In the second contest between Rep. Talibdin (T.D.) El-Amin and Committeeman Joe Palm, El-Amin is maintaining his fundraising advantage.

According to campaign reports filed yesterday, El-Amin raised $6,700 last quarter, leaving him with $9,378.53 cash on hand, which is presumably about $9,000 more than his opponent, Joe Palm, who filed a Limited Activity report.

That’s it! Rep. Talibdin “TD” El-Amin is sick and tired of people stealing other folks scrap metals. It’s getting ridiculous out there. Between the declining economy and the rising costs of metals people are pilfering scrap left and right.

It’s enough to drive a legislator to create a house bill declaring war on metal bandits. El-Amin filed the bill Tuesday with Rep. Rodney Hubbard as a chief co-sponsor.

“This is a real issue, that has caused an undue financial burden on residents in St. Louis, both North and South, and it’s our desire to address legislatively, those who steal and those who abet and condone this activity by accepting it”, states Representative El-Amin.

In a statement released Tuesday, El-Amin writes that these junkyard scofflaws are getting off with stripping gutters, siding, outdoor air-conditioning units and tailpipes. There is no metal they won’t steal and sell for scrap. Thieves are robbing folks metal-bare and El-Amin says HB 2543 is the cure. It “modifies and strengthens the existing law relating to scrap metal transactions.”

The bill also makes it a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense, and Class B for the second violation.

The bill calls for the establishment of a registry by collectors/dealers in junk or scrap metal that collects the name and address, place of business and driver’s license of the seller, full description of each purchase, including weight quantity. In addition to copper wire or cable, the proposed legislation adds any form of copper or copper alloy as scrap, refuse, recyclable waste, or surplus building materials to be maintained in a registry. It also requires that the seller’s license plate number of the vehicle in which materials are delivered is annotated; the bill further includes the registration of surplus building materials.

El-Aim says he’s been inundated with calls about citizens who’ve been robbed for their metals. According to the release, fixing what was stolen often costs as much as 25 times the value of what those bandits stole.

St. Louis demonstrated a united front yesterday in the State Capitol as the political friends and foes spoke in unison in a call for local control of the city’s largest department, its police force.

Mayor Francis Slay, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, and 11 city aldermen from north and south St. Louis appeared before the House committee which heard testimony regarding House Bill 2117. Even some local activists who are working to remove Slay from office called a truce for the day and even praised Slay for his testimony in support of the legislation.

Here’s video from the press conference before the hearing. Check back later for more videos throughout the day.

St. Louis Leaders Call for Local Control of Police from pubdef on Vimeo.

The long fight of the City of St. Louis to regain control of its police department after a century of state rule will take center stage today at a hearing in the state capitol. And for the first time, St. Louis highest ranking officials will all testify in favor of the bill.

Mayor Francis Slay, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, Comptroller Darlene Green, and as many as 11 of the city’s 28 aldermen are expected to drive to Jefferson City this morning to speak at the 2:00 hearing on House Bill 2117.

The bill, sponsored by State Representative T.D. El-Amin (D-St. Louis), will be heard before the House Special Committee on Urban Issues, which is chaired by another St. Louis representative, Rodney Hubbard*, who is also a bill co-sponsor.

The hearing will begin at 2:00 in House Hearing Room 5. A hearing was scheduled for last week, but was cancelled due to the snow storm.

PubDef.net will have cameras at the event. Check back later for video.

* Editor’s Note: Hubbard is a client of A D French & Associates

Due to weather, today’s hearing in the State Capitol on whether St. Louis City should control its own police department has been cancelled.

The weather in Jefferson City is sunny and nice, but several of inches of snow have already fallen on St. Louis and more is expected, keeping many aldermen and the mayor from trekking the Capitol to testify.

State Rep. T.D. El-Amin, who’s sponsoring House Bill 2117, says the hearing will be rescheduled soon.

A Washington University fraternity will be hosting a panel of state legislators this week as part of their student political awareness campaign.

As part of their yearlong “I Will…” awareness project, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will welcome State Senator Jeff Smith (who is actually a Wash. U. professor) and State Representatives Margaret Donnelly, Talibdin El-Amin, Jamilah Nasheed, and Clint Zweifel on Thursday at 7:00 PM in Room 100 of the Brown building.