Missouri bill would bar access to police camera footage

By: The Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY - Two Missouri Republicans want to stop the public from seeing video from police cameras.

Bills filed by Republicans Rep. Galen Higdon and Sen. Doug Libla last week would exempt footage from police body cameras and dashboard cameras from the state's open records law.

The state's attorney general told lawmakers Tuesday in a letter that he supported broader use of body cameras but was concerned about unfettered public access to any footage under current open records law.

One of the bills would also bar the state from requiring body cameras.

Requiring police to wear cameras to record their actions is one proposal filed by lawmakers in response to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, by a white Ferguson police officer.