A ballot measure coordinated by Attorney General Jay Nixon is expected to be filed in the legislature as early as today in an effort to require Missouri police to send more of the drug money they seize to public schools. He did not have any details yet about that next step. But Nixon said the new ballot measure would split drug money 50-50 between law enforcement and education, instead of sending all the money to schools, as current law requires.
Some lawmakers support a split as a way to entice police to follow state law.
The Kansas City Star reported earlier this month that local and state police were diverting millions of dollars that state law required to be turned over to public education. The state law requires forfeitures to go through a state court, which then usually sends them to education. But The Star found that police often instead give the money they seize to a federal agency, which keeps a percentage, then returns the rest to police. State law prohibits law enforcement from such direct transfers to a federal agency. Rep. Jim Kreider, a Nixa Democrat and speaker pro tem, said he worked with Nixon on the ballot measure, a constitutional amendment that has to be approved by voters as well as lawmakers.