ST. LOUIS — Since April of 2020, almost every meeting of the Board of Aldermen and its committees has been held via videoconferencing to limit the spread of the coronavirus — and some members occasionally have participated while driving.
Now, in the name of traffic safety, an effort is underway to keep aldermen from voting or speaking in video meetings while behind the wheel.
“It happens too often,†Alderman Anne Schweitzer, the sponsor of the proposed change in board rules, said in an interview. “We need to be safe. We need to make sure other people are safe. I think it’s time.â€
Schweitzer’s measure, which was endorsed on Wednesday by the aldermanic rules committee, could come up for floor debate as soon as Friday.
Speaking in favor at the committee’s Zoom hearing was Michael Browning, a city resident who said he’s a “bike commuter†worried about distracted driving.
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He said seeing aldermen taking part in virtual meetings while driving was “a grim reminder that pedestrian safety is still an afterthought in this city.â€
Another supporter was Kevin Hahn-Petruso, policy manager for Trailnet, which advocates for pedestrians and bicyclists.
He said a recent study by his organization showed that distracted driving was a factor in 11% of crashes involving pedestrians in the city last year and 10% of those involving bicycles.
But Alderman Brandon Bosley, 3rd Ward, who participated in Wednesday’s hearing while driving himself, said Schweitzer’s resolution went too far.
As an alternative, he suggested “something along the lines of you shouldn’t be holding your phone or touching your phone†while voting.
He said showing your face via video, which is required by state law for remote voting, could be achieved by using a hands-free phone stand or tripod in a vehicle.
“We’re not retarded,†said Bosley, who isn’t a member of the committee. “We are a legislative body. Our job is to try to figure out how to enhance the lives of the public and how to be more efficient in whatever it is that we’re doing.’â€
Bosley’s choice of language prompted criticism from Alderman Christine Ingrassia, 6th Ward, who said “using the R-word is incredibly offensive†and furthers negative stereotypes about people with disabilities.
The resolution was approved 6-0 by the committee, although one supporter, Alderman Marlene Davis, 19th Ward, said she had mixed emotions about it.
She said although she is a firm believer in efforts to curb distracted driving, she is concerned about taking away an alderman’s ability to vote.
Later in the meeting, however, she said she believed that barring a driving alderman from voting wouldn’t be automatic under the proposed rule and that the aldermanic president and committee chairmen could warn them to pull off the road before they attempt to vote.
As drafted, the resolution says no board member may vote or be counted as present if they are driving.
After the meeting, Schweitzer, 13th Ward, said she believed that also would bar driving members from speaking via video but that the wording may need to be made more specific.
With coronavirus cases declining in recent weeks, Schweitzer said she prefers that the board return to in-person meetings but that for now something needs to be done to limit participation of drivers in the online sessions.
Originally posted at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23.