JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Senate gave its final approval to a public safety measure that would give control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to a governor-appointed board of police commissioners. The proposal now awaits likely approval from the Missouri House.

After a string of amendments and changes to appeal to more legislators, House Bill 495 was truly passed out of the Senate late Monday afternoon. Procedural rules also forced the Senate to vote on the measure twice, once last Thursday and then again today after having to go through the fiscal oversight process.

The final vote in the Senate was 27 to 5.

Senators also voted on an emergency clause for the bill that will expedite its implementation as early as August. The vote for the emergency clause was 25 to 7.

Last week, Gov. Mike Kehoe said he was looking forward to signing the bill this week.

The GOP governor, who is from north St. Louis, says the model in place before the 2013 swapping of power worked for the citizens and the police officers of St. Louis.

“We think it’s a good model to have happen,” he said. “We’re taking politics out of that.”

When asked about the future of St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy, Kehoe signaled support for the chief, saying Tracy is moving the department in the right direction.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones also issued a statement regarding the takeover bill.

“This effort to take away St. Louisans’ control of their own police department is in line with the cowardly attempts at autocracy we are seeing at the national level,” Jones said. “I cannot and will not sit down and allow this complete disregard for democracy to compromise the safety of our residents for political gain. This fight is far from over.”

The Missouri House is currently in session and could vote on the measure at any time.