, no lawmakers spoke against the bill during the committee hearing on Tuesday morning.
Notably, Missouri’s juvenile recidivism rate—the rate at which young offenders reoffend—stands at less than 10%, significantly lower than the adult recidivism rate. Community leaders opposing the bill point to this statistic as evidence that the current system is already working.
“If you take a child from the juvenile system and place them in the adult system where it’s already failing, you’re not helping the child,” Davis said.
The Missouri Department of Transportation announced a segment of I-70 Drive Southeast from Woodridge to Glenstone Drive in Columbia will close beginning Monday after being delayed for 14 days.
The entrance to Woodridge Drive from I-70 Drive Southeast will also be closed. The closure is set to last 300 days and aims to be completed in January 2027, according to a news release from MoDOT.
The closure will enable crews to shift traffic on I-70 to construct two new bridges on I-70. This will allow the construction of the new underpass connecting Hanover Boulevard to I-70 Drive Southeast.
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All businesses will remain accessible during the closure. Motorists will be directed around the closure via Keene Street and St. Charles Road, according to the news release.
The closure was originally set for March 9. According to past KOMU 8 reporting, MoDOT postponed the project due to weather and crew availability.
A 29-year-old man was seriously injured in a Friday night motorcycle crash in Morgan County.
The crash happened around 7:50 p.m. on Old Five Road north of Leatherman Road, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.
A Ford Explorer crossed the center of the roadway while heading southbound and struck a Kawasaki motorcycle heading northbound, according to the crash report.
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The 29-year-old man was airlifted to University Hospital with serious injuries, according to the crash report.
The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet. The driver of the Ford Explorer had no reported injuries and was wearing a seatbelt, according to the crash report.
The city of Columbia Public Works Department plans to close a lane on Rogers Street and shift lanes on Forum Boulevard this week.
Rogers Street
The city of Columbia Public Works Street Division crews will begin road work on Rogers Street in front of Jefferson Middle School 7 a.m. on Monday.
One lane will be closed, and a flagger will help direct traffic through the work zone, according to a Columbia Public Works news release.
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Crews plan to replace a section of failed concrete pavement in the eastbound lane, according to the news release.
Work will include removing deteriorated concrete and pouring a new concrete panel, according to the news release.
Rogers Street is expected to fully reopen by 5 p.m. on Monday, weather permitting.
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Forum Boulevard
Crews also plan for road work beginning at 7 a.m., Thursday on Forum Boulevard near the intersection of Crestwood Lane, according to the news release.
Crews will replace a collapsed section of pavement, according to the news release.
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No full lane closures are planned, but northbound traffic will shift lanes through the work area. Southbound traffic is expected to move normally, according to the news release.
Traffic message boards will be in place to remind travelers of the road work.
All lanes are expected to reopen by 5 p.m. on Thursday, weather permitting, according to the news release.
