Missouri senators discuss what opening ceremony protesters wanted

Less than 24 hours after protesters interrupted the opening ceremony of the Missouri Senate, Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, had a question for the protesters.

"What public policy thing do they want us to do for them?" Schaaf asked.

According to statehouse reports by Missouri Digital News, Schaaf said if the protesters want to make a difference in the Capitol, they should come to senators' offices.

"I would ask them to please come to us and tell us what you want," Schaaf said. "Do you want us to pass a bill that makes life better in some way? If so, come to my office and tell me what it is."

Schaaf's remarks prompted reaction from the Senate's only two black members from the St. Louis area.

Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-St. Louis County, said protesters interrupted the Senate because they didn't know any better.

"From day one, Aug. 9, I knew that the way our young people were responding was indicative of the education they had been receiving," Chappelle-Nadal said, adding she began teaching her young constituents about civic engagement. "Many of my constituents didn't know who their council members are. They didn't know who their mayors were."

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis City, directly answered Schaaf's question of what the protesters want from the General Assembly.

"They want a special prosecutor because they feel like having a prosecutor within the municipality where you have a police-involved killing that there will be no impartiality," Nasheed told Schaaf. "They also want to tighten up the lethal force language. The language is way too broad. It's not well-defined."
 
Listen to audio from Missouri Digital News.