By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Max’s Law will return for a third time in the Missouri legislature.
The proposal, named for St. Joseph’s K-9 Max, passed last legislative session only to fall victim to a gubernatorial veto on an unrelated subject.
State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Republican from Parkville who represents Platte and Buchanan Counties in the Senate, has pre-filed his bill to increase the penalty for killing a police dog in the line of duty.
“It’s really any working police animal,” Luetkemeyer tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, if you had a horse, mounted police officer, and somebody shot and killed a horse in the line of duty, that too would be covered under Max’s Law, not just limited to canines, although typically those are the animals that are unfortunately killed whenever they’re out on the streets helping our police officers.”
The measure is named for K-9 Max, the St. Joseph police dog, shot and killed while chasing a suspect in June of 2021.
Two years ago, Luetkemeyer ran out of time. This past legislation session, Luetkemeyer ran into a veto by Gov. Mike Parson. Max’s Law was attached to a large anti-crime measure sponsored by Luetkemeyer which won legislative approval. Parson objected to a provision in the bill that provided compensation to those wrongly incarcerated, arguing it encumbered the state while holding harmless local jurisdictions in which the wrongful conviction took place. The governor vetoed the bill.
Luetkemeyer says he opposed the veto even while understanding the governor’s stance.
Under current Missouri law, the killing of a police dog is a misdemeanor. Testimony during the legislative session this year pointed out to lawmakers that smashing the windshield of a patrol car was considered a more serious offense under state law than killing a police animal.
Luetkemeyer began working on the legislation after talking with St. Joseph Police Officer Lucas Winder, K-9 Max’s handler.
“It was actually from that conversation with Officer Winder that led me to file Max’s Law two years ago,” Luetkemeyer says. “It is absolutely to honor the life and sacrifices of not only Max, but all police canines in the state of Missouri that lose their life in the line of duty and make sure that we are protecting these animals.”
Luetkemeyer says Max’s Law likely will once again be tucked inside a larger anti-crime measure.
“That just typically is how legislation passes in the Senate,” according to Luetkemeyer. “I know what some of the governor’s objections were to some of the other provisions in the bill last year. So, we’ll just be on guard to make sure none of those provisions gets attached to Max’s Law this year.”
The Missouri General Assembly begins a new session next month.