House plan hinges St. Louis merger on local voter approval

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House has endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment requiring a majority of voters in St. Louis city and county to agree in order for the two governments to be consolidated.

The measure given initial approval Tuesday takes aim at the proposed Better Together initiative, which would put the question of whether to merge the St. Louis city and county governments to a statewide vote.

St. Louis city separated from the county in 1877 and is Missouri's only independent city.

Some lawmakers said Tuesday it would be wrong for voters outside the St. Louis area to decide whether the merger should occur. Sponsoring Rep. Dean Plocher equated it to giving brothers and sisters the say on whether a couple should get married.