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Florissant Passes Internet Harassment Ordinance Similar to Dardenne Prairie’s
BY CAROL ARNETT
The Florissant City Council passed one bill and one resolution aimed at curbing online harassment. The legislation was in response to a recent case in St. Charles County in which a young teenager was harassed over the Internet.
The ordinance adds online harassment to the city’s existing harassment ordinance. The resolution asks that the state legislature pass a law against online harassment. The new law is similar to one approved in Dardenne Prairie after a 13-year-old girl killed herself after a harassment on-line.
Mayor Robert Lowery said that he asked Councilman Tim Lee to introduce the legislation. “We are in need of it after the Dardenne Prairie case,” Lowery said. “It doesn’t just happen in St. Charles County, it happens everywhere.”
Lowery stressed the need to have the state legislature act. The state has the power to attach greater penalties to the harassment. “The Internet is a great thing, but it comes with bad things, also,” Lowery said. He told the council, “I hope you pass this and subsequent legislation so we can incarcerate people now,” he said.
Lee said that the ordinance and resolution make a statement that says the city will not tolerate harassment. “It takes the existing ordinance and updates it to include Internet harassment.”
Lee also stressed the importance of the state acting in the matter. “This is all we can do,” he said, saying the city can prosecute someone and impose up to six months in jail and a $500 fine. “We are asking the state to do more.”
Council President Dan Sullivan urged residents to contact their state legislators. “Let’s get this going on the state and federal level,” he said.
“Our heart goes out to the St. Charles family,” Lee said. “This sends the message that the city of Florissant will not tolerate this type of thing.”
IN OTHER MATTERS, the council approved plans for a new tanning salon at 8786-8188 North Lindbergh in the Florissant Marketplace. Councilwoman Karen McKay said she hopes the city will look into stricter regulations on tanning salons or perhaps even a ban on future ones.
The council also passed the ordinances required to approve the budget for fiscal year 2008, but not without some discussion. The city’s fiscal year runs from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30.
