Police group hasn't endorsed anyone for the U.S. Senate race

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Despite implications made on the House floor, the president of the St. Louis Police Officers' Association said Thursday the group has yet to endorse a U.S. Senate candidate.

The issue arose Wednesday when state Rep. May Scheve, who chairs the Missouri Democratic Party, addressed the full House.

Scheve said she had received an e-mail claiming that unless a certain bill were revived, the St. Louis Police Officers' Association would not endorse incumbent Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan.

Instead, the endorsement would go to Jim Talent, who is seeking the Republican nomination. The e-mail was supposedly sent by a past president of the police officers' association and suggested the endorsement was about to be made.

But Gary Wiegert, current president of the St. Louis Police Officers' Association, said in an interview Thursday the organization typically doesn't pick a candidate until much closer to election day, which is in November.

Wiegert also said he was unaware of any e-mail sent to Scheve.

The bill in question would let St. Louis police officers live outside the city.

The same provision would apply to law officers in some large counties.

The House had defeated the bill last week but took it up again Wednesday and passed it -- before Scheve read the e-mail to the House.

Scheve, D-Grantwood Village, alleged that the legislation passed Wednesday because Republicans who had initially opposed it switched their positions in hope of securing an endorsement for Talent.

"I think that is just silly," Wiegert said. "It seems to me that May Scheve was losing her argument and was just throwing out stuff."