The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will again be governed by a state board instead of local officials under a bill signed Wednesday by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will no longer be under the control of the mayor’s office and instead will be overseen by a governor-appointed board. It's similar to the Confederate-era system that manages Kansas City Police.

The new law does many things, but the most controversial part puts the St. Louis Metropolitan Police under state control. As the state’s economic epicenter, the governor says the safety of St. Louis affects the whole state. Since an emergency clause is attached to this bill, all the measures in it go into effect right away.