A member of the Missouri Democratic Party, Curtis represents north St. Louis County (District 73) in the Missouri House of Representatives.[5] He was elected to his first two-year term in 2012 and re-elected in 2014 and 2016. Curtis was appointed president of the Freshman Democratic Caucus and chair of the Freshman Bipartisan Issues committee. He was named Associated Students of the University of Missouri Legislator of the Year in 2013.[citation needed]
In April 2014, Curtis established North County Forever, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalization of the 73rd District.[6]
A vocal advocate for greater inclusion of minorities in Missouri construction contracts,[7][8][9] Curtis was involved in a physical altercation with fellow Democratic state representative Michael Butler of St. Louis after a heated exchange of words over Curtis's anti-union stance.[10]
Arrest and Conviction
In 2017, he pled guilty to three counts of wire fraud regarding his unreported use of funds from his re-election campaign funds for which he used instead for personal expenses such as travel. He was fined over $77,000, but he did not pay them.[11] He then resigned. (2018)[12][13][14]
Ferguson unrest
In the wake of the events surrounding the death of Michael Brown, Curtis called for the mayor, judges, and police leadership of Ferguson to step down.[15]
Elections
2012
Curtis defeated Doug Clemens in the 2012 Democratic primary election and ran unopposed in the general election.[citation needed]
2014
Curtis ran unopposed in the 2014 primary and general elections.[citation needed]
2016
Curtis defeated Democratic challengers Daniel Wibracht, Eileen McGeoghegan, and Lee Smith in the 2016 primary election[16][17] and ran unopposed in the general election.[citation needed]
Committee assignments
As an incoming freshman, Curtis served on the following committees:[citation needed]
2013–2014
Democrat Freshman Committee (president)
Freshman Bipartisan Issue Committee
Ways and Means Committee
Agri-Business Committee
International Trade Committee
2015–2017
Curtis was appointed chairman of the Special Committee on Urban Issues, becoming the only Democrat to chair a committee for 2015 legislative session.[citation needed] He also served on the following committees:
Joint Committee on Education
Rules Committee
Legislative Oversight Committee
Appropriations Committee
Health, Mental Health, and Social Services Committee
Ways and Means Committee
Government Oversight and Accountability Committee
Select Committee on Local, State, Federal Relations and Miscellaneous Business[18][19]
Specifies that the aggregate amount of tuition charged by a receiving school district during a school year must not exceed $10,000 per pupil when a student transfers from an unaccredited district
Allows any county to establish a County Youth Initiative and authorize a sales tax to provide programs to improve children's well-being and prevent juvenile delinquency
Allows students at two-year or four-year colleges or universities to seek tuition reimbursement for college remedial courses under certain circumstances
Authorizes an income tax deduction for 100% of the tuition paid for up to the last 30 hours required to complete an associate or bachelor's degree from a public two-year or four-year college
Establishes the Committee for Entrepreneurs within the Department of Economic Development and a grant program for certain accelerated computer programming programs
Establishes the Missouri Youth Funds Legislative Oversight Committee to ensure that all youth funds in the state are operated efficiently and effectively
Requires the minimum annual salary of legislative assistants of the House of Representatives to begin at a level 15% below the annual salary of the hiring Representative, with cost of living adjustments
Designates the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April of each year as a state holiday known as "Voter Pride and Awareness Day" or "Voter Pride Day"
Requires the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to conduct a study to consider a three-year bachelor's degree program in selected public higher education institutions
Prohibits a higher education institution from charging a Missouri resident who is a full-time student a tuition rate that exceeds the amount charged when the student first enrolled for the next five years
Requires school districts and charter schools to identify students needing remedial coursework and implement a virtual school program to assist the identified students
Expands the Incentive Subsidy Program to encourage municipal courts to seek assistance from the Division of Youth Services in order to utilize community early intervention programs for youth
Creates the Office of Public Counsel Fund to fund the office within the Missouri Public Service Commission from regulated utilities based on each utility's total gross intrastate operating revenues
Establishes a state Community Education Council and requires a community action council to be established in each school district located in St. Louis City and St. Louis County
Requires any county that contains an unaccredited school district to devote 10% of its annual revenue to a grant program to deliver services to the school district
Prohibits an employer from using a job applicant's personal credit history as a hiring criteria except where the credit history is shown to be directly related to the position sought by the applicant
Changes the time for a man to file an action to establish paternity or file with the putative father registry from 15 days to 60 days after the birth of the child
