St. Louis Board of Aldermen

Cara Spencer, currently the 8th Ward alderwoman, announced on social media on Thursday that she plans to challenge Mayor Tishaura Jones in 2025. The two faced off in 2021, when Jones won by 4 percentage points.

Proponents of the bill said it would relieve poor residents of a financial and mental burden. That's despite a recently released working paper by economists that shows the positive effects of medical debt forgiveness may be limited.

A St. Louis aldermanic committee has given its approval to a bill that would use federal money to pay the medical debt of thousands of St. Louisans.

The rules say commercial operators must have a federal pilot’s license and a business license. There are also restrictions on where they can fly. SMS Novel, a company based in the Washington, D.C., area, wanted to fly drones in the Gravois Park neighborhood to enhance public safety.

Sonnier went back to the drawing board after her Unhoused Bill of Rights faced intense criticism.

“While eminent domain can be scary, ultimately, this use of eminent domain protects existing residents and existing occupied businesses,” the bill’s sponsor said.

A citywide survey that closed Feb. 6 garnered 12,442 online and paper responses during its 30-day voting window. The city’s Board of Aldermen said that compares to 3,195 completed surveys when it launched its kick-off survey last August.

The water department had just $2 million left in reserves before the rate hikes kicked in. They are expected to raise a combined $33 million.

Aldermen first attempted to call for a cease-fire in October. The sponsor of the resolution admits an early draft was “a little ignorant.”

Voting is open until Feb. 2 — the top ideas will get additional research and vetting by staff of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.