In just a few hours, Gov. Jay Nixon will swear in the 15 members of the Ferguson Commission — a committee he formed to address the “social and economic conditions” highlighted by protests after the killing of Michael Brown.
The appointees have been selected by the governor from a pool of more than 300 people who applied.
About a third of the applicants came from St. Louis, according to information provided by Nixon's office. Many were from St. Louis County, including 34 from Ferguson and 34 from Florissant. A few even applied from out-of-state.
Nixon announced the formation of the commission last month. At the time, he said it was not an attempt to prepare the community for the possibility that Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson won’t face charges at the state or federal level. A St. Louis County grand jury is weighing whether to indict Wilson for the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, 18, on Aug 9.
That decision is expected any day. On Monday, Nixon declared a state of emergency and called up the Missouri National Guard to help deal with the aftermath of the grand jury's decision.
Nixon has said the commission will have "the full authority of my office. ... It will have the resources necessary.” He expects the commission's work will take six months to a year.
At a meeting this morning, the Missouri Development Finance Board is considering a grant request to fund the commission. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who is also a board member, opposes the request.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/ferguson-commission-members-will-be-announced-this-afternoon/article_018cc5a3-d3db-5296-a581-75ca49921153.html
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