St. Louis local elected officials would lose control over the city's police force under a bill before Missouri's Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The bill now goes to Gov. Mike Kehoe, who made the state takeover of St. Louis Police one of his priorities. St. Louis' two police unions support the legislation, but the city mayor and police chief testified against it.

Legislators are expected to pass a bill this week that would take oversight of the police away from the city. That Civil War-era approach had been ended by state voters in 2012.

Placing the St. Louis Police Department under a state-appointed board has been a priority for Gov. Mike Kehoe. The Republican governor said that removing local control will improve safety, despite the evidence in Kansas City,