Special Committee on Red Tape Meeting Summary - November 19, 2025

The Special Committee on Red Tape convened on November 19, 2025, to review Board Bill 88 regarding the revision of the City of St. Louis election code. The meeting included the approval of minutes from January 29, 2025, followed by a detailed presentation by the bill's sponsor, discussions with the Board of Election Commissioners, public testimony from stakeholders with opposing views, and a committee vote. The committee ultimately voted to pass the bill with a "do pass" recommendation despite concerns raised by Democratic Party representatives regarding vacancy procedures.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the meeting held on Monday, January 29, 2025, following a motion by Alderman Ryan and a second by Alderman Aldridge (4-0 vote).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Sean Faust (Chair, St. Louis Democratic Party): Expressed opposition to Bill 88. He stated that the Democratic Party was not consulted during the bill's creation and argued that the bill conflicts with the City Charter (Article IV, Section 5) regarding vacancy procedures. He also raised concerns about potential conflict with Missouri's Amendment 7 (Protecting Fair and Free Elections Act) regarding voting methods and opposed the reduction of filing fees.
• Wally Price: Expressed opposition specifically to the portion of the bill concerning the Democratic Central Committee's role in vacancies. He argued the bill circumvents the current body and potentially conflicts with state law regarding state entities.
• Kathleen Farrell (On behalf of the League of Women Voters): Expressed full support for the bill. She highlighted the necessity of the cleanup, the introduction of gender-neutral language, the justification for reducing filing fees to match Senate-level costs, and the clarity provided regarding tie-breaking procedures. She clarified that Missouri's Amendment 7 includes an exception for St. Louis City, negating the conflict concerns.
• Anthony Bell (Committee Man, 14th Ward): Expressed opposition to the bill's provisions regarding vacancies. He argued that the power to appoint or replace a candidate should remain with the city election officials rather than being shifted, believing the community and voters would benefit from city control.
• Lucinda Farrar (Committee Woman, 14th Ward): Expressed strong opposition to the bill. She argued that the Democratic City Citizens Committee was elected by the people to decide on candidates for special elections and that the bill unjustly removes this responsibility and role from committee members.

Discussion Items

• Alderman Michael Browning (Sponsor): Presented Board Bill 88 as a comprehensive cleanup of the election code, which has not been significantly rewritten since 1948. Key proposed changes included: cleaning up language regarding political parties to align with the 2020 adoption of approval voting; reordering the code chronologically for readability; clarifying tie-breaking procedures (shifting from Board of Alderman decision to signature counts); allowing signatures on multiple petitions; strengthening tax compliance checks for candidates; reducing filing fees to a flat rate comparable to other offices; and clarifying that special elections with two or fewer candidates will not hold primaries. He noted the bill codifies current Board of Election Commission (BOE) policies and does not conflict with the Charter unless a future Charter amendment occurs.
• Director Michael Borgmeyer (Board of Election Commissioners): Stated support for the bill, noting it removes outdated references (including state statutes from the 1970s) and codifies processes from the last five years. He clarified that the bill provides clarity on the relationship between the City and the BOE but does not change the fundamental vacancy process; under current law/charter, parties would still nominate candidates for special elections until a Charter change occurs. He confirmed the BOE would continue to run special elections consistent with the recent 8th Ward vacancy process.
• Alderman Ryan: Expressed concern that the bill was rushed and that the concerns raised by the Democratic Central Committee and other groups regarding Charter conflicts and party roles were not adequately addressed. He requested more time for engagement and review before moving the bill forward.
• Alderman Aldridge: Asked for clarification on whether the bill changes the vacancy process or aligns the code with current Charter language. He specifically inquired about the role of political parties in nominations and the timeline for potential Charter changes regarding vacancies.
• Alderman Cox Antry: Expressed support for the bill's alignment of the election code with the nonpartisan approval voting system mandated by Proposition D. She emphasized the importance of making the process clear for voters and ensuring consistency with how other aldermanic elections are conducted.
• Alderman Ryan (Follow-up): Asked about the timeline and process for candidates paying taxes after receiving initial clearance. Director Borgmeyer clarified the current process involves the collector of revenue checking the list the day after filing closes; candidates are generally responsible for maintaining compliance, though the BOE may offer notice to correct issues before a candidate is barred from the ballot.

Key Outcomes

• Vote on Board Bill 88: The committee voted to pass Board Bill 88 with a "do pass" recommendation. The tally was 4 Ayes (Alderman Browning, Velasquez, Aldridge, Cox Antry) and 1 Nay (Alderman Ryan).
• Next Steps: The bill is forwarded to the full Board of Alderman with a recommendation for passage.
• Clarifications Made: It was confirmed that the reduction in filing fees aligns fees with other offices; that special elections with two or fewer candidates will not hold primaries; and that the vacancy nomination process remains unchanged until a future Charter amendment is passed by the voters.