2023 was a year of change in St. Louis politics as Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigned from an office in turmoil and the Board of Aldermen was cut in half.
But in some respects, 2023 was a lot like most even-numbered years — in which policymaking and legislative fights took precedence over elections.
And even though the stakes at the ballot box were relatively low throughout the year, the past 12 months did see the formation of intriguing 2024 electoral matchups in Illinois and Missouri.
St. Louis Public Radio’s reporters and editors ranked the top five stories for state and local politics over the past year. Here they are:
1. Kim Gardner resigns amid avalanche of criticism over her office management
At the beginning of 2023, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner earned praise after she helped free wrongfully convicted St. Louis resident Lamar Johnson from prison.
But just days later, Gardner faced heightened criticism after a man who had numerous bond violations seriously injured a teenager from Tennessee in a car crash. That case put a greater spotlight on the management troubles at Gardner’s office, which included a sizable backlog of cases and the inability to retain key staff.
At first, Gardner was defiant — even when Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an effort to get a court to remove her from office. But with mounting pressure, including criticism from previous supporters, the Democratic official ultimately stepped down, citing an agreement that the legislature would not pass a bill that would have allowed the governor to appoint someone to handle the circuit attorney’s work.
Gov. Mike Parson picked Gabe Gore to replace Gardner. And one of the lingering questions going into 2024 is whether the era of relative good feeling for Gore will last as he runs for a full four-year term in office.
2. Transgender rights restrictions take center stage in Missouri politics
One key Republican priority that passed in the Missouri legislature was an effort to bar most transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
The passage of that bill came after intense negotiations in the Senate that placed an expiration date on the measure — and also exempted minors who have already received puberty blockers or hormone therapy. That new law is facing litigation, which could eventually be decided at some point next year.
Legislators also prohibited transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity.
Before lawmakers gave their final approval to the gender-affirming care ban, Bailey issued emergency rules that would have restricted transgender adults from accessing hormone therapy or gender transition surgery. While the rules were withdrawn after lawmakers passed the gender-affirming care ban for minors, some LGBTQ advocates are concerned that Bailey’s rules could be put forward in legislative form in 2024.
3. Abortion rights initiatives take shape in Missouri
Since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion rights advocates in Missouri have talked about taking a ballot initiative to voters to overturn the state’s abortion ban.
Efforts to do that faced headwinds in 2023. A group that proposed 11 different ideas to repeal the state’s abortion ban ran into a number of legal roadblocks from the state’s Republican officials. And abortion rights activists faced disagreement over whether any initiative should have a gestational week limit — something that groups like Planned Parenthood strongly oppose.
One surprise wrinkle was a plan from GOP strategist Jamie Corley, who proposed legalizing abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy and creating a slew of exceptions. While that initiative is also facing legal issues over the way the ballot item is described, her group started circulating signatures. It will need to get around 171,000 to make it on the 2024 ballot.
4. Illinois eliminates cash bail
For years, criminal justice reform advocates had campaigned against the concept of cash bail — contending that it kept the working poor in jail for relatively minor offenses while allowing wealthy people accused of more serious crimes to be released.
Cash bail critics won their biggest victory in Illinois, where lawmakers eliminated it. In September, the new system came online — making the state the first in the country to do so — amid grumbling from some prosecutors throughout the state.
5. Wesley Bell challenges Rep. Cori Bush
In late October, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell abandoned his bid for the U.S. Senate and jumped into the Democratic primary in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District against incumbent Cori Bush.
Bush’s longstanding criticism of Israel and support of Palestinians in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel was part of the reason Bell said he entered the race.
Many of her supporters see her advocacy for Palestinians as a refreshing change from some of her Democratic colleagues.
Whoever wins the primary in August is likely to win election in November in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.
Here are honorable mentions that didn’t make the top five:
Missouri rolls out recreational marijuana
Late last year, Missouri voters legalized the sale of cannabis to adults over 21. For the most part, the winter 2023 rollout was without the major hiccups that befell other states that legalized adult-use marijuana. And sales have boomed.
But there was conflict over how counties could tax the product, a matter that is currently winding through the court system.
St. Louis progressives win control of shrunken Board of Aldermen
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen went through a major change in the spring, when it shrank from 28 to 14 members.
And elections in April solidified a left-of-center coalition’s hold on the board.
Illinois bans assault weapons
In response to a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois lawmakers instituted a ban on the sale of assault-like weapons — including AK-15 and AK-47s.
So far, legal challenges to the law have come up short but are ongoing.
Primary-o-rama grips Missouri GOP
Next year’s Republican primaries for statewide posts like governor, attorney general and lieutenant governor will be crowded, and campaigning began in earnest in 2023. And that could lead to tension in the legislature, since many GOP lawmakers are running against each other.