Allows a person convicted of a drug-related felony to become eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits upon meeting certain conditions
Designates December 4 as "Alpha Phi Alpha Day" in Missouri in honor of the first black intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African-Americans
Changes the laws regarding complaints filed with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights regarding discrimination based upon a person's sexual orientation or gender identity
Expands income eligibility under the MO HealthNet Program to 138% of the federal poverty level and changes various provisions regarding the delivery of health care to improve health care outcomes
05/16/2014
Referred: Government Oversight and Accountability(H)
Repeals the authority of a school district board to retain counsel and requires the Attorney General to furnish whatever legal services are necessary to exercise its powers upon the request of the board
Requests the United States Congress to transfer authority for the remediation of the West Lake Landfill radioactive wastes from the EPA to the Corps of Engineers Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program
Allows a person 60 years of age or older to renew a nondriver's identification without being physically present at the license bureau under specified conditions
Establishes the Joint Committee on Children's Services Oversight to review laws and policies, study problems, develop a comprehensive policy, and review contracted services
Requires a runoff election for county executive, prosecuting attorney, and county assessor in St. Louis County if no candidate receives at least 50% of the votes cast
Requires the Governor to issue an executive order to implement the remedies recommended in the 2014 Disparity Study regarding utilization levels of minorities and women-based enterprises in state awarded contracts
Requires the Department of Economic Development to create a job training program for individuals with low to moderate income to help them find employment on state-funded projects
03/31/2015
Referred: Economic Development and Business Attraction and Retention
Requires school districts and charter schools to identify students needing remedial coursework and implement a virtual school program to assist the identified students
Establishes the Committee for Entrepreneurs within the Department of Economic Development and a grant program for certain accelerated computer programming programs
5/15/2015
Referred: Economic Development and Business Attraction and Retention
Prohibits a higher education institution from charging a Missouri resident who is a full-time student a tuition rate that exceeds the amount charged when the student first enrolled for the next five years
Requires any county that contains an unaccredited school district to devote 10% of its annual revenue to a grant program to deliver services to the school district
Expands the Incentive Subsidy Program to encourage municipal and juvenile courts to seek assistance from the Division of Youth Services in order to utilize community early intervention programs for youth
Establishes the Missouri Youth Funds Legislative Oversight Committee to ensure that all youth funds in the state are operated efficiently and effectively
5/15/2015
Referred: Economic Development and Business Attraction and Retention
Creates a funding source for grants and programs that benefit children and establishes provisions to ensure youth funds in the state are operated efficiently and effectively
Allows an arrest record to be eligible for expungement if the DOJ or US Attorney General issues a report with findings that a law enforcement agency engaged in unconstitutional practices or racial profiling
5/15/2015
Referred: Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Allows the Missouri Highway Patrol or other accredited police department to take over operations of a police department that failed to follow recommendations provided by the DOJ or US AG in a report
Specifies that the General Assembly agrees with the United States Department of Justice report findings as a result of an investigation conducted following the death of Michael Brown
Requires any project labor agreement on a stadium project not submitted to a public vote to be entered into by the governing body of the political subdivision in which the project
Changes the laws regarding earnings taxes to exempt certain taxpayers if public funds are used for a convention center or stadium without voter approval
Requires a runoff election for county executive, prosecuting attorney, and county assessor in St. Louis County if no candidate receives at least fifty percent of the votes cast and establishes cert
Creates the Office of Public Counsel to fund the office within the Missouri Public Service Commission from regulated utilities based on each utility's total gross intrastate operating revenues
Requires all fire protection districts and municipal fire departments in St. Louis County to consolidate into one fire district upon the approval of the voters in the county
Urges the department of elementary and secondary education to promote a culture in which educators feel free to discuss issues and work together to achieve a quality education for each student
Prohibits an employer from requiring an employee or prospective employee to consent to a request for a credit report unless the employer is a financial institution or the report is required by law