A main opponent of the local control bill will offer support under conditions.
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A main opponent of the local control bill will offer support under conditions.

Date: September 13, 2011
By: Jenner Smith
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
A longtime critic of the St. Louis local control bill will change her vote under conditions.
RunTime:  0:46
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: St. Louis Democratic Senator Maria Chapelle-Nadal says she will support the bill if her concerns are "addressed and adopted."

Chapelle-Nadal says she has concerns after receiving input from her constituents and organizations both in favor and in opposition of local control.

She says she wants to give a voice to St. Louis officials.  

Actuality:  CHNADAL.WAV
Run Time:  00:13
Description: "What my interest is in all of this is to look out for the voices of the rank and file that you have not heard from. There is a distinct difference between the voice of leadership and the voice of rank and file."


Among her changes are increasing fines for interfering in police business and securing health insurance for police widows, partners and children.  

The bill will reach the senate floor sometime this week.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Jenner Smith.

Intro: 
Former president of the St. Louis Police Association speaks out against local control bill as it moves to the senate floor.
RunTime:  0:48
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The former president of the city’s police association and St. Louis Tea Party member Gary Weigert testified Tuesday in opposition of the bill passing to the senate floor.

While the bill’s sponsor, St. Louis Democratic Representative Jamilah Nasheed, says she believes that St. Louis should take back control of the police department, Weigert disagrees.

Actuality:  WEIGERT.WAV
Run Time:  00:15
Description: “Right now the city of St. Louis has shown a capacity not to be able to run a school system, hasn’t even been able to show the capacity to run a dog pound, and now the city of St. Louis wants to run the police department. I think that’s irresponsible.”

Weigert says he will lobby to defeat the bill. His position comes after the police association spoke in favor of the bill last week in a house committee meeting.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Jenner Smith.