SPONSOR: Whaley
Upon voter approval, this resolutions amends the Missouri Constitution to require a county to elect, by a majority vote of the qualified voters, a sheriff for a term of four years and every four years thereafter. This provision will not apply to counties in which the office of sheriff is not an elected office. A county in which the office of sheriff is not an elected office can irrevocably restore the office to an elected office, at which point the provision will apply.
The elected sheriff will be notified of all federal investigations in his or her county and will perform the duties specified in the resolution. An elected sheriff will not be removed from office except by writ of quo warranto initiated by the Missouri Attorney General.
The resolution also allows the General Assembly to levy court costs and fees to support the salaries or benefits for sheriffs and retired sheriffs.
This bill is similar to SCS SJR 42 (2023).