Missouri House Democrats say GOP was 'blatantly racist' to end debate on special prosecutor bill

The Missouri House passed legislation Thursday allowing the governor to appoint a special prosecutor in cities like St. Louis. But Republican leadership cut off debate on the bill before several Black Democrats from the St. Louis area were able to speak.
Some House Democrats are calling a move by Republican leadership racist after they cut off debate on a bill Thursday before several Black lawmakers could speak on it.

Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis, said both the bill, which would allow the governor to appoint a special violent crime prosecutor in cities, and the decision to cut off debate are racist.

“It is blatantly racist when they get up on the floor and say there's a crime problem in the city of St. Louis and majority of the people that live there are African American,” Bosley said. “And yet you won't let the Black representatives or even those who represent those Black folks to have a conversation.”