The Republic
ST. LOUIS — A Missouri judge has struck down a state law allowing St. Louis firefighters to live outside the city limits because it infringed on the city’s authority to set its own work policies.
St. Louis has long had residency requirements for most of its employees. But the Missouri Legislature passed a bill last year giving firefighters the right to live outside the city as long as they were within an hour of their home fire station. St. Louis officials contended the law infringed on its city charter.
In a ruling made last week that was delivered to city attorneys Tuesday, Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem said the Missouri Constitution protects a city’s authority to make residency decisions for its employees. City staffers told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the judge’s decision validates a city’s right to rule itself.
Full story: Mo. court strikes down state law allowing St. Louis firefighters to live outside the city