Wesley Bell

Rep. Cori Bush reflects on her House tenure and her electoral defeat.

The ruling from Circuit Judge Brian May of the 21st Circuit will be appealed.

Circuit Judge Brian May said he will issue his decision promptly. His ruling will almost certainly be appealed.

Gov. Mike Parson has chosen St. Louis County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith as the next St. Louis County Prosecutor. County and state leaders are currently in a legal battle over who has the authority to appoint the prosecutor.

U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis County, gave a farewell address to Congress on Thursday.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page nominated Cort VanOstran to the post Dec. 3, but Gov. Mike Parson has challenged Page’s authority to do so in court.

Cort VanOstran resigned his job as a federal prosecutor this week. He was in private practice before that and ran for Congress in 2018.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court argues that because prosecutors exercise police powers, the governor should appoint the successor to Wesley Bell.

As recently as Monday, prosecutors had been arguing for a St. Louis County judge to act immediately to throw Dennis Hancock, a Republican from Fenton, off the county council. He is accused of violating the state’s nepotism prohibition.

Parson and Attorney General Andrew Bailey say language in the state constitution gives the governor the power to fill all vacancies in public office, regardless of county charters.