Those championing the proposal still think they’ll be able to get it passed before the end of session in May.

The new text line is part of a push by the nonprofit Safe Connections to make services more accessible to victims of abuse during the coronavirus pandemic.

Defeat could leave program unfunded, while passage could set up new legal challenge.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and after 10 years of pursuing music professionally, Lloyd Nicks couldn’t have anticipated the year 2020 being his biggest yet. But last summer, everything changed when one of his songs started hitting airwaves across the U.S. “During quarantine I released ‘Never Fail,’ and it kind of just went crazy,” the Cahokia, Illinois, native, who now lives in Chesterfield, Missouri, told "St. Louis on the Air."

As a longtime professional in the live entertainment industry, Greg Hagglund watched far too many livelihoods crumble around him over the past year. But in recent months he’s collaborated with other local industry veterans on a concrete way to help them: Keep Live Alive St. Louis. The ongoing effort includes the premiere of a 90-minute video special March 12, featuring local and national performers.

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival eyes a June 2 return to Forest Park for its first production of "King Lear," after canceling its 2020 show because of the coronavirus. The cast is composed entirely of artists of color.