No Free College and Handouts for Cops

I urge you to oppose the inclusion of police officers in HB1514 (Hinman), HB1525 (Christ), HB1527 (Christ), SCS SB71 (Gregory), HB496 (Christ), the Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act tuition waiver program and the expansion of occupational licensing waivers to law enforcement spouses under SB283 (Brown) and HB946 (Stinnett). These bills disproportionately privilege police officers and their families, exacerbating systemic inequities. 1. Redundant Benefits: Police departments often already offer tuition assistance and competitive salaries, unlike EMTs, paramedics, and dispatchers. Expanding tuition waivers duplicates existing incentives while ignoring underfunded roles. Similarly, SB283 and HB946 grant licensing waivers to police spouses—a benefit designed for military spouses facing relocation—without justification. Police families do not endure the same transient demands as military families, making this expansion unnecessary and exclusionary. 2. Misallocated Resources: Tuition waivers for police—a large workforce—risk draining limited funds from underpaid personnel. Licensing waivers for their spouses compound this inequity, prioritizing law enforcement over professions like healthcare or education, which face critical shortages and lack similar support. 3. Systemic Favoritism: Police accountability remains a pressing concern. Awarding exclusive benefits to law enforcement—who already possess significant institutional power—without addressing systemic misconduct undermines public trust. These bills signal that police deserve privileges over other essential workers, deepening community divisions. 4. Compensation Disparities: Police officers earn higher wages than EMTs, firefighters, and dispatchers. Tuition waivers for their dependents and licensing shortcuts for spouses further widen gaps, granting undue advantages to a group already better positioned to afford education and career mobility. I urge you to exclude police officers from tuition waivers in the Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act and oppose remove licensing waivers for their spouses. Redirect resources to EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, and other undercompensated roles. Prioritize equity by supporting personnel who lack existing benefits and align with community-driven public safety goals. These bills reinforce inequities by centering law enforcement in policies meant to serve all public safety workers. Missouri must invest in holistic solutions, not preferential treatment.