Courtney Allen Curtis (born April 12, 1981) is an American former politician who served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018. He represented the 73rd District, which includes such north St. Louis County municipalities as Ferguson, Berkeley, Kinloch, Woodson Terrace, St. Ann, Cool Valley, Hazelwood, Normandy, Bridgeton, and Edmundson.
A native of Ferguson, Missouri, Curtis was a vocal figure during the unrest over the shooting of Michael Brown.
In 2018 he was sentenced to 21 months in prison for using campaign funds for personal use.
Early life and career
Early life and education Curtis was born on April 12, 1981, and raised in Florissant, Missouri, graduating from McCluer Senior High School in 1999. He attended Columbia College and University of Missouri, where he served as president of the Collegiate 100, a chapter of the 100 Black Men.
Career A member of the Missouri Democratic Party, Curtis represents north St. Louis County (District 73) in the Missouri House of Representatives. 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.
In April 2014, Curtis established North County Forever, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalization of the 73rd District.
In March 2016, Curtis introduced a controversial bill that would have designated the St. Louis Cardinals as the official Major League Baseball club of the state of Missouri.
A vocal advocate for greater inclusion of minorities in Missouri construction contracts, 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.
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. He then resigned. (2018)
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.
Elections
2012 Curtis defeated Doug Clemens in the 2012 Democratic primary election and ran unopposed in the general election.
2014 Curtis ran unopposed in the 2014 primary and general elections.
2016 Curtis defeated Democratic challengers Daniel Wibracht, Eileen McGeoghegan, and Lee Smith in the 2016 primary election and ran unopposed in the general election.
Committee assignments As an incoming freshman, Curtis served on the following committees:
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. 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
2014 Bills
2014 Sponsored Bills Bill Description Date Last Action HB1619 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 04/30/2014 HCS Voted Do Pass (H) HB1624 Designates the "high five" as the official state greeting 02/05/2014 Referred: Tourism and Natural Resources(H) HB1625 Establishes the Missouri Indoor Clean Air Act and changes the laws regarding smoking in public places 02/05/2014 Referred: Local Government(H) HB1694 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 04/08/2014 Public Hearing Completed (H) HB1695 Authorizes a community children's services fund to expend funds to provide preventative services, including transportation costs, for children 04/08/2014 Motion to Do Pass Failed (H) HB1696 Authorizes an income tax deduction for single residents who have never had a child 02/11/2014 Referred: Ways and Means(H) HB1704 Establishes the Missouri Tuition Equity Act 02/18/2014 Public Hearing Completed (H) HB1705 Allows students at two-year or four-year colleges or universities to seek tuition reimbursement for college remedial courses under certain circumstances 02/18/2014 Public Hearing Completed (H) HB1706 Requires a student to successfully complete four units of credit in both mathematics and science to receive a high school diploma 02/11/2014 Referred: Elementary and Secondary Education(H) HB1808 Authorizes an income tax deduction for expenses incurred in creating or forming a limited liability company or sole proprietorship 03/04/2014 Public Hearing Completed (H) HB1809 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 02/25/2014 Public Hearing Completed (H) HB1810 Designates June 1 as "Underrepresented Minority Contractor Appreciation Day" in Missouri 02/18/2014 Referred: Tourism and Natural Resources(H) HB1811 Establishes the Committee for Entrepreneurs within the Department of Economic Development and a grant program for certain accelerated computer programming programs 03/04/2014 Public Hearing Completed (H) HB1812 Changes the laws regarding economic development incentives 02/18/2014 Referred: Economic Development(H) HB1813 Establishes the Missouri Youth Funds Legislative Oversight Committee to ensure that all youth funds in the state are operated efficiently and effectively 03/11/2014 Motion to Do Pass Failed (H) HB1814 Waives the articles of organization filing fee every January for newly formed LLCs 03/12/2014 Action Postponed (H) HB1859 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 03/12/2014 Public Hearing Completed (H) HB1931 Requires the Governor to issue a proclamation for Primary Election Day and for General Municipal Election Day 02/26/2014 Referred: Elections(H) HB1978 Requires radiation monitoring to be conducted at any solid waste disposal area located in Bridgeton 05/16/2014 Referred: Tourism and Natural Resources(H) HB1979 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" 03/27/2014 Public Hearing Completed (H) HB2106 Requires commercial mobile service providers to report specified information to the Missouri Public Service Commission for posting on its website 05/16/2014 Referred: Utilities(H) HB2165 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 05/16/2014 Referred: Higher Education(H) HB2166 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 05/16/2014 Referred: Higher Education(H) HB2167 Requires school districts and charter schools to identify students needing remedial coursework and implement a virtual school program to assist the identified students 05/16/2014 Referred: Elementary and Secondary Education(H) HB2170 Establishes the 8 in 6 Program within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 05/16/2014 Referred: Elementary and Secondary Education(H) HB2195 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 05/16/2014 Referred: Judiciary(H) HB2196 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 05/16/2014 Referred: Utilities(H) HB2211 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 05/16/2014 Referred: Urban Issues(H) HB2228 Changes the laws regarding federal work authorization programs 05/16/2014 Referred: Workforce Development and Workplace Safety(H) HB2291 Establishes the Historic Revitalization Act 05/16/2014 Referred: Economic Development(H) HB2299 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 05/16/2014 Referred: Elementary and Secondary Education(H)
2014 Co-Sponsored Bills